Last chance to explore twists on Scrooge in Memphis theaters

Veteran actor T.C. Sharpe approaches his character Eb Scroo from an urban perspective in "If Scrooge Was a Brother."

Christopher D. Neely

Jim Palmer is Scrooge, and Alice Berry is the title character in "Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge" at Circuit Playhouse.

Performances for procrastinators!

As last-minute events go, you still have time to take in a stage show at local theaters. Performances are ending tonight and Saturday, so you'll have to step lively and contact the box offices to see if you can still get in.

Your choices are largely limited to variations of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," but -- God bless us every one -- those choices are wildly different indeed.

We had a talk with three Scrooges to get their feeling about doing the classic role that represents redemption at its finest.

Barry Fuller has the lead role in Theatre Memphis' 34th annual staging of the classic that embodies the traditional story although with a somewhat streamlined adaptation.

"The play has been so enjoyable because, for an actor, it's such a good role," Fuller said. "The man is a mean and nasty miser, and the spirits force him to look in the mirror. He ends up being the kind of person he should have been -- a decent man who honors people."

Fuller did Theatre Memphis' first performance of "A Christmas Carol" those many years ago and has lost count of many times he's done it. "It could be anywhere between 12 and 14," he said. "I shared it one year with Sherwood Lohrey, and some years it lapsed." And for many years he was Drosselmeyer in Ballet Memphis' version of "The Nutcracker," so it tends to be one holiday role or another for the veteran actor. "I'm a happy camper when it comes to that," he says.

He said he enjoys the current adaptation at Theatre Memphis in that so much of it is told using traditional carols. "The carols are used in family scenes and group situations, and it makes people feel wonderful," he says. "We can tell by the applause at the end of the evening that the audience has had a good time."

Over at the Hattiloo Theatre, the traditional story gets an urban twist in "If Scrooge Was a Brother." T.C. Sharpe, a longtime stage and film actor, is in his second year of playing Eb Scroo.

"I'm always glad to have an opportunity to do my twist on Scrooge," Sharpe says. "From the urban perspective, it's an honor to do that -- and an entirely different thing. My Scrooge is a zany character. He's mean spirited but has things happen to him out of the urban experience."

Sharpe, a former teacher and coach, says Eb Scroo's experience is somewhat like his growing up. "I went through adoption and felt isolated. My family did sharecropping, and I know what it means to be poor and hungry."

"Our audience reception has been very nice," Sharpe says. "It's my second year doing it, and the audience has been very encouraging, so I hope that continues."

The regional premiere of "Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge" at Circuit Playhouse has its last performance tonight with Jim Palmer as Scrooge, but one whose fate is very different than the one envisioned by Dickens. But this Scrooge is just as mean as any of them.

"I put lots of bile into it," says Palmer, "but we're more over the top and off the wall."

The "Christmas Carol" parody takes a lot of comedic twists and turns along with time travel to different eras (1977 anyone?). Palmer loves doing the role since, as he says, most of the roles he gets are dark and serious. "I usually kill someone, get killed or both."

Palmer adores the original story, and was wary at first about this one being so different. "I didn't know if I wanted to do something where greed triumphs in the end. But it turned out that I enjoy it very much and took to it like a duck to water."

For his inspiration, he looked to Fuller over at Theatre Memphis as well as Alastair Sim's classic role in the 1951 film. Palmer also cited former Tennessee U.S. senator Fred Thompson: "He always looks a little sour, like he ate something that didn't agree with him. Like what Scrooge says when he complains of a piece of undigested mutton."

Also closing tonight is "Annie" at Playhouse on the Square. Tickets are sold out for "Annie," and may be for the others by this time, but it's always worth calling the box office to see what the situation is at the last minute. It's what procrastinators have to do, after all.

'If Scrooge Was a Brother'

7:30 tonight and Saturday (may add matinee Saturday) at Hattiloo Theatre, 656 Marshall. (901) 525-0009. hattilootheatre.org. Tickets: $10-$25.

'A Christmas Carol'

7 tonight at Theatre Memphis, 630 Perkins Ext. (901) 682-8323. theatrememphis.org. $10-$28.

'Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge'

8 tonight at Circuit Playhouse, 51 S. Cooper, (901) 726-4656. playhouseonthesquare.org; $22-28.

'Annie'

7 tonight at Playhouse on the Square, 66 S. Cooper. Sold out. (901) 726-4656. playhouseonthesquare.org

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