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Visual arts, literature,
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‘Scrooged in Astoria’ delivers holiday hilarity
Astor Street Opry Company’s
musical comedy opens Dec. 1
By KATHERINE LACAZE
FOR COAST WEEKEND
T
hose who attend the Astor Street
Opry Company’s latest production of
“Scrooged in Astoria” — opening 7
p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 — will experience the
conventional themes and emotions associ-
ated with any Christmas show: tidings of
goodwill, a sense of peace and joy, and the
giddy merriment of the holiday season.
What is unconventional — and what has
delighted audiences for years — is how the
community theater company gets you there
using a melodramatic, hysterical and loose
retelling of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas
Carol,” stylized as a 1960s TV show and
replete with musical commercials and more
than 20 wacky characters.
The script, written by local playwright Ju-
dith Niland and featuring original music by
Philip Morill, allows the cast and crew some
leeway each year the production is staged.
Astor Street regular Bill Carr is the second
director besides Niland to take a crack at it,
and the material makes the task an enjoyable
one.
“This is a fun show to produce,” said
Carr, who is directing “Scrooged” for the
second time but has also performed in it and
served as stage manager in the past. “It’s a
great show, it’s a well-written show, and it’s
a lot of fun to be in. We can fill up this the-
ater with music and happiness and joy, and it
gets people out here singing.”
He doesn’t feel confined by the repeat-na-
ture of the production, but rather appreciates
using creativity to mold and build off the
show from within.
“There is some room for latitude in this,”
he explained. “You can convey a lot of dif-
ferent things with just a look, or where you
stage some stuff. It’s always growing; there’s
always something you can add to it.”
Behind the scenes
One flexible feature of the show is that the
Scrooge-esque character can be portrayed as a
man or woman without otherwise altering the
story. This year, the character will be Maxine
Crooke, played by Jaime Baird. Carr has also
exercised creativity in staging certain charac-
ters or adding new props.
COLIN MURPHEY PHOTOS
Actors pose for a photo before a rehearsal of “Scrooged in Astoria” at the Astor Street Opry Company.
LEFT and RIGHT: Performers in the Astor Street Opry Company’s production of “Scrooged in
Astoria” rehearse a scene.
Patricia Von Vintage is assisting Carr in
directing this year’s production, as well as
playing the role of Sneake — after all, Carr
said, “we’re community theater, so we do a
little bit of everything.”
Being part of the production crew, she
has a new understanding and appreciation
for the amount of work and coordination re-
quired to pull off a prop- and scene change-
heavy production with a large cast.
“You definitely realize if nobody works
together as a team, it won’t come off as a
team,” Von Vintage said. “I’m definitely see-
ing the importance of, as a whole, everybody
working together, whether they’re in the
scene or not.”
Backstage, the crew and cast — with
members ranging from kindergarteners to
seniors — “have to be like synchronized
swimmers” as they move props, set scenes
and keep the show moving forward to fulfill
the director’s vision, she said.
As for Carr, he feels more relaxed this
year helming the ship and was pleased with
the cast’s progress nearly two weeks ahead
of the show’s opening.
“The play is going to be great, and the
community itself and our patrons, they’re
going to love it, too, because they’re so en-
thused about what we’re doing up in here,”
he said.
Community connections
ChrisLynn Taylor is providing musical
direction, as well as playing Miss Yule
Macie, the Ghost of Christmas Presents. She
also is the mastermind behind the produc-
tion’s beloved singing commercials, many of
which promote the local businesses and or-
ganizations sponsoring the show at a certain
monetary level.
The commercials are used between set
changes and incorporated directly into the
scenes. That technique works well since the
show is stylized as a ’60s holiday special,
where the TV actors “would break character,
turn around and sell a bottle of soap, then go
back into character and save someone’s life
on the operating table,” said Markus Brown,
executive director of the Astor Street Opry
Company.
He believes the commercials Taylor
writes and choreographs are a key part of
the play’s appeal. They foster a sense of
familiarity between the audience and the
characters, places and events in “Scrooged,”
which, as the title implies, is set in Astoria.
“It’s a pretty unique, intrinsic quality to
the show that we connect the community
heavily with the performance itself,” Brown
said. “Those people around the area that
come and see the show, they’re very familiar
with the Butcher Block or Clatsop Power or
any number of the sponsors that are repre-
sented.”
Because the commercials are sponsorship
derivatives, Taylor periodically adds new
ones — 12 this year. Self-described as “the
Weird Al of the Astor Street Opry Compa-
ny,” Taylor said she is thrilled to see her
work performed by a variety of actors year
after year.
“I can’t believe what I’m doing is on-
stage, being applauded,” she said. “Wheth-
er I’m singing a commercial, or leading
a commercial or I’m onstage to do Yule
Macie, this show is so much fun to do. It’s
a favorite, because you get to make people
happy.”
“Scrooged in Astoria” runs through
Saturday, Dec. 23. Friday and Saturday
performances begin at 7 p.m. Two matinees,
on Sunday, Dec. 10, and Sunday, Dec. 17,
begin at 2 p.m.
The house opens 30 minutes before each
performance, and the Miss Vivian saloon
and Miss Virginia soda fountain will be open
for refreshments.
For more information, call 503-325-6104
or visit astorstreetoprycompany.com. CW