Everyone’s favorite Guthrie Theater tradition, “A Christmas Carol,” is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, with performances running now through Dec. 29.
Our aesthetic and lifestyle editor, Jerrod Sumner, caught up with Broadway actor David Beach about making his Guthrie debut playing this year’s Ebenezer Scrooge. From fully grown-out mutton chops to Beach’s impression of Minnesota Nice, the two discussed the importance of theater education and the impact of live performances on audiences. It’s time to meet the man behind the “humbug!”
Photo by Dan Norman
Thank you for joining me today. It seems the world needs ‘A Christmas Carol’ now more than ever. Let’s talk about your experience, from preparation to performance. That’s quite the pair of mutton chops. Are they real?
I talked to the people at the Guthrie in September and said I would start growing my hair and my mutton chops. I’ll tell you what: The thing that would frighten me most about being in this production would be to have a mutton chop falling off in an emotional part of the show, which would terrify me.
Tell me a little about your journey of bringing Scrooge to the Guthrie.
It has been such a dream for me to come here and do this part. You are right when you say this time is when we all need thoughtfulness about experiencing something as a group. I find this play and the story so moving personally, and the idea that we can experience it together. I just love theater. I love the idea of everyone being in a dark room and people you may or may not have known at all, but something happens while you all go through it together, and then you leave slightly different. We can all relate to Scrooge at so many different points. There’s a line near the beginning when Fred (John Catron) says, ‘Don’t be cross uncle,’ and I say, ‘Well what else can I be when I live in such a world of fools?’ I think so many of us are now living in this very sort of disjointed society where we all are thinking of everyone else as fools, which is not helpful.
This story is beautiful because Scrooge gets to hear other people talk about him. He gets to see younger versions of himself, and if he had just gone the other way, it would have made such a difference.
How is it to share the stage with so many Guthrie favorites telling this story?
I find it overwhelming at times. What I love about this play, this production, and about the story is that I’m such a big fan of other people in the cast and the depth of the talent, which is so rare when you go away to do a big production like this. I get to be on stage and be part of the audience for many scenes; I mean, these are the best actors. All of the actors are at the top of their craft. I’m on stage almost the entire production, so I don’t miss anything. And these are such incredible actors that it’s so exciting for me too. It’s so moving to me, actually, to see actors who are this good, committed to their craft. And I’m just trying to play catch-up because they’ve all worked together.
You’ll love the Minnesota audience. They are right there with you, unlike any other audience I’ve seen. There’s so much love for the Guthrie and this annual production. When you think about it, it’s sometimes somebody’s first production they’ve ever seen. Sometimes, people have gone for 50 years. There will be people who have been there every year. It’s such a holiday classic. Does that affect your performance? Do you feel that it’s big mutton chops and a top hat to fill?
This whole town seems to have so much respect for the theater, not only the Guthrie. I’m fully committed to being Scrooge; it’s my version of him, and I’m not withholding anything. It’s exciting to be supported by everyone who comes to see it. We had a student matinee today, and half of the audience, it [was] their first time seeing a play. That’s so moving to me, because I was that kid who saw professional theater and decided that I would want to be involved with it. I find there’s such a big responsibility when you’re doing a performance for young audiences because that’s the future of our theater. And then we also have this amazing history of this being the 50th anniversary.
I was that kid, too. How have you found the Guthrie compared to Broadway houses?
[At] a lot of the New York theaters that I’ve worked in, a lot of people are traveling to New York to see the show. So, you’re trying to welcome them into your playing space and have them have that experience. Here, it is such a two-way street. It’s such an epic arena kind of stage, and you get to feel that people are welcoming you into their home. There’s such ownership from the local community saying, ‘We have so much respect for this space, and now you’re in it.’
Beyond the hair, you seem nothing like Scrooge. How do you find your inner Scrooge?
I have a 16-year-old daughter, and there was one time when she was younger, and someone said, ‘Oh, you must have so much fun. David must be so much fun to have as a dad.’ And then she said, ‘Except when he’s crabby.’ And from then on, I was known at her school as Crabby Daddy. I think we all have an inner Scrooge. I just have to think about when it’s too early and I haven’t had my coffee, and I have to take my dog out. We can all access that Scrooge-ness. I wish I could say I have nothing in common with him, but there’s so much. On some days, you could say, ‘Oh, you know, David has a little bit more Scrooge than the day before.’ There are certain points where I look at what happens during the play where I kick into where he went wrong and what he needs to redo. And a lot of us never get a chance to have do-overs. That’s what is beautiful about this story. Some people just live with regret. So, going back to what we were talking about, as far as how we need this now, there’s a need to have some hope that we can sort of make amends for where we’ve let people down.
I don’t think hope means that everything ends up perfectly. It just means that there’s the potential.
There’s potential. But more importantly, what I’m embracing about this story is that we must acknowledge where things are broken. That’s what all the ghosts are doing. They’re not saying, ‘Try to be a better person.’ They’re saying, ‘Look at where you’ve really gone off on the deep end.’ That’s why I love how dark this story gets at times. In order to have the release of joy at the end, we need to travel into some dark areas. And that’s what makes that sort of redemption worthwhile: that he realizes that he needs to change.
So, yes, hope is just an acknowledgment that things can get better, and not sugarcoat them.
Do you have any favorite moments that you can’t wait for audiences to experience?
That’s an interesting question. There is something about when Belle enters the Fezziwig party. It’s like time stops, and Stephanie [Anne Bertumen] is so beautiful in the role. It’s a magic moment of suspension. And then everything Regina [Marie Williams] does. There’s the moment when Regina appears as the Ghost of Christmas Present. I love that. She’s playing a part with such warmth and goodwill, it’s a very nuanced performance.
And you feel the connection to the audience in those moments and those that have come before on that stage.
It’s an incredible space. And the whole history of Guthrie—Tyrone Guthrie saying, ‘Who can do a national theater for us?’ The fact that Minneapolis raised its hands—that, to me, is inspiring. It is a civic celebration of this community.
What are three words to describe Scrooge?
I would say intelligent, misguided, and unhappy. That’s at the beginning. It’s very Dickensian.
All right, last question. My official Minnesota Monthly question: Minnesota Monthly is dedicated to the Spirit of Minnesota. So, how would you describe it?
It’s not the most pleasant memory, but my dad was very sick at the Mayo Clinic. Before I got here, I called to try to get something to him because he had gotten bad news at Mayo, and the person on the phone was like, ;Oh, well, deliveries are already out for the day. But you know what? That’s on my way. I’ll drop it off myself.’ And I said, ‘No, what?’ She said, ‘I’ll just drop it off. It seems like he needs to get it; you really want him to have it today.’ I was so moved by her gesture.
This is Minnesota Nice. That’s what we call it.
It was such a generous offer that she made me at that moment that I needed it. It was super moving to me. People are actually so offering to be themselves in a very authentic way. It takes a while for someone who’s been in New York to be open to it.
But I will say that what I’ve really found about this city is that there are people who are not as stressed out about being friendly to someone they don’t know, as compared to New York City, which has been wildly welcoming.
