A bossy, workaholic fashion mogul makes major life changes thanks to a trio of late-night visitors in The Group Rep’s World Premiere holiday musical A Carol Christmas, a tuneful Charles Dickens-inspired crowd-pleaser that with some astute revisions could well end up a regional December delight.

 “Just Another Christmas” not only introduces the staff of Lora Co. (“Clothes For Girls Who Eat”) but makes clear from the get-go that composer-lyricist Bruce Kimmel knows how to write the kind of clever, hook-filled songs you’ll find yourself humming on the way home from North Hollywood’s Lonny Chapman Theatre.

 Hartley Powers stars as the titular Carol, who like a certain Ebenezer Scrooge before here, would rather spend December 24 bullying her overworked, underpaid staff, among them Savannah Schoenecker as her loyal second-in-command Blythe, Emily Barnett as her comely niece Fiona, and Harley Walker as her hyper-perky new intern Avalon, all of whom can forget about going home early on Christmas Eve, bad news for Blythe’s husband Felix (Kevin Hoffman) and their preteen daughter Trina (Peyton Kirkner), who could use a heart transplant for Christmas.

 As for Carol’s longtime boyfriend Blake (John Schroeder), he too had better leave behind any notion of spending time with his self-centered lady-love, no matter the season’s reputation as the most wonderful time of the year, no matter that Carol’s been invited to a Chrismukkah party chez Blythe and her sexy Jewish stockbroker boyfriend Howie (Ryan J. Duncan).

 In addition to giving A Christmas Carol a 21st-century female Scrooge, book writer Doug Haverty opts (smartly I think) to substitute living, breathing humans for Dickens’ three ghosts, a trio hired by Carol’s recently deceased partner Joelle (Janet Wood), who announces their impending arrival via DVD.

First up is “regressional therapist” Odette (Debi Tinsley), who takes Carol on a journey to the past beginning with an office Christmas party hosted by her then bosses Mr. and Mrs. Forrester (Lloyd Pedersen and Monica Allan), a fête at which intern Carol makes the acquaintance of medical student Blake, a relationship that falls apart when Carol picks a job in Paris over love. (Fortunately for Carol, but not so much for audiences, A Carol Christmas blunts any residual pain over their breakup by signaling from the get-go that, unlike Scrooge and his lost-forever love Belle, they’re still together today.)

Russian shamen Karina (Wood) then arrives to serve “Owaska Tea,” do some Russian-language rapping, and take Carol to her niece’s Chrismukkah party where they catch a glimpse of the red-and-white yarmulke-sporting boyfriend who’s made her “an honorary Jew.”

 Last but not least, sassy tarot-card reader Mabel (Tinsley) shows up to give Carol a taste of the future, a sequence that shows off Kay Cole’s nifty choreography (most particularly the Fosse-esque “Shuffle Off This Mortal Coil” featuring a devilish Pedersen as Mr. Death) but fails to give Carol the kind of motivation to reform that Ebenezer Scrooge had when learning of Tiny Tim’s death and of how little he himself was mourned.

Still, with the entire cast celebrating the “new Carol” as she proudly sings about “What I have Learned,” it’s hard not to leave the Lonny Chapman with a smile on the lips and a song in the heart.

 Among Kimmel’s eminently hummable songs, “Meet Cute” and the extraneous but clever “Spelling Backwards” could easily become cabaret favorites, and “Christmas Time Is Here Again” (performed by cute child carolers Celine June Bautista, Ellie Birdwell, Andrew Grigorian, Chihiro Kato, and Momoka Kato) has holiday standard written all over it.

 Kimmel directs with pizzazz, Powers makes for a powerhouse Carol, supporting performances (including Ben Anderson, Lola Paja, and Catarina Pereira) sparkle, and though Trina could tone down the cutesy, Barnett and Duncan stand out among the crowd as a couple of charismatic young interfaith lovers.

 Scenic designer Tesshi Nakagawa’s ingenious set, Sabrina Beattie’s skillful lighting, and Morgan Gannes’s  costumes merit design kudos.

Sound designer Austin Quan, sound mixer Ivan Irvani, and sound supervisor John Ledley join forces with musical director/orchestrator Richard Allen to make A Carol Christmas sound holiday jolly.

A Carol Christmas is produced for the Group Rep by Hoffman and Gina Yates. Joanna Erdos is associate producer. Sophie Lamzik is stage manager. Pereira is assistant director.

With just the right tweaking, it’s easy to see A Carol Christmas living on after its Group Rep run. In the meantime, Charles Dickens lovers in search of something new this December can enjoy ninety merry, melodious minutes as Carol, like Scrooge before her, learns what Christmas really means.

The Group Rep, Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood. Through December 30 . Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00. Sundays at 2:00. Reservations: 818 763-5990
www.thegrouprep.com

–Steven Stanley
December 2, 2018
Photos: Karen Staitman

Tags: Bruce Kimmel, Doug Haverty, Los Angeles Theater Review, The Group Rep