It has been 50 years of Scrooge being scared witless by ghosts at the Guthrie Theater while Bob Cratchit and his family celebrate with pure innocence and Tiny Tim fusses with his crutches.
As the iconic show hits the half-century mark, the Minnesota Star Tribune caught up with three families for whom “Carol” is a die-hard staple. Here are their stories about what the show means to them in their own words, edited for clarity and length.
Marissa Kuiken, Waukee, Iowa
Number in the party: “Just three now — me, my dad and my mom.”
First “Carol”: “I’m 36, a teacher and debate coach. My dad, Charlie Hoberg, used to take school groups to the Guthrie. I saw my first production of the show in 2004 in the old building. I was a sophomore in high school.”
“Carol” as gateway drug: “I was a senior in high school in 2006 and had no idea what I wanted to do in life when we got a nice backstage tour of the new building. We saw the stage, the wigs, the costumes, the rehearsal space and something just clicked. So, I went to college and got a theater endorsement and for 12 years have directed plays and musicals at my school. I want to create and share the special feeling I felt at the Guthrie.”
Making a weekend of it: “We also see ‘The Nutcracker’ by Minnesota Dance Theatre. And we always stop by the Electric Fetus, eat lunch at Punch Pizza and visit the Mall of America and to Paisley Park. My parents are the biggest Prince fans. I grew up on his music.”
A striking show memory? “I’ve got two: the first year that they brought the boat projection and sang, ‘I Saw Three Ships.’ That was beautiful. And the first time the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come came out on stilts, I screamed.”
Postshow memory: “One year when we were all on our buses, Nathaniel Fuller, who played Scrooge, came out and he jumped onto our bus to say Merry Christmas and thank you for coming. That was just so special.”