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Charles Dickens’ beloved Christmas classic, “A Christmas Carol,” is tale of misery, remorse and renewal. Directed by Paul Cosca, Randall Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol, the Musical” is an experience like no other. Ebenezer Scrooge won’t part with a penny to help those in need, and as those around him prepare for the Christmas holidays, he becomes more bad tempered. It takes four ghosts to convince Scrooge to mend his ways and join in the Christmas spirit — in 13 scenes, 23 musical numbers and a 15-minute intermission. With a cast of 24 actors from a tender age to those with hoary heads, the narrow performance area is filled with drama, dance and destiny. At the top of the lineup is Scrooge in three ages. Stella Beard plays the young Scrooge who sees his father hauled off to debtor’s prison; Keigin Tosh is the rising Scrooge, too busy for love and conflicted at what appears to be his mercenary fate. Finally, Trevor Pekas is Ebenezer toward the end of his life, a man in full flesh, mean, miserable and money hungry. The four ghosts are memorable for talent and costuming. Kaiya Bagley plays The Ghost of Christmas Past in white satin and with a splendid starry headpiece. David Eisenberg gives them ominous warning to Scrooge as the Ghost of Marley, dreadful and fearsome thanks to his clanking chains, red backlighting and smoke. The Ghost of Christmas Present, played by Austin Kelly, is a vision in green, capped by a holly and berry wreath that grows another 12 inches is stature. Kelly was comical and convincing as Christmas Present, showing Scrooge the poverty of his life, without friends or family or love. What doesn’t work for the musical, though Scrooge is convinced, is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be, but no fault of Courtney Gage in the role. Is it the costuming that makes this ghost comical instead of fearsome? Cloth billowed out with balloons perhaps, a la Casper the Friendly Ghost? Choreography for “A Christmas Carol” is wonderful, and credit is due to Alissa Larson who worked magic with such a large cast. The ensemble scenes Mr. Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball and the Streets of London are particularly enthusiastic and energetic. Several members of the cast, Trevor Pekas and Keigin Tosh among them, somersault, tumble, jump rope and pirouette about to the astonishment of the audience. Costumes are beautifully designed, and complement the choreography. As is only appropriate in Victorian England, the haves are elaborately dressed with satins and velvets. The ladies fling their flounces about as they kick up their heels, and the men are neatly dressed in scarves and bespoke jackets. The poor are meanly turned out in dirty rags, and are blind, halt and hungry. Three of the ghosts are delightfully costumed, Eisenberg especially as the Ghost of Marley. The Randall set design for “A Christmas Carol” was exceptional. Three buildings front the set as homes on a street would be positioned, each with hinged doors to open interiors to the audience. At times these doors seem to be part of the dance, at times moving on their own accord because they are not fixed into place, evoking both wonder and anticipation. The set buildings have roofs and ceilings and interior stairs too, making it easy for much of the action to take place above the stage, creating a marvelous use of ascendant space that fits the narrative perfectly. Choirs sing from aloft, as Bob Cratchit (David Sayler) lovingly puts his son, Tiny Tim (Cameron Weiland), to bed in the garret. Most effective though, is the use of as Scrooge’s bed, which at times is actually projected into open space above the stage. From this exalted position, Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past, can view most beloved memories enacted out below. Double kudos to set designers Nico Hewitt and Elliot Anderson for their solid, safe work. Randall’s “A Christmas Carol, the Musical” would have been better off as “A Christmas Carol” without the music. Unfortunately, the soundtrack is excessively loud, and even painful as it drowns out the voices of the cast. When the cast sings as an ensemble, the voice level is increased to compete with the sound track, blasting the brick of the Randall Theatre. It is nearly impossible to hear any of the dialog or the words of the musical numbers. Much of the lyrical wit of the play is lost and regrettably, it is not possible to appreciate the vocal talents of the actors. The timing between cast vocals and the soundtrack also seems off, as if the cast is singing one tune and the soundtrack plays another. The effect is so disorienting that at the end of some numbers, I sat stunned with relief. This is the second production in the Randall Theatre’s new space, and there is continued enhancement to the theater just as promised. The marquee lights now showcase the front door, the box office area is more clearly defined, and the concessions space — with a lovely electric fireplace — is now partitioned off so that light does not distract from the performance. The Randall is working through a change of occupancy classification from retail to assembly and so seating is limited for the time being. “A Christmas Carol, the Musical” continues in the Randall Theatre at 20 East Fir Street in downtown Medford through Dec.30. For tickets or more information, visit RandallTheatre.com or call 541-632-3258. If you go, bring earplugs, just in case. Reach Ashland freelance writer Maureen Flanagan Battistella at [email protected].