MANCHESTER, NH — By now most of us have figured out that the thing that makes Christmastime so special in Manchester — the thing we look forward to most of all — are the traditions, from storefront decorations along Elm Street and the annual Christmas Parade, to the Palace Theatre’s annual staging of “A Christmas Carol.”
It’s that sense of tradition that brings many of the actors back year after year, including Mark Nichols, who will reprise the role of Scrooge, and Michayla Lupien, who once again will bring the character of Mrs. Cratchit to life, when the curtain rises Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
This will be Nichols’ tenth time performing as Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol,” including the 2013 national tour. Getting into character for one of literature’s most beguiling holiday villains-turned-heroes is a true theatrical rush, says Nichols.
“It’s definitely an emotional roller coaster to play Scrooge — the arc is so much fun to play, because he starts in such a hateful, closed off place. But through the course of learning, through his past and present, what his future could be, he has such a complete transformation,” says Nichols. “He ends up in such an open place that it gets me into the Christmas spirit, every time.”
Nichols gives much credit to creative director Carl Rajotte for “wisely” spending the first half of the show dwelling on Scrooge’s past, an approach to the story that really brings home how Scrooge is a prisoner of his own past. It also highlights the idea of redemption, and that it’s never too late to try and make things right.
It’s the moral of the story that reminds audiences of the true meaning of Christmas, and perhaps something more, says Nichols.
“Ultimately, it may be a story about the real meaning of life, not to put too much weight on it, but this is such a beloved story because it’s universal. It doesn’t have to be told at Christmastime,” says Nichols, who is sharing the role of Scrooge with another Palace stage veteran, George Piehl.
“We’ve been sharing the role for several years, after each of us played the role individually,” says Nichols. In fact, many of the roles are played by multiple actors — including 137 child actors who fill the stage with life — which not only expands the Christmas Carol acting family and doubles as an annual actors reunion, but also creates a unique experience for audiences, no matter which nights they attend.
The two actors will alternate playing Scrooge over the course of this year’s 18 performances, with Piehl taking the stage for opening night, and Nichols performing on Dec. 23, which is closing night.
Michayla Lupien (Mrs. Cratchit) says she is thrilled to be returning to the stage she not only grew up on as an actress, but on which she also got engaged, to fellow actor Cody Hernden.
“My first time performing in “A Christmas Carol” was when I was 10, as one of the Crachit kids, back in 2002,” says Lupien, who has moved up through the thespian ranks, from Palace’s youth theater and teen company to its professional performances.
After graduating from Central High School, Lupien studied musical theater at Syracuse University.
“I saw my first show at the age of 5 at a local community theater and told my parents that what I wanted to do, so they helped me get my first audition at age 6. It wasn’t long before we discovered the Palace, and I’ve never looked back,” Lupien says.
She met Herndon at the Palace while she was performing in “Rent” and he was a resident artist.
“I showed up one night to meet him here so we could go out to dinner. All the lights were off as I walked in the theater, to find him. I was kind of upset that he wasn’t here, and then our favorite song started playing, ‘You and I’ by Stevie Wonder, a star curtain came to life. Turned out he’d been planning it with the sound and light people for weeks,” Lupien says.
Although the two now make their home in Boulder, Colorado, where they teach musical theater together, Lupien says the pull of home and “A Christmas Carol” were enough to bring her back for the first time in three years.
“The first time I played Mrs. Cratchit I was just 17, and still in high school. I’d previously played both of the two younger Cratchit kids before that,” says Lupien. “It really doesn’t feel like Christmas when I’m not performing in this play. There’s something about it, it’s joyful. It just feels like home.”
Tickets for “A Christmas Carol” range from $25 to $45. Click here to find the best seat in the house.
