Study Guide - Fort Wayne Civic Theatre

 Fort Wayne Civic Theatre IN THE WINGS Arts­In­Education Program Study Guide Compiled and Written by Emma Paulyne Kowatch Phillip H. Colglazier, Executive Director Eunice Wadewitz, Music & Education Director Fort Wayne Civic Theatre 303 East Main Street Fort Wayne, IN 46802 260.422.8641 www.fwcivic.org THE PLOT Time: Christmas Eve, mid­1800’s Place: London, England A Christmas Carol: The Musical opens on the snowy, blustery streets of London just outside The Royal Exchange. The time of year is shown immediately by the carolers that surround a tall Christmas tree. Everyone, poor and rich, employer and employee, adult and child, are all filled with excitement and cheer for the happy holiday. However the jolly spirit is cut short when a cold harsh wind brings Ebenezer Scrooge into the scene. The town makes it quite clear that Scrooge is a selfish, unsympathetic, greedy old miser. We follow Scrooge to his counting house as he belittles his clerk Bob Cratchit, dismisses his relentless nephew Fred as he attempts to invite Scrooge to Christmas dinner, and shuts out three Charity Men who are collecting donations to supply the poor with a hot meal in light of the Christmas spirit. After cursing Christmas, Scrooge retires to the home of his late business partner, Jacob Marley. Though Marley has been dead for seven years, his face comes to life as the front of the house. Scrooge quickly tries to forget what he’s seen, takes his dinner, and retires to the parlour. No rest comes to Scrooge, for out of the smoky fireplace comes the full ghost of Jacob Marley. Marley is covered by chains, safe boxes, and metal keys. He begs the frightened Scrooge to mend his greedy ways of neglecting the poor and unfortunate. He claims it’s “never too late to change” for the living. He then tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits. Starting at 1 o’clock the Ghost of Christmas Past will appear, on the next hour the Ghost of Christmas Present, and finally on the 3 o’clock hour the Ghost of Christmas Future. All this is prophesied with the help of many other restless, tormented ghosts. Sure enough come 1 o’clock Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past. Through magic and wonder Scrooge is taken back to the years he spent as a young boy. With his father off in debtor’s prison and Scrooge working as a child laborer, it’s made clear that money has always been a demanding presence in Scrooge’s life. Scrooge is filled with love when his sister Fan appears, before he remembers her death giving birth to his nephew Fred. The Ghost of Christmas Past takes him also to his happy memories of a hard working young man under the generous employer: Fezziwig. They witness one of his many jolly Christmas parties. They also witness his budding relationship with his one true love Emily before the years turn, making Scrooge cold with greed. The ­1­ engagement is called off by Emily. Scrooge can no longer take these painful memories and the Ghost vanishes having completed his job. 2 o’clock chimes and the Ghost of Christmas Present brings a bounty of food and Christmas cheer. He revels in the present joy of life, Christmas, and human fellowship. This ghost takes Scrooge to the familiar streets of London. Here they encounter Cratchit and his humble family, including his kind, handicapped son Tiny Tim. After they’ve witness the sweet picture of love they return to the streets to view how the rich and poor alike celebrate this compassionate time of year. They even visit Fred’s house where he’s holding his annual Christmas party complete with games and laughs. But gloom approaches in the threat of Tiny Tim’s death. Just before the Ghost of Christmas Present departs, two starving children come out from beneath his robes. They are Ignorance and Want. Scrooge must pay heed to them if he is ever to make a change. The Blind Old Hag appears. She has become the Ghost of Christmas Future. Suddenly Scrooge is in a graveyard among monks and gravediggers as they dance on a particular, unmarked grave. The Ghost of Christmas Future takes Scrooge about town to hear any who are discussing the death of the coffin’s occupant. Scrooge learns quickly that no one mourns the death of this unknown person. A group of businessmen even find it comical. He’s then a witness to Mrs. Mops and a couple undertakers stripping the dead man of his clothes and furniture to sell to Old Joe. They too laugh at the expense of the deceased. As Scrooge attempts to decipher these strange scenes, he is taken once again to the Cratchit household. Tiny Tim has died leaving his father heart broken. Scrooge is distraught under the weight of all he’s seen and learned. He wants to make a change. Suddenly a large tombstone rises with his name on it. Is it too late? The next morning Scrooge awakens. He’s alive and has not missed Christmas. It has been like a strange dream. Ebenezer Scrooge is a completely changed person. He starts off to mend all the wrongs he still has the power to mend. He blesses the Cratchit family becoming a “grandfather” figure to the children, restores the relationship with Fred and his wife, and becomes the jolliest partaker in Christmas that London has ever seen. ­2­ THE CHARACTERS A Beadle​ ­ keeps peace in the streets of London outside the Royal Exchange Three Charity Men​ ­ men collecting money for the poor from the rich Mr. Smythe​ ­ a poor, recently widowed father who’s in debt with Scrooge and cannot pay Grace Smyth​ ­ Mr. Smythe’s young daughter Scrooge​ ­ an old, cold, greedy miser who curses Christmas and cares only for his money Cratchit​ ­ Scrooge’s awkward, timid, kind­hearted clerk Martha Cratchit​ ­ Cratchit’s oldest daughter Mrs. Cratchit ​­ the feisty, kind wife of Cratchit Tiny Tim​ ­ sickly youngest son of Cratchit who uses crutches Poulterer​ ­ friendly dealer of poultry Fred Anderson​ ­ Scrooge’s nephew Jonathon​ ­ a street urchin who begs Scrooge for alms by singing at his door a Christmas song Ghost of Christmas Present (Sandwich board Man)​ ­ a sandwich board man, then the first spirit that appears to Scrooge Ghost of Christmas Past (Lamplighter)​ ­ a lamplighter, then second spirit the appears to Scrooge Ghost of Christmas Future (Blind Old Hag)​ ­ blind old hag, then third spirit that appears to Scrooge Mrs. Mops​ ­ Scrooge’s housemaid Marley​ ­ Scrooge’s deceased business partner Jacob Marley Marley’s Four Acolytes​ ­ Marley’s ghostly assistants Judge​ ­ judge who sentences Scrooge’s father to debtor’s prison for three years Scrooge’s Father​ ­ sent to debtor’s prison for three years Scrooge’s Mother​ ­ a compassionate mother in the midst of hard times Mr. Hawkins​ ­ a kind factory owner that young Scrooge works for when he’s 12 years old Fan at 10​ ­ the sweet young sister of Scrooge Fezziwig ​­ jolly bank employer of young Scrooge and young Marley Emily​ ­ the kind sweet­heart of young Scrooge Mrs. Fezziwig ​­ fun­loving wife of Fezziwig Sally Anderson​ ­ blunt but loving wife of Fred Old Joe​ ­ man who collects the deceased’s belongings in exchange for money. Scrooge Double Scrooge at 8 Scrooge at 12 Young Ebenezer (Scrooge at 18) Young Marley at 18 Two Grannies Two Undertakers Four Abundance and Charity Elves Ensemble​: Bankers, Street Venders, Pantomime Girl, Sailors, Lower Class, Ladies, Cratchit Children, Charwomen, Ghosts, Jailers, Factory Workers, Fezziwig Party­Goers, Clerks, Creditors, Dancing Girls, Monks, Children, Chorus of Child Angels, etc. ­3­ SONG LIST Overture Hear the Bells (Carolers) Jolly Good Time (Ensembles) Charity Men (Charity Men) Nothing to Do With Me (A lot of people) You Mean More to Me (Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Link by Link (Marley, Ghosts) The Lights of Long Ago Part 1 ​(The Ghost of Christmas Past) Old Bailey (Mrs. Scrooge) The Lights of Long Ago Part 2 (The Ghost of Christmas Past) A Place Called Home Part 1 ​(Scrooge at 12, Fan) Mr. Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball (Fezziwig, Mrs. Fezziwig, Fezziwig Party­Goers) A Place Called Home Part 2 (Young Ebenezer, Emily, Scrooge) Money Machine Montage (Ghost of Christmas Past, Young Ebenezer, Young Marley, Creditors, Mr. Fezziwig, Ghosts, Scrooge) Abundance and Charity (The Ghost of Christmas Present, Girl Chorus) Christmas Together (Tiny Tim, Cratchit, Mrs. Cratchit, Cratchit Children, Ghost of Christmas Present, Ensemble, Fred, Fred’s Family, Scrooge) Will Tiny Tim Live? (Scrooge) Dancing on Your Grave (Monks, Gravediggers, Ghosts, Scrooge, Businessmen, Old Joe, Mrs. Mop, Undertakers) Yesterday, Tomorrow, & Today (Scrooge, Angels) Final Scene Part 1 (Jonathon) Final Scene Part 2 (Scrooge, Sandwichboardman, Lamplighter, Blind Old Hag, Ensemble) Final Scene Part 3 (Scrooge, Cratchits, Fred, Sally, Ensemble) God Bless Us Everyone (Bows Version) (​All) ­4­ THE TEAM BEHIND THE SHOW The Music: ALAN MENKEN In 1994, Alan Menken wrote the music for ​A Christmas Carol: The Musical. Carol would be big spectacle show that would be performed specifically at the Madison Square Garden in New York City every year for Christmas. But before Menken wrote for this Christmas show, he had quite the career, partnership, and success. Menken was born on July 22nd, 1949 to Judy and Norman Menken. Judy was an actress and a playwright. Norman a dentist who was quite fond of the piano. Needless to say, Menken grew up in a musical home. He had two siblings, Faye and Leah. From an early age Menken wanted to be a composer. He had ADHD and sitting in school was often a challenge for him. But he grew up in a very happy home that enjoyed musical theatre. Menken graduated from NYU and just a year later met Janis Roswick, a ballet dancer. They have been married for forty­four years. Menken started out working for ballet studios as their accompanist. In 1978 he would enter the composing business and never look back. He partnered with Howard Ashman and together they did ​God Bless You Mr. Rosewater and the hit musical, ​Little Shop of Horrors. The musical did great and the movie version won them an Oscar nomination for their song, “Mean, Green, Mother from Outer Space”. Ashman also introduced Menken to Disney. Together they would also compose three great Disney productions: ​The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and​ Aladdin, before Ashman passed away in 1991. Also during the Disney success, Menken joined a project for a new musical movie that would flop as a film, but later become a hit on the Broadway stage. The name of the musical? ​Newsies.’ Awards​ ­ Since his breakout success, Menken has composed many films for Disney, a film for Marvel (​Captain America: The First Avenger), a t.v. show for ABC (​Galavant), and more musical productions. He has received many nominations for an Tony Awards, Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, and Golden Globes. Has won eight Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, eleven Academy Awards, and one Tony. Clearly, Alan Menken is one of the greats. ­5­ The Lyrics/Book: LYNN AHRENS ​was born on October 1, 1948 in New York. Ahrens grew up in New Jersey, got a journalism degree at Syracuse University in 1971. She eventually moved to New York Her musical career picked up with the meeting and partnering with Stephen Flaherty. They met at a Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) Musical Theatre Workshop. Together they have worked worked on over ten musical productions. Flaherty writing the music and Ahrens, the lyrics. Some of their most well known works include Ragtime, Seussical, and Rocky. Ahrens broke away from Flaherty to write the lyrics Menken’s music for ​A Christmas Carol: The Musical. The Book/Director: MIKE OCKRENT ​joined Ahrens to co­write the book for ​A Christmas Carol: The Musical. Not only did Ockrent work on the book, he directed the show. This Dickens classic was perfect for Ockrent, being a Brit himself, his positive look on book adapted musicals, and the resources for one of his favorite methods: research. In the book ​The Showmakers, by Lawrence Thelen, Ockrent states, “You rarely read a play that is adapted from a book. Musicals nearly always are an adaptation. And when they’re not they’re often in trouble.” He goes on to explain that research was such a huge part of this show. “When we [did] ​A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden we had a lot of information on the period, and the historicity of the period, and Dickens, and so on.” Ockrent didn’t live to see ​A Christmas Carol’s sixth seasonal production, passing on December 2nd, 1999. He was born on June 18, 1946 in London, UK. Though he started off on the path toward becoming a physicist, he soon became immersed into the theatre world. And it seemed from the start, that Ockrent was a born­director. His first big hit as a director was ​Once a Catholic in 1979, but he is most known for directing ​Me and My Girl and ​Crazy for You. PRODUCTION HISTORY A Christmas Carol: The Musical opened at the Paramount Theatre in Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 1, 1994. The show was huge, built for this particular audience of 5,500. An impressive team was assembled for this Christmas spectacle show. Mike Ockrent directed, Alan Menken did the music, and Susan Stroman choreographed. Walter Charles (​Me and My Girl, Grease, Sweeney Todd) starred as Scrooge, Nick Corley (​Mary Poppins ) as Cratchit, and Robert Westenberg (​Into the Wo ods, TheSecret Garden, Sunday in the Park with George) as Fred Anderson. ­6­ Reviews mostly found it to be a huge overkill. Spectacle taking over from the heartwarming and classic content of Charles Dickens. The wonderful team behind the show was put together to create a show to rival the competitor, Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas special. ​A Christmas Carol: The Musical left the charming, sweet, moral fairytale in the dust to give the large audience the great Christmas show of the year. Many felt that the heart of Scrooge’s redemptive change was lost in the big special effects, dance numbers, and the fast pace. Though the reviews were less than kind, ​A Christmas Carol: The Musical performed annually until December of 2003. Though no longer performed at the Madison Square Garden many schools and city theatres have since picked up the family­fun Christmas musical. Other Versions of ​A Christmas Carol PLAYS A Christmas Carol by Ken Jones A Christmas Carol by Tom Smith [2015] A Christmas Carol by Patrick Stewart FILMS A Christmas Carol [1910]​ ​First silent film version with a short running time of 13 min. Scrooge [1913]​ ​Second silent film version with Seymour Hicks is Scrooge. A Christmas Carol [1923]​ ​Third and final silent version with Russell Thorndike as Scrooge. Scrooge [1935]​ ​First sound version with Seymour Hicks again as Scrooge. A Christmas Carol [1938]​ ​MGM’s Reginald Owen as Scrooge version. A Christmas Carol [1949] ​A t.v. special with Vincent Price as the narrator. Scrooge [1951]​ ​The best of the classic version with Alastair Sim as Scrooge. ­7­ A Christmas Carol [1968]​ ​The first animated version. Scrooge [1970]​ ​The first version in color with Albert Finney as Scrooge. A Christmas Carol [1971] ​An​ ​Oscar winning short film. A Christmas Carol [1977] ​The BBC’s first production with Sir Michael Hordern as Scrooge. A Christmas Carol [1982] ​An animated version. Mickey’s Christmas Carol [1983]​ ​Disney’s animated version told with Mickey characters. A Christmas Carol [1984] ​George C. Scott as Scrooge. Scrooged [1988]​ ​An inspired­by, modernized version with Bill Murray as “Scrooge”. Blackadder’s Christmas Carol [1988]​: ​A parody version. The Muppet Christmas Carol [1992] ​Complete with musical numbers. A Christmas Carol [1994]​ ​Another animated version. A Christmas Carol [1997]​ ​An animated version with Tim Curry as Scrooge. A Christmas Carol [1999]​ ​A tv movie with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge. A Christmas Carol the Movie [2001]​ ​An animated big budget version with Kate Winslet, Michael Gambon, and Nicholas Cage. A Christmas Carol: The Musical [2004]​ ​T.V. recording of the the new musical with Kelsey Grammer as Scrooge and won an Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction. A Christmas Carol [2009]​ ​The most recent version with motion capture animation, released in 3D with Jim Carey as Scrooge. ­8­ THE INSPIRATION The Author: CHARLES DICKENS Early Life & Education: ​In Portsmouth, England, on February 7, 1812 Charles John Huffman Dickens was born to John and Elizabeth Dickens. He was second of eventually eight children. Elizabeth was a decent mother who kept the family as best she could. John on the other hand was caught in the extravagant lifestyle he witnessed as a boy from his father and ​his father’s friends. By 1819 John will have cut ties with his own brother­in­law because of desperate money borrowing. Despite the wasteful spending and abusive borrowing of John Dickens, Charles’ early childhood years were some of the happiest. In 1821 he and his sister Fanny began real schooling. Much changed when John uprooted his family and moved them to busy, brooding, London for work. Charles’ education was then placed on the back burner. Even though it was the early 1800’s, Elizabeth and John focused all their attention and money towards ​Fanny’s music education. Her piano skills took her far and she learned from the best. Without education to busy him, Charles wandered the streets of London igniting his complicated and dense relationship with the city. By 1824, debts far too numerous, John Dickens was arrested and put in the Marshalsea Prison. Charles became the go­between and would often visit his father in prison to take of him. This was quite a burden for a boy just shy of twelve years. Charles longed to pick up on his education, but instead was forced to work at Warren’s Blacking Factory where he would label pots of blacking. While the rest of the family moved in with father in prison, Charles was sent to live with a stranger. He worked at the factory for about a year. Child labor for just a year was quite enough. Through this dark time Dickens didn’t lose hope. His ambitions to make something of himself grew. Eventually John was released from prison and the family moved about to different parts of the city. Charles was taken out of the factory and put into Wellington House Academy where he attained his education. First Job/Dickens the Author: ​Charles first job was at a newspaper called ​The Morning Chronicle in 1834. This would begin a long career in newspaper reporting, publishing, and of course writing. Eventually he’d be the co­founder and editor for ​Household Words for nine years and the founder and editor for ​All Year Round for eleven years. His first job as a reporter also fueled his interest in the observation of humanity. His observations are often showcased in his writing. He first wrote under the pseudonym Boz with his first published works of writing: ​Sketches by Boz in 1933​. (He ended up giving the name Boz as a second middle name to his firstborn Charles.) His first full novel was published in monthly instalments called “serial fiction” from April 1836 to November 1837. The novel was Pickwick Papers. Most of Charles Dickens novels were published in serial fiction format. This process was a ­9­ way to get more people to buy periodicals, but also a way to judge the success of the novel as the monthly or weekly instalments were read by the public. ​Oliver Twist would follow shortly after ​Pickwick and by age twenty­five Charles Dickens will have surpassed his parents wealth. He was now capable of taking care of him and his wife as well as his extended family, including the payment of his father’s constant debts. Through many highs and lows he continued to write successful novel after novel. ​David Copperfield was started in 1849 and ended up being Dickens personal favorite. His final and unfinished novel​ The Mystery of Edwin Drood, only made it through six out of its twelve instalments. He died before he could finish. Dickens the Husband/Scandal Subject: ​Charles held his personal sexual abstinence in the strictest regards. Living in London he was surrounded by plenty of temptation with prostitutes filling the streets of the city. They would remain in his interest and heart but never (as far we can tell) in his bed. He was determined to marry soon to quench his sexual angst. He met Catherine Thomson Hogarth in 1835. He was twenty­three and she was nineteen. Within six months they were married. Their marriage began with love and contentment. He would often write doting love letters and she would happily comply to his busy lifestyle. They formed many friendships together and were great company at parties. This picture perfect couple would soon begin to decay into complacency, boredom, and annoyance. They had ten children and sixty­four years together before Dickens demanded separation from Catherine. His separation and likely “affair” with the dear friend and admirer, Nelly Ternan, shook things up for the successful, likeable author Charles Dickens. Dickens the Activist: ​There are two key parts to the man known as Charles Dickens: the famous author. The first is that of the determined activist. Dickens not only wrote about the neglected, poor, and abused, but he fought for them. He never forgot the lives he saw in the streets of London as a young boy traveling between work and home. He was quite observant of the people around him. Throughout his life, Dickens visited prisons, asylums, and even wicked boarding schools for young boys to see how “the other half lived.” He was a man of action. He gave a lot of money, time, and energy to ​help those in need. There are records of multiple instances where Dickens would intervene in court cases to help a falsely accused single mother or a poor fellow who had no one to speak for him. He would see to the needs of his friends and family’s children when they became orphans. It is also not well known that Dickens started a home for women who were living in prostitution or whose prospects were headed in that direction. The home would last for about eleven years before it closed do to Dickens busy and slowly fracturing personal life. Dickens as the Performer: Though known for his vast collection of deeply moving novels, his first and foremost passion was the theatre. He was a frequent visitor to local London theatres, a friend to several successful actors and actors, and quite the performer himself. He studied plays. He watched and saw what moved an audience to tears or applause. The thrills he experienced from live performances became the electric current in many of his novels. The tragedy, comedy, and adventure of his novels are what make them so captivating. Before he even completed his first published novel he sought out a life as a professional actor. Fate had other plans when an illness prevented him from attending the audition. He would write and star in shows he’d put on in his own home with friends and family. His natural skill at performing stuck with him even after all the fame and success of his novels. Dickens was quite fond of giving public readings of his novels. He gave his first of many paid public readings in the late 1850s. These readings became a great hit and he would even travel to America to give the famous readings. he first novel he gave for said public readings: ​A Christmas Carol. ­10­ Charles Dickens died on June 9, 1870. He was only fifty­eight. Dickens was bright, witty, exciting to be around, and incredibly intelligent. He was also rash, harsh, and fame obsessed. His heart broke for the poor, neglected, and abused, but rejected his later sons and wife of sixty­four years. A famous author, a harsh husband, a generous activist, a hard worker, and wholeheartedly passionate human being who has challenged us, moved us, and changed us. The Book: A CHRISTMAS CAROL Charles Dickens wrote four major novels before 1843, when he was just thirty years old. His fifth would be his first and most beloved Christmas novel: ​A Christmas Carol. Dickens’ Christmas novels would become great sellers and much loved by the people. He first got the idea for ​A Christmas Carol in October. It was published only two months later on the 19th of December, just in time before the happy holiday. Six thousand copies were sold before Christmas even arrived. Harry Stone in ​Charles Dickens suggests that Dickens could have been inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s ​Ancient Mariner, which was published just nine years earlier. Or, even further back, ​The Devil Upon Two Sticks by Alain­Rene Lesage. In Mariner a subject cannot help hear the Mariner’s plea to live a life better than his own. Scrooge cannot leave Marley, but but must hear his tale of woe and his plight for change. In ​Devil Upon Two Sticks the main character can go through time and relive moments of importance and moral growth. Also, as referenced in the first two pages of A Christmas Carol​, a parallel is drawn with William Shakespeare’s ​Hamlet with the ghost of Hamlet’s father visiting his son with a plea for justice. A Christmas Carol works a little differently than Dickens other dramatic novels. It’s structure is much more “storybook” with the feel and devices of a fairytale with its apparitions, time travel, and clear moral dilemma and resolution. Even though the character of Scrooge is harsh, cruel, and faces terrifying circumstances, the tone of ​Carol is jolly, playful, and direct. There is honest hard reality painted alongside hope and entertainment. A happy end will come and with Scrooge’s redemption we the readers then seek out our own redemption. Dickens incorporates some of his own memories and observations into ​A Christmas Carol. Bob Cratchit must venture Camden Street between home and work and Dickens himself traversed that street many times. Scrooge has a sister called Fan. Dickens too had an older sister named ​Fanny. The neglected are given the limelight in this Christmas novel of compassion. Workhouses, injustice to the poor, and a great divide between the wealthy and the poor were realities in Dickens 1800s London. ­11­ DICKENS’ WORKS NOVELS
The Pickwick Papers – 1836
SHORT STORIES & OTHER WORKS American Notes Oliver Twist – 1837
The Battle of Life Nicholas Nickleby – 1838
A Christmas Tree The Old Curiosity Shop – 1840
A Dinner at Poplar Walk Barnaby Rudge – 1841
Doctor Marigold’s Perscriptions Martin Chuzzlewit – 1843
A Flight Dombey and Son – 1846
The Frozen Deep David Copperfield – 1849
George Silverman’s Explanation Bleak House – 1852
Going into Society Hard Times – 1854
Holiday Romance Little Dorrit – 1855
The Holly­Tree A Tale of Two Cities – 1859
Hunted Down Great Expectations – 1860
The Long Voyage Our Mutual Friend – 1864
Master Humphrey’s Clock The Mystery of Edwin Drood – 1870
A Message from the Sea CHRISTMAS BOOKS A Christmas Carol ­ 1843 The Chimes ­ 1844 The Cricket on the Hearth ­ 1845 The Battle of Life ­ 1846 The Haunted Man ­ 1848 ­12­ THE PERIOD: London, England 1800’s The Queen Alexandrina Victoria was born on May 24, 1819, to ​Edward Duke of Kent (son of King George III) and Victoria of Saxe­Coburg­Saalfeld. Her father died when she was a baby and her mother kept a tight reign on her. When her uncles’ surprisingly had no surviving heir to take the throne after King William IV passing, ​Queen Victoria came to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland in 1837. She is the second longest reigning monarch of England. She reigned from 1837­1901. She is second only to the current Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Victoria was only eighteen years old when she came to the throne. (​Dickens at the time had just completed his first novel and was twenty­five years old.) After she became Queen, she broke away from her domineering mother. She married Albert​ ​son of Duke of Saxe­Coburg­Gotha. Albert and Victoria had a committed and loving relationship. Albert would actively help and advise Victoria. They had nine children before Albert died of typhoid in 1861. Though the people were apprehensive about this young queen, for she was much different than her violent Hanoverian uncles, they soon grew to love her. Queen Victoria was also a fan of Charles Dickens particularly his novel, ​Oliver. She saw him perform in ​The Frozen Deep, a play written by Wilkie Collins in 1856 but heavily influenced by Dickens. She wanted to meet him, but Dickens always declined. He had never been a huge fan of the Queen. The Victorian Era (1837­1901) The early 1800s was coming off of the Industrial Revolution, which began in England. The great supply of coal and iron ore kicked rural England off to start the industrial, manufacturing, big city life. Steam engines, mass manufacturing of clothes, and iron production for tools and supplies all began in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Though these were great for progress, it was not so great for the poor. With city life and factories, came horrible working conditions, a wider gap between the poor and rich, and dangerous overcrowding. Machines were replacing workers. With Queen Victoria, came England’s economic and social growth. There was hardly any serious war and the British Empire expanded. The Victorian era brought about steam locomotives, railroads, and electricity. This period was also known as the Great Age of Doubt. This title was given because of the great thinkers of the time that were very different from the Supremacy Church, State, and Monarchy’s typical way of thinking. Great thinkers at the time were Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, and Karl Marx. Their radical ideas would start to come up against the traditions and values of the Church and State. Also during the Victorian Era, Whigs and Tories political parties fell away turning into the Liberal Party and Conservative Party. ­13­ Workhouses & Charities 1552 has the first records of Parishes keeping track of the poor and by doing so, also defining what constituted as “poor”. Workhouses first started popping up in England in 1576. One big legislation was put together in order to control and organize the poor. It was called the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601. Workhouses by definition weren’t a part of any law document until The London Corporation of the Poor of 1647. This law established workhouses. In 1698 workhouses became city­wide organization. According to ​London Lives by 1776, 16,000 men, women, and children were living in workhouses in the city of London alone. Poverty was constantly a struggle for England to treat and process. Poverty was often looked as a problem of morals for those less fortunate than the aristocratic wealthy class. By the 1800s, poverty of the working/lower class had become normal and acceptable to the aristocratic class. In 1834 the Poor Law Amendment Act hoped to control the rapid population growth. It placed workhouses still in the responsibility of the parishes and created a social policy. This Act also cared about dividing the “deserving” and the “undeserving”. (​It’s no wonder judgemental Scrooge looked down upon the poor and spoke as though they deserved it.) The Act wanted to establish an environment so awful in the workhouses, that one would work very hard not to be stuck in one. Workhouses attempted to be ​worse than the lowest standard of living. That way it would also push an individual to improve his/her moral character. Whether women were poor because of widowhood, unemployment, or prostitution, workhouses became their only solution and by the end of the Victorian period elderly men most filled up workhouses. Charities for the poor and those living in workhouses provided two important things for those able to give. First it was a way to do the morally and religiously “good” thing of giving to someone in most need. Those in need the most were children and the sick. Second, it fed into the idea that the poor were morally corrupt and needed this gift of grace for their own moral restoration. The Charity Organization Society began in 1869. This society also made sure that charities didn’t negate the State’s provision of workhouses. ­14­ GLOSSARY TERMS Acolytes​: ​a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession, an assistant or follower. Alms​: money or food given to poor people. Apparition​: ​a ghost or ghostlike image of a person. Beadle​: ​a minor parish officer dealing with petty offenders. A Charity​: is a type of ​non­profit organization​ (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals​ as well as social well­being, d during the 19th century, a profusion of charitable organizations were set up to alleviate the awful conditions of the ​working class​ in the ​slums​. Charwoman​: a woman employed to clean houses or offices The Exchange​: “​Over the course of the nineteenth century the London Stock Exchange evolved from a market dealing primarily in new issues of British government debt to become the preeminent exchange of the first global capital market. By 1914, one­third of the public capital available to investors anywhere in the world was listed and traded on the London Stock Exchange.” Fishmonger​: a person or store that sells fish for food Haberdashers​: ​a dealer in goods for dressmaking and sewing. Harken​: listen Humbug​: ​deceptive or false talk or behavior. Parliament​: ​(in the UK) the highest legislature, consisting of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Porters​: a person employed to carry luggage and other loads, especially in a railroad station, airport, or hotel. Poulterers​:​ a dealer in poultry and, typically, game. The Royal Exchange​:​ ​in London was founded in the 16th century by the merchant ​Thomas Gresham​ to act as a centre of ​commerce​ for the ​City of London​. Serial Fiction​: ​In literature, a serial is a printed format by which a single larger work, often a work of narrative fiction, is published in sequential installments. Skinflint​: ​a person who spends as little money as possible; a miser. Sovereigns​: a 19th century gold coin used in the UK, a British gold coin worth 20 shillings Surplus Population​: ​I​t refers to the unemployed and underemployed in capitalist society. Undertakers​: a person whose business is preparing dead bodies for burial or cremation and making arrangements for funerals. Urchin​: ​a mischievous young child, especially one who is poorly or raggedly dressed. Workhouses​: ​a public institution in which the destitute of a parish received board and lodging in return for work. FURTHER READING A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin Charles Dickens and the House of Fallen Women by Jenny Hartley Inventing Scrooge by Carlo de Vito ­15­ A Christmas Carol Word Search U H S R Q F E T T L N M E Y S M N T G T Y E A K B Q E I U U N D N G H G S S O N A P M Y F H H Z I R P X J C O P G A B E T Q T W P C E N Z E K B Z H Z O E P E S W F S M T J O S T I O E G A Y Q R R L E W Z I A C H K F U C W H Y R L L N C L R P A R F U T U R E O O I P I R M I P S P S C H E W C G M B S H M G T U H U M U H M I C A I M H V T D S K Y Y Y W R U E L K V F T E Z P D H W Q K R X Z P Z Z P K U B F M E J Z Z C K T M P O Y L L O H I X M M B U T H I I G L B W E W X V Y E H J P Z S O B I L V C V K L S J R A W G E E O H J T A M Z Y R D R U G L J N E S Q B P J G E B G Y H I A M R R I V L H V I V I C T O R I A C M J U C U J L B H D U J Q P G R P Z K L I D A M B X K Q B Y L F K V C S R E M I T Y N I T U C H P J L F H D B Y N M P V F D R U H I Y L V G T R Q O V S O V Z Y N G B D Z A I P Y P R BELLS
BOZ
CHARITY
CHRISTMAS
CRATCHIT
DICKENS
EMILY
FEZZIWIG
FUTURE GHOST HOLLY MARLEY PAST PRESENT SCROOGE TINY TIM TURKEY VICTORIA WORKHOUSE ­16­ POST­SHOW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
TOPICS FOR THOUGHT: Use the following prompts as conversation starters with your students after attending ​Cabaret at the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre. Following the discussion, you may want to have your students write a review of the production. We’d love to hear from them! Please share student responses with Eunice Wadewitz, Music & Education Director, at [email protected]. The Production 1. Review the expectations about the set, costumes, lighting, and sound that you had for production. Were the design elements what you expected? Why or why not? 2. What do you think were the strengths of the production? What were the weaknesses? 3. Think about the different people who were involved in the Civic’s production of ​A Christmas Carol: The Musical. You may want to consult your program for the listing of the various designers and other theatre personnel. Are there any particular positions that appeal to you? Explain. What educational background, skills and abilities might you need to fill this role? How might you go about learning more about this type of position? The Characters & Story 1. Discuss the main characters in ​A Christmas Carol. How is their worldview, or outlook on life, of each different from each other or from your own? Similar? 2. Why is Scrooge the way he is before the end of the show? Is it circumstantial? Fear? 3. How are Fred and Scrooge different? What fuels Fred’s actions? What fuels Scrooge’s? 4. How do the poor and the wealthy interact in the show? Is it just because of the Christmas spirit? Do you see a great difference between the poor and wealthy today where you live? Is the line as clear? 5. Though ​A Christmas Carol is set in a specific time and place, how is the story universal? 6. What do you think is the central theme, or message, of the play? The Music 1. What moments or songs do you find replaying in your mind? 2. How did the songs move the plot forward? 3. Do you think the musical numbers distracted from the classic Charles Dickens’ novel? Reflect & Connect 1. What does the theme of “Not too late to change” mean to you? 2. Do you think there are lessons for all ages to be learned from “fairy tales” and “ghost stories”? Or are they purely silly and for young children? 3. Read ​A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. How is the novel similar to the musical? How is it different? 4. Watch one of the film versions of ​A Christmas Carol. What mode of storytelling was the most compelling? Novel? Film? Musical? ­17­ RESOURCES BOOKS Bloom, Harold. ​Charles Dickens. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. Dickens, Charles. ​A Christmas Carol. FINISH Hayward, Arthur L. ​The Dickens Encyclopedia. 1968. Thelen, Lawrence, ​The Show Makers: Great Directors of the American Musical Theatre. New York: Routledge, 2000. Tomalin, Claire. ​Charles Dickens: A Life. New York: Penguin Press, 2011. Wilson, A.N.. ​Victoria: A Life. New York: Penguin Press, 2014. WEBSITES http://www.charlesdickensinfo.com/novels/boz/ http://plympton.com/about/a­short­history­of­serial­fiction/ http://www.charlesdickensinfo.com/novels/complete­works/ http://www.biography.com/people/charles­dickens­9274087 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/dickens_charles.shtml Information on Charles Dickens’ life, works, etc. http://history1800s.about.com/od/timelines/a/1830­40timeline.htm http://www.victorianweb.org/history/historytl.html http://www.parliament.uk/about/living­heritage/evolutionofparliament/houseofcommons/reformacts/overview/reformact183
2/ https://revisitingdickens.wordpress.com/urania­cottage/ http://www.workhouses.org.uk/StMarylebone/ http://www.bl.uk/romantics­and­victorians/articles/prostitution https://www.theguardian.com/society/2000/may/24/childrensservices.guardiansocietysupplement http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/0­9/19th­century­theatre/ http://richardjohnbr.blogspot.com/2012/01/what­was­popular­culture­in­1830.html https://socialdance.stanford.edu/Syllabi/19th_century.htm http://www.history.com/topics/industrial­revolution Random information on London during the 1800’s. http://www.biography.com/people/queen­victoria­9518355 http://www.britroyals.com/kings.asp?id=victoria http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/mbrown/ei_world.html http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon58.html Different biographies of Queen Victoria. https://www.londonlives.org/static/Workhouses.jsp http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/bsurface_01.shtml A history and perspective on workhouses in London, England. ­18­ http://www.alanmenken.com/m/ http://www.theartsdesk.com/theatre/theartsdesk­qa­composer­alan­menken Alan Menken’s website and other information. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lynn­ahrens­stephen­flaherty­mn0000878461 http://www.ahrensandflaherty.com/theatre.html Lynn Ahrens’ website and works. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts­entertainment/obituary­mike­ockrent­1130051.html Obituary of Mike Ockrent. http://variety.com/1994/legit/reviews/a­christmas­carol­1200439861/ http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/02/theater/theater­review­christmas­carol­famous­miser­tiny­tim­tap­dancing­chorus.html Reviews from the 1994 opening show. http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/sltrib/entertainment2/55381083­223/christmas­scrooge­musical­carol.html.csp Review from December 7, 2012 production. STUDY GUIDE GUIDANCE Eunice Wadewitz’s ​Cabaret Study Guide ­19­