Holiday performances in RI, from Scrooge to Cirque du Soleil
Actor/choreographer Taavon Gamble has been part of more than a dozen productions of the Charles Dickens holiday classic “A Christmas Carol,” but serving as director for Trinity Repertory Company’s 50th anniversary presentation gave him “new appreciation for the story of redemption.” “Every time you come back to it, you bring all the experience, joy and loss you’ve had since the last time. Suddenly, there’s new weight to a character – you understand Cratchit or Scrooge better,” says Gamble, who played Fezziwig and the Ghost of Christmas Present in Trinity’s 2025 production. Gamble started finding his way with the upcoming production almost a year ago, eager to spin a joyful, traditional version that harks back to the story’s Victorian origins while still speaking to audiences today. “I wanted it to be traditional, with Dickens’ text,” he says. Every element of the show, which runs through Dec. 31, “has got to be getting Scrooge to redemption. If it’s not, it’s got to go.” For this, he tapped storytelling in its many forms – using “great choral moments and energetic choreography” that looks deeper at subtle storylines. In the Christmas Eve party at Fezziwig’s warehouse, for example, Gamble hints that Scrooge’s love story
