Have you ever wondered what Christmas Carol would be like if it took place in the 1980s? How it would look and sound as a musical? No? Well too bad because VHS Christmas Carol has all that and more with an electric 80s synth score that faithfully and fabulously retells Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic.
Originally created as a concept album by composer and lyricist Clark Baxstresser, VHS Christmas Carol has undergone many forms over the years. Written in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, VHS Christmas Carol was released as a “visual album” by Team Starkid, an LA-based theatre company that Baxtresser has worked with and composed for since 2009. Due to its popularity, Team Starkid produced a staged concert version of the show the following year with most of the same cast, and released the pro shot of it on YouTube in 2022, dubbed VHS Christmas Carol: Live!. Since then, a fully staged, two-act version of the show has been written, incorporating the classic stories of The Gift of the Magi and The Little Match Girl into the first act, but only the pro shot the one-act concert version is available on Team Starkid’s Youtube channel, so that is what I will be reviewing.
You probably know the basic story of A Christmas Carol by heart, but in case you don’t, here is a quick summary: Ebeneezer Scrooge is a stingy, grouchy old man with no care for the people around him. On Christmas Eve, the ghost of his late business partner appears to him to warn him that three spirits will come to haunt him to try to convince him to change his miserly ways: the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. VHS Christmas Carol adapts the original book surprisingly faithfully, and the catchy music and brightly colored 80s clothing never detract from the story’s poignant themes of generosity and redemption. The music, however, is undoubtedly the show’s greatest strength. The musical is sung-through, meaning that all dialogue and scenes are told through singing. The concept album contained 8 songs, but the show fills in the parts between the songs with sung musical interludes, and the transitions never feel awkward. A couple of particular songs steal the show, however. The song “3 Spirits” has Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s dead business partner, sing to Scrooge to convince him to change his ways. Even though it technically counts as Christmas music, I hum this insanely catchy song all throughout the year. “That Scrooge” is a powerful ballad where Scrooge’s ex-wife, shown to him by the Ghost of Christmas Past, breaks up with a younger Scrooge and calls him out for how he has changed over the years. I get actual chills whenever I listen to this song. Personally, my favorite song in the show, however, is “The Final Ghost”. This five-and-a-half minute-long number has the Ghost of Christmas Future show Scrooge what will happen if he refuses to change his ways. Despite the spirit’s enormous hair and the characters’ over-the-top costumes, this song manages to keep you on the edge of your seat as Scrooge slowly realizes that he is the dead man who no one in the future mourns. The finale to the show, “Christmas Day,” joyfully wraps up the story as “The meanest man there ever was/Became the merriest man you ever found”. It may very well be impossible to watch this scene without smiling, and Baxtresser’s beautiful score is to thank for that.
Clark Baxtresser also serves as the show’s narrator, but unlike on the album, VHS Christmas Carol: Live! has members of the ensemble act as a Greek Chorus of sorts. The cast is all-around excellent, but a few spirited actors stand out to me the most. As mentioned before, Janaya Mahealani Jones enraptures the audience with her soulful song “That Scrooge”. Along with her powerful vocals, she brings such vulnerability to the role of Scrooge’s ex-wife and perfectly sells her frustration at their dying love. James Tolbert, who also worked as the choreographer, steals the show for his entire time onstage as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Every step and every note is delivered with so much energy and electricity that the viewers feel just as awed by him as Scrooge is. Speaking of the “greediest geezer” himself, he might be the only performance I wasn’t sold on. In other roles, Dylan Saunders has shown himself to be an amazing actor, but I wouldn’t say that his performance as Scrooge was nuanced or powerful enough to carry the show. He moves in such a stilted way that makes him look more awkward than the elderly, and although his character arc is very well written, I feel like he doesn’t portray Scrooge in as cruel of a way as the script describes him. He does give a stellar vocal performance, however, and my issues are more just symptoms of a larger issue I have with this production.
As much as I adore its music and story, VHS Christmas Carol’s presentation is lacking in many areas. This recording is described as an “immersive concert experience”, so the stage direction is very limited. This causes certain scenes to look awkward; however, some scenes make the most of this format by having the actors interact with the audience. The set consists of a screen at the back of the stage that displays neon backgrounds and text. While this is a unique homage to 80s music videos, it can be an eyesore at times. The same cannot be said, however, for the costumes. Designed by June Saito, they manage to be flashy and cheesy, while never taking away from the weight of the story. It just adds to the show’s atmosphere and can be the source of a few good laughs. This absurdly anachronistic atmosphere makes the show come together and feel like an old music video. Even though the presentation isn’t perfect, when it succeeds, it does so beautifully.
Despite my minor gripes, I could not recommend VHS Christmas Carol: Live! more. It is a joyful, eye-catching, and unabashedly fun retelling of a Christmas classic that is sure to warm any humbugger’s heart. Although I usually cannot stand it when I hear Christmas music before Halloween, I would gladly make an exception for any of these songs. The whole professional recording is available on YouTube, so if this show interests you at all, and if you have 45 minutes to spare, put on this delightful show and let the Christmas electricity begin!
