Guthrie’s 50th Christmas Carol: More Relevant Than Ever?
A Christmas Carol at The Guthrie (Dan Norman)
Guthrie’s 50th Christmas Carol:
More Relevant Than Ever?
While not everything from 1843 has stood the test of time, A Christmas Carol remains as relevant as ever—although, as cute as they are, I don’t expect Scrooge's nightcap to catch on anytime soon. I find that every time I watch Guthries production I’m surprised that, despite the old language, the victorian era costumes, or the mythical ghosts, I find the story at its root to remain a timeless tale reminding us of our legacy and impact.
This year I found myself appreciating the story in a different way. In this time so much of our attention and energy has been consumed by politics and the actions of other people, it’s so refreshing to experience a story that centers on personal development. It’s so easy to get caught up in the issues affecting others, and while that is important, its easy to then forget about the importance of self growth and improvement. Dicken’s story reminds us that the real change comes from within, and theres always room for growth.
Bloomington Public Schools recently hosted a “Winter Captains Conference” in which all of the winter sports captains came together in to learn from professionals. Fortunately my school is progressive enough to recognize Show Choir as a winter sport, so as the Crew Captain attended. One of the key takeaways from the conference came from our first speaker, who shared a simple yet powerful piece of advice: “Begin with the end in mind.” Our schools, jobs, and favorite charities hold mission statements, with goals on how they intend to impact peoples lives and be known for. So our speaker brought up the question: “Why don’t we as individuals have our own mission statements?”. Taking time to think about who we want to become about who you want to be remembered as is important because as much as it pains us to admit it, we don’t have forever on this earth. Its worth spending time thinking over and jotting down, because whats the alternative? Three ghosts show up at your house to teach you a lesson? Success is great, and something we all strive for like Scrooge, but what really matters in the end is the significance.
Now, ticket prices. The Guthrie’s ticket prices really depend on the day and demand. With their normal plays its very common to find great rush prices and even regular tickets, but with their musicals and A Christmas Carol, tickets under $40 are harder to come by. Not say it isn’t impossible (I got $22 tickets for Orchestra Left Little Shop of Horrors this summer), but to get these you should know these helpful methods.
Being a Volunteer https://www.guthrietheater.org/Work-with-us/
If you are over 18 you can apply to be a volunteer as an Usher, Box Office Assistant, or Tour Assistant. Doing this you are only required to do one shift per month, AND you get complimentary tickets to the productions. The only con I know of is the parking fee for when you work your shift.
However, if you, like me are under 18, you can enjoy saving $10 per ticket in Areas 1 and 1A and 50% off per ticket in Areas 2–4. So where it may say on the website that the baseline price is $46 for you it would actually be $23.
There are also rush tickets for $25 - $35 dollars for any production before the show.
A Christmas Carol runs through the Guthrie until December 29th.
https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/a-christmas-carol/
