By: Maya Malan-Gonzalez
At: 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th St., Berwyn Tickets: 708-795-6704 or 16thStreetTheater.org; $22-$32. Runs through: Dec. 29
You've got to admire the "show must go on" pluck of 16th Street Theater with its rolling world premiere of Maya Malan-Gonzalez's A Xmas Cuento Remix. After a weekend of previews, the Berwyn-based company lost its leading lady, Isabel Quintero, so she could travel out of state to care for her ailing father.
Music director Satya Chavez stepped in to replace Quintero for this contemporary American-set Latinx reimagining of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The first time that Chavez appeared before an audience in the Scrooge-like TÃa role of Dolores, a miserly bar and apartment owner, was on opening night.
So it's not really fair to review director Miguel Nuñez's production. After all, most productions of A Christmas Carol need a properly rehearsed Scrooge at the core to properly bring home the universal message of generosity and good will toward all.
So I'll instead focus on other aspects of 16th Street's A Xmas Cuento Remix. Malan-Gonzalez has written a carol-filled ensemble piece that proudly mixes Spanish snippets among the majority English script. The modernization of the well-trod, four-ghost Dickens framework is safe and cozy as it focuses on current/timeless issues like income inequality and the working-class poor.
The Greek chorus-like acting ensemble interjects on the action while also doubling as the show's chorus and musicians. Alas, the results are variable with the singing and acting under Nuñez's mixed direction.
There's great stage presence from some performers. Claudia Quesada brings a grounded reality to the dual roles of the irresponsible sister Elena and her hard-working/cash-strapped daughter Anita, while Isaly Vaiana has a ball being feisty as Sol, the Spirit of Xmas Present.
The low-key performances of Juan Muñoz and Ramon Smith are also fun. But other ensemble members give the impression that they're just going through the paces without that much differentiation between their multiple characters. One also wishes for more strong emotion and solid comic timing when the ensemble delivers their text.
The physical production is also mix of good and so-so elements. Joanna Iwanicka's set design is a jumbled hodgepodge, while lighting designer Claire Chrzan has much more fun with colorful and flashy LED lighting effects.
Audiences considering 16th Street Theater's A Xmas Cuento Remix should know that circumstances beyond the company's control prevent the production from gelling together as the confident take on A Christmas Carol that it wanted to be. But the show still can be a galvanizing experience as a Latinx refashioning of a holiday classic.