The DCPA's A Christmas Carol Celebrates Thirty Years of Haunting the Holidays

Kevin Copenhaver still remembers his first Christmas Carol at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. "It was 1990, and it was the first show I worked on when I started working at the Denver Center, and it was their first time doing the show," Copenhaver recalls. "We are doing a different version now, took two years off to do White Christmas and, of course, didn't produce anything during the COVID years, but other than that, yeah, I have been with A Christmas Carol since the beginning." 

He started as the show's costume craft director, designing all "the accessories that complete a costume," such as top hats, bonnets and shoes. Thirty years later, Copenhaver, now the production’s costume designer, reflects on the legacy he’s helped shape.

“It didn’t really hit me until people started saying, ‘You know this is the thirtieth anniversary,’" Copenhaver says. "Then it clicked — I’ve been here for all of them.”
The DCPA Theatre Company's production of A Christmas Carol has evolved dramatically since its inception. The original adaptation by Laird Williamson and Dennis Powers, directed by Williamson until 2004, is "very different" from what is done today.

"The set was very stark compared to what we are doing now," Copenhaver says. "It was also more fanciful than what we do now, and there were characters that we do not see now in this production; for example, toys were brought to life by the Ghost of Christmas Present."

In 2005, Richard Hellesen and David de Berry developed a new adaptation, which the company continues to use. "Our set is now like a Victorian postcard and the clothes are very elaborate," Copenhaver explains. "It's trying to represent all strata of society in Victorian England. From the people down at the bottom that have no means whatsoever to the people in society who are well off. Also, this version of the story is not a musical, but there’s a lot of music in it, so we call it a play with music."

The show, running this holiday season from Friday, November 22, to December 29, has become a holiday tradition for countless Denver families. Directed by Anthony Powell for the third time, the milestone production blends cherished elements with new twists. Powell, a longtime member of the DCPA family who acted in A Christmas Carol several times, emphasizes the show’s enduring power.
“It’s not a mistake that this story is still playing almost 200 years later," Powell says. "Like Shakespeare, it still has relevance today. Dickens wanted to change the world with this thing — he called it his sledgehammer for the poor. He knew that want and ignorance were the two things that were holding Victorian society back from becoming something wonderful and positive — remind you of anything holding us back right now in this country?"

For those unfamiliar (if such people exist), the story follows Ebenezer Scrooge (David Studwell), a money-obsessed miser who is visited by four spirits — Jacob Marley (Jacob Dresch), the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Alia Munsch), Present (Topher Embrey) and Yet to Come (Marco Alberto Robinson) — on Christmas Eve. They take him on a whirlwind tour through his life’s regrets, joys and possible futures. By morning, Scrooge has transformed from a grumbling curmudgeon to a cheerful giver who has finally accepted the holiday spirit.

For Powell, the play’s message remains vital in today’s world. “As the world gets crazier and crazier, it certainly feels like there is more need for this story,” he notes. “When I was first speaking to the company the other night, social justice came up, and that expression has never come up before when working on this show. But this year, I feel like we've got to remember that everybody has a story. We have to try to understand and meet people where they are and fight for social justice."
Studwell, who plays Scrooge for the first time at DCPA, was struck by the depth of his character's journey. “One of the main things that kept coming up in our conversations was a line about Scrooge that says he’s ‘solitary as an oyster,’” Studwell says. “He starts with this hard, calcified shell, but inside, there’s potential for something beautiful. Through the course of the play, that shell is chipped away.”

He has been intensively preparing for the role, and describes the experience as both challenging and exhilarating. “At the first read-through, you could feel the energy in the room — it was electric, because production has already been mounted several times in the past, and I knew that I would be sort of in the hot seat a little bit," Studwell says. "But that's kind of exciting to me. I love those kinds of challenges and getting to play this iconic role. I just love when I get to play a full character's arc, and it doesn't get more arc-y than this role."

Embrey, who is back as the Ghost of Christmas Present for the third year in a row, comes up with new ways to revitalize his character. “Keeping this role fresh is not that difficult for me, because he’s such a jolly character,” Embrey said. “There’s lightness and darkness to all of the ghosts, but I love making big choices with this role."

Over the years, Copenhaver’s work as a costume designer has been integral to keeping A Christmas Carol fresh and vibrant. “The design has certainly grown and morphed over the years,” he said. “We’re always adding new pieces and retiring old costumes. As one of our drapers likes to say, ‘Some of these costumes are old enough to drink.’”

Last year alone, the production included 92 wigs, each contributing to the spectacle of Dickens’s world. But for Copenhaver, the goal is not mere accuracy — it’s capturing the spirit of the story. “I do indeed take some liberties with the period,” Copenhaver says. “We’re not presenting a documentary on 1840s London; we’re storytelling. While our costumes are evocative of the period, I turn up the volume a bit to heighten the experience.”

Reflecting on his decades with the production, Copenhaver speaks fondly of its legacy. “I’m not much of a Christmas person,” he confesses, “but I really enjoy doing this show because I do get the warm feelies for this story and respect for those that have come before us and have passed away, like Laird and my mentor and resident costume designer, Andrew Yelusich. There are all these pieces in the show that are living memories of these people.”

Powell, who has seen countless renditions of Scrooge’s journey over the years, admits the story’s climax never fails to move him. “My favorite moment of the play is Scrooge’s redemption at the end,” Powell said. “When he transforms, I swear to God that even though I know it’s coming, I’m always surprised and delighted by it. It just never ceases to get me, and I still get choked up.”

A Christmas Carol begins previews on Friday, November 22, opens Friday, November 29, and runs through Sunday, December 29, in the Wolf Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Tickets are $40 to $186. Learn more at denvercenter.org.