A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol, Boat Club Productions’ holiday offering, gave audiences a hilarious slant on Charles Dickens’ immortal classic. The opening night audience at Fitger’s Spirit of the North Theatre had chances to laugh uproariously, shed the occasional tear, and hum along to classic holiday tunes, some with a jazzy style, in this entertaining evening of theatre.
As a radio show in 1943 with the ongoing World War II as a backdrop, Boat Club’s show sets the enduring story in Newark, New Jersey. where a scrappy band of performers, the Feddington Players, try their best to tell Dickens’ story.
And, of course, everything goes wrong . . . Despite their best efforts, the company is inundated with problems, from a flushing toilet picked up on mics to their leading man losing track of where he is.
Audience members, the vast majority of whom were definitely not alive during radio’s golden years, got a hysterical look at what can happen when audiences could only hear the actors but not see them. The theater audience gets to hear the story and watch the chaos unfold in front of them.
Most of Christmas Carol’s ten-member cast was called upon to play a number of different characters. The actors had an obvious camaraderie with each other and were having great fun with the preposterous story, eventually going off the rails entirely.
One of the audience favorites, John Ryde-Crain, played ”foley artist” Buzz, who created a wild assortment of live sound effects to enhance the story. Ryde-Crain also had some sweet and poignant moments, telling more about his character’s life and future.
With his deep bass voice, whether singing or creating a broad range of characters, especially his villains, Chris Nollet was entertaining as his radio cast member, Fritz, and salesman for ads. With many of the occasionally raunchy punch lines coming his way, Nollet got his share of laughs.
Other actors displaying strong character work were Greg Moore, Jacob Waechter, and Keith Russell. Russell’s character Clifton tried to keep command as the announcer and all-around front man for WOV radio, doing his best to keep things on track and failing abysmally.
Playing the leading role of Ebenezer Scrooge, Joe Meichsner’s radio actor performance was bigger than life (in more ways than one) as William St. Claire, a retired star of stage and screen. St. Claire sees unable to understand that he does not need to do costume changes or go “off-stage” in a radio play.
Meichsner’s booming, big theatrical voice and eloquent diction gave him a Shakespearean gravitas as Scrooge. And while his character is often unintentionally humorous, he also proves to have a tragic backstory.
Three of the four female characters, Sally (Jennie Ross), Margie (Carrie Rossow), and Judith (Kendra Carlson), also successfully took on multiple roles.
Ross was a Rosie the Riveter archetype who had great fun with her various characters. An audience favorite was her playing most of the Cratchit children with individual, distinctive, and humorous voices. Her baby’s voice had people howling with laughter.
Rossow gave most of her characters a funny take and demonstrated a strong voice in her solo and choral singing. Carlson played a “leading lady role.” Her beautiful soprano voice was notable in her harmonies in full company songs and in her lovely tribute song to soldiers near the show’s end.
As Toots Navarre, Tanya Moore ably served as the onstage character conducting the songs and playing keyboards. Moore was also the production’s music director in the rehearsal process.
Erin Sather’s period costumes were on point, and Jamie Snyder’s makeup and hair design were also important to establish the period.
The show’s set design, however, looked far too upscale for a “hole-in-the-wall” Newark studio. The set was too regal and elegant, and far too nice for their “come-down” of a studio. Mismatched chairs and a more beat-up ambiance would have been more believable.
Inherent in the script is a half-hour of exposition before the radio show and Christmas Carol actually begins, making the show seem to drag to begin.
Once the “On Air” light comes on for the radio program, however, the show is off to the races with the story and the Feddington Players’ madcap attempt to tell the Dickens’ story.
Director Michael Kraklio and Boat Club’s Artistic Director Jason Vincent have brought a holiday romp to the Boat Club’s intimate setting, giving area audiences another option for their holiday theatrical outings.
A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol
December 4-14, 2025
Fitger’s Spirit of the North Theatre
600 East Superior Street. Duluth
Remaining Showtimes
Dec 11-13 7:30 pm
Dec 14 2:00 pm
Tickets at destinationduluth.co/A1940sRadioChristmasCarol
Read our profile of cast member Carrie Rossow at destinationduluth.co/CarrieRossowProfile
Up Next
Boat Club Productions’ Theatre Gala
January 3, 2026
Spirit of the North Theatre – Fitger’s
CELEBRATING 5 YEARS!
The evening will feature an evening of wonderful food, a silent auction, games, a theatre showcase, and the unveiling of Boat Club’s 2026 Season.
The event will help raise money to keep high-quality, local theatre at the beautiful Spirit of the North Theatre! 100% of proceeds benefit the 2026 Boat Club Productions’ Season.
6:30 PM | Check-in with passed appetizers
7:00 PM | Plated Dinner with 2026 Season Announcement!
8:30 PM | Theatre Showcase in the Spirit of the North Theatre
9:30 PM | Dessert & Gala After Party
Tickets at destinationduluth.co/theatregala
$125 PER PERSON
*Includes appetizers, dinner, dessert, and entertainment
