Likes, Mrs. Cratchit, and her son, Casey, Tiny Tim, have been playing their roles for four years. She is an ELD teacher at Chandler High School, and Casey is in the third grade at Jacobson Elementary. Casey’s sister is Claire, 2.
Her first year in Actors Theater Company’s “A Christmas Carol” was 1998; she played Scrooge’s past girlfriend, Belle, whom he sees again with the Ghost of Christmas Past at the party of Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig.
“I started performing when I was 6 years old,” she says, noting that she has performed on Broadway and in the National Tour of “Les Miserables” as Eponine and Cosette, at Walt Disney World/Tokyo Disneyland/Disney Cruise Lines as Ariel, Pocahontas, Jasmine, and others, and at the Fiesta Texas/Opryland USA. In addition to her other roles with the company, she has also performed locally at Phoenix Theatre and Arizona Jewish Theatre Company.
Casey started in the business even earlier in his life, appearing in his first commercial at 3. He has done several commercials, videos and is appearing in two films: ‘Dead West,’ and ‘Everything Must Go,’ starring Will Ferrell. He plays Ferrell’s character as a child. He also enjoys summer theatre camp every year, mom notes.
“We are so sad that this is the last of a long series,” she says. “It has become family tradition to be a part of the show every year — a part of our holiday season. Christmas won’t be the same without ‘Christmas Carol’ — and we will also really miss our ‘Christmas Carol’ family.”
For the last three years, Phoenix native Ben Tyler has been portraying the exemplary Mr. Fezziwig, who apprentices young Scrooge at his warehouse. Tyler also played the Spirit of Christmas Present for Actors Theatre Company 13 years ago.
He also was a child actor: “I talked to my mom into letting me audition for a local kid’s TV show, ‘Romper Room,’ in 1962,” he recalls. I was cast and appeared on the show for a week.” He graduated from Central High School in 1974 and attended Phoenix College, where he studied theater.
A Tempe resident for the last 16 years, Tyler was a founding member of the Mill Avenue Theatre there and is today executive director of Centennial Theatre Foundation, an Arizona Legacy Project developing Arizona-themed stage plays.
“It is the longevity of this show that makes it unusual for those of us associated with it,” he says, adding that many Arizona actors have performed in Actors Theatre Company’s “Christmas Carol” at various times during the last 18 years. “Actors can form families in six weeks of rehearsal and performance, so you can only imagine what can happen in 18 years.”
“It’s very sad to see this come to a close,” says Beau Heckman, who’s been acting and singing for 20 years. During his 12 years with “A Christmas Carol,” he’s played a variety of roles, including a Grave Digger and Charity Gentleman to Topper, a party guest, and, in this production, the Sailor, singing at sea of friends, love and warmer places.
“I have met some of the finest people over the years working on this production and have some wonderful warm memories,” he adds. “For now, I’m just focusing on putting the show back up one last time and making it the best of all.”
“This is like saying goodbye to a really, really good friend,” Tyler says. “A lot of bittersweet moments are awaiting us this year. I’m just glad that we know this is the last year because it gives us all the chance to say goodbye. I’m not sentimental — but next year at this time I’m going to feel like something important is missing.”
Notes Ganssle: It’s always tough to close a show because of the friendships and memories you make while working. A theater production, it’s been said, is like a sand painting,” he adds. “We all know it is going to disappear sometime, but it’s beautiful while it lasts. And this ‘Carol’ was a beautiful painting.” www.actorstheatrephx.org.
