By Katie Pynes Anetsberger
A Christmas Carol, The Nebraska Communities Playhouse, December 12, 2025 7:30PM
Well, they did it again.The Nebraska Communities Playhouse continues to lead as the premiere community theatre experience in the Lincoln area. From the beautiful sets, lighting and staging, to the heartfelt, endearing and hilarious performances, I was drawn in from the first moments of this excellent, family-friendly production, directed by Sam Ninegar. The enthusiastic (and packed) audience last night certainly seemed to agree!
If you have never seen Alan Menken and Lynn Ahren’s musical version of the classic A Christmas Carol, you are in good company. I thought that I had watched just about every adaptation of this beautiful Victorian tale, but the musical was new to me. First staged in the 1990s at Madison Square Garden, A Christmas Carol ran for about a decade on stage, and was also adapted into a film in 2003. What sets this retelling apart from others in my mind is how the audience was so effectively moved from laughter, to tears, to joy and to hope, all in the course of two hours. While the story retains its enduring message, it does so through some very entertaining performances.
This production began with a film-like projection of the acting credits, which felt fun and immersive. The projections continued throughout the show, effectively leading us through Scrooge’s past, present and future in a simple but stunning use of technology.
We quickly meet miserly Scrooge, played by local legend JD Madsen, who not only leads the cast but also designed the set and projections. Supporting JD’s masterful performance throughout was a crew of enthusiastic and versatile performers, all of whom wore many different hats throughout the show. I am always particularly impressed by the courage and talent of the young performers at NCP.
In the first number, the Cratchit family, Bob Cratchit (Sam Pynes), Mrs.Cratchit (Emily Pynes), Martha (Shayne Skaw) and Tiny Tim (Eva Ehrke) are introduced, and of course are the heart of the show. The beautiful dynamic of their family brought me to tears. I also enjoyed the immediate foreshadowing of the three spirits through the performances of Ghost of Christmas Past (Laura Lynn Horst), Ghost of Christmas Present (Connor Dudley) and Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be (Isabelle Bertrand).
As Scrooge humbugs his way home after the first scenes, we encounter the ghost of his business partner, Jacob Marley (Christian Cardona). Never have I laughed when the ghost of Marley appears to warn Scrooge of his fate, but Cardona somehow made Marley an excellent balance of serious and comedic. The costuming throughout the show was excellent (kudos to the designer, Soren Hargrove), but Marley’s ghostly appearance may have been my favorite.
Both Ghosts of Christmas Past (Dudley) & Christmas Present (Horst) wove their tales well, in coordination with the supporting chorus members. Again, the general seriousness of this story blended well with moments of excellent comedic timing, which the audience loved. I have seen both these actors on stage many times, and they always impress me with their versatility. The theme which Christmas Past introduces, and Christmas Present continues, is the importance of home and family. We see Scrooge lose his family and home at a young age, and become embittered toward all around him. As he journeys through the past and present, his soul begins to come back to life until the final encounter with the third ghost.
Christmas Yet to Be (Bertrand) left the audience sufficiently (and rightfully) terrified as she warned Scrooge of his impending doom through a beautifully performed graveyard dance scene. I found the choreography (Caitie Ninegar) in this scene to be particularly poignant. As Scrooge is led by the spirit into the graveyard, he encounters the chorus digging his grave and singing with glee over his imminent death. They sing grimly of his future, and draw his focus to the failures of his past. As he begins to fall into despair, the moment becomes foiled by an encounter with the children of the chorus, who sing the words of hope:
“In your heart there’s a light/as bright as the stars in heaven/ let it shine through the night/and God bless us everyone.” This hope is what saves him in the end, and I loved that moment. Even after a life full of mistakes, Scrooge has a chance to turn around, and that is a message that we all need to hear.
The final scene on Christmas Day is pure joy. Scrooge begins his work of reconciling with those he has hurt, much to the shock and surprise of them all. I especially appreciate Bob Cratchit’s (Pynes) commitment to the part when he faints on stage at the presentation of the prize Turkey. Sweet Tiny Tim (Eva Ehrke) performed the part so well, with her character’s famous message: “God bless us, everyone.” Maybe the best moment of the night was in the final reprise, as the audience was invited to join in singing “Let the stars in the sky/ remind us of man’s compassion/. Let us love till we die/and God bless us everyone.”
A Christmas Carol is everything a community production should be: professional, but approachable, joyful, community-built and family friendly. I left with a stronger feeling of hope and connection, which can be difficult to come by in the sometimes overwhelming Christmas season. NCP is all about bringing people together, and they do it so well. Give yourself and your family the gift of time this season by attending this beautiful production together!
I always want to know the answer to the question: can I take my kids? Although there are a few aspects to this story which may frighten a sensitive child, I think most children 5+ would love this performance. With 45 minute acts, I would consider it very family friendly.
If you go: A Christmas Carol will perform in the Nebraska Communities Playhouse, 217 Locust Street, Hickman, NE, December 13, 19, 20 at 7:30PM and December 14, 20, 21 at 2:00PM. Tickets may be purchased at neplayhouse.com/.
Katie Pynes Anetsberger is an avid reader, aspiring writer, amateur artist and mother of four magical humans. A staunch supporter of the arts, she firmly believes, in the words of Dostoevsky “The world will be saved by beauty.”
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