Christmas Themes and Christmas Dreams abound in the East Bay today!

Two weeks ago, I began my reviews of the Christmas season theatrical productions that are easily within a short drive of Rossmoor with Miracle on 34th Street in the Town Hall Theatre, in Lafayette, followed by Nunsense at the Willows Cabaret Theatre in Martinez.

Please read my note at the end of this article about the special performance of "Miracle on 34th Street" for Rossmoor 's Walnut Creek residents coming up on December 23rd.

This week, there are two more delightful shows right around the corner and without a question, these are fun-filled productions bound to set the mood for family and friends and holiday festivities. A Christmas Carol just opened at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek and “It’s a Wonderful Life” just opened at the Del Valle Theatre, in Walnut Creek, as well!

Right next door to Rossmoor, in the Del Valle Theatre, the Contra Costa Christian Theatre is presenting a superb community theatre production of “It’s A Wonderful Life”. This production is thoroughly enjoyable, with a mixture of some outstanding professional level acting by key actors and at the same time, some very amateur over-acting in some minor parts. That is the nature of community theatre, in which neophyte actors first try their wings.

Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed starred in the movie version of this tale, a story that tells of a small town and the self-sacrificing Bailey Family who owned the town’s only savings and loan business. It was this type of small savings and loan enterprise that made the American dream of homeownership possible for hundreds of middle class American families. After years of selfless leadership, George Bailey encounters a financial crises that pushes him toward suicide on Christmas eve. His guardian Angel (second class), Clarence Odbody, comes down to earth from heaven, charged with aiding George in his hour of need and with finding a way to convince him not to take his life.

The play version is the same story, just with more limited staging and flashbacks. George Bailey’s dream as a young man was to go to college and then to set off to see the world and to make it a better place to live by building bridges and skyscrapers. His father’s untimely death forced George to give up his education opportunities and stay at home at the helm of his father’s savings and loan business. George eventually passes his personal savings on to his younger brother, Harry (Mike Fleck), so that he can have a chance to go to college and realize the dream denied George by fate.

George Bailey (played by John Goodson), continues to battle his father’s banking nemesis, Henry Potter, the banker who has stolen, foreclosed, usurped and cajoled his way into the driver’s seat on just about every major business board, or found a way to control just about every enterprise in town. Potter owns the biggest segment of rental property in the town and by not awarding home purchasing power to the working people, he has managed to keep most of them under his financial thumb. That is, until George and his father’s savings institution began to make a difference, to provide homeownership opportunities where few existed previously. Potter cajoles George for his poor business management, for his sympathy and caring and risky loan practices, loaning practices that will make George little profit from his stewardship.

George eventually marries the lovely Mary Hatch who has had eyes on the quiet, gentle, hardworking George, even though she could have married the wealthy young Sam Wainwright. They are blessed with four children, and live humbly in an old home they rescued from deterioration and abandonment.

George continues to employ his father’s brother, Uncle Billy (Steve Dexter), even though Uncle Billy is very poorly organized, forgetful and haphazard. Unfortunately for George and the Saving’s and Loan, Uncle Billy misplaces the savings and loan’s weekly deposit to the bank, a very substantial sum by 1946 standards, $8000, just as a bank examiner is waiting to audit the Saving’s and Loans books, all of this on Christmas eve.

George has no resources from which he can borrow the money without going to Mr. Potter on bended knee, which he does. Bailey tells Potter that” he” misplaced the money, to save Uncle Billy the embarrassment. Potter derides Bailey for his mediocre existence, and asks him what collateral he might have to support the loan he is requesting from Potter. Bailey admits that he has no stocks, bonds or any real collateral in anything, other than the meager $500 cash value of his little $15,000 life insurance policy. Potter laughs at Bailey, tells him that he is worth more dead than alive, and threatens to call the police while accusing Bailey of stealing money from the bank, not losing it.

It is not long after this that Bailey realizes that his company’s only salvation appears to be in the death benefit available through his life insurance policy. He then goes to a bridge over a river nearby. Just as he is about to jump into the river to let fate take its course, his Guardian Angel, Clarence Odbody, shows up. George is stopped form committing suicide, but in frustration, he cries out that he wishes he had never been born. Clarence sees an opportunity to heal the man, and grants his impulsive wish. Suddenly, Mr. Bailey becomes a nobody, a man who never existed, in a town that suddenly becomes totally different, totally ugly, all because of a man who had contributed so much to so many people, never existed!

I won’t tell any more of this story, and a wonderful story it is, because it is one production that you should, - - no, you must go and see "It's A Wonderful Life"!

There are many fine actors. Some are really quite accomplished, quite professional. In addition to the ones I’ve already mentioned, Mr. Potter is played exceptionally well by Bill Dietz. Mary Hatch Bailey is played equally well by Lauren Galvin. I wish I had room to laud the many fine portrayals in this play, but I just don’t have the space. I must however, laude Gary Mutz as the very sincere Clarence Odbody, and John Goodson for his spectacularly understated and defining portrayal as George Bailey.

Now’s your chance to make sure that every generation in your family can share in this heartwarming message, by taking the family to see the Contra Costa Christian Theatre production currently at Del Valle. This show plays through this weekend only, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with the remaining Sunday performance at 1:30 p.m., on December 21st. The Del Valle Theatre is located at 1963 Tice Valley Boulevard. Tickets range between $15 and $22 dollars and can be secured by calling the Center Repertory Companies Theatre Box Office at (925) 943-SHOW (7469). For more information, go the company’s web site at www.ccchristiantheatre.org.

Next stop, downtown Walnut Creek, at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, the Center Repertory Company is currently presenting one of my absolute Christmas favorites, “A Christmas Carol”, written originally by Charles Dickens.

Once again, Scott Denison wields a magic wand that delivers a highly successful production. By combining professional and highly experienced actors, creative staging, outstanding choreography, multi-level set design, highly imaginative costumes and unique special effects, Center Rep’s Christmas Carol continues to command accolades as an outstanding production.

Someone asked me last week if the production really changes or delivers a different experience primarily because there are different actors. I affirmed that it truly does. For example, in this production’s Scrooge, Jack Powell provides us with a different experience through his subtle characterizations and expressions, particularly as he journeys through past, present and future visitations of the ghostly apparitions. Powell does a brilliant job of transitioning from the self-centered and insensitive Scrooge, to the newly transformed joyful and giving Scrooge, glad to be alive and capable of sharing with others.

Many others contribute in similar fashion. Jesse Caldwell, who plays Bob Cratchit, is an actor whom Karen and I have seen from one end of the Bay Area to the other. Jesse always delivers a special performance as he and his character become one in the same. Jacob Marley’s portrayal has been played by many actors over the years and in my experience, some were great, some were less than perfection. This Marley, played to perfection by Jeff Draper, is genuinely terrifying in his portrayal. Some actors lend such a marvelous characterization to a role, that they almost make it their own. Take for example, Michael Ray Wisely, who stepped into the role of the Ghost of Christmas Present several years ago. His characterization brought a new mischievousness, joy and upbeat persona to the character, so that I actually look forward to seeing him perform in this role every year. I might be sorely disappointed if they let anyone else play this jovial Christmas character. While Michael plays several other characters very well, he has put his own special signature on the Ghost of Christmas Present. Kerri Shawn is as always a perfect Mrs. Cratchit and Jennifer Denison Perry always delivers an excellent Ghost of Christmas Past. There are so many sterling performers in this production that it would take more space than I have to write about them all.

There were some very clever costume additions and Melissa Anne Paterson has out done herself again this year. Kelly Tighe designed the two-story set many years ago, but I still keep discovering special effects I haven’t seen before. Choreographer Jennifer Denison Perry has created a Fezziwig Dance scene in this production that is truly spectacular, the very best ever in my opinion! This year, the addition of some low-flying spirits on shoes with wheels in the heels were a delightful addition. Each year, Scott Denison upgrades and adds just a touch more, so that the show is always fresh and innovative.

“A Christmas Carol” continues tomorrow, Thursday, at 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and closing on Sunday, the 21st, with a 2 p.m. matinee, in the Hoffman Theatre of the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts. Ticket prices range between$15 and $40 each. You may call 943-7469 (SHOW) or visit their LCA ticket office at 1601 Civic Center Drive or by visiting the Ticket Office Outlet in the Barnes and Noble Book Store in Walnut Creek to purchase tickets.

DON’T FORGET the special “Rossmoor” performance of “Miracle on 34th street, in the Town Hall Theatre in Walnut Creek, next week. There will be special pricing for Rossmoor Residents at the afternoon performance on Tuesday, December 23rd, at 2 p.m.. Call the Town Hall box office at (925) 283-1557 for ticket and reservation information. Tell them you are a Rossmoor resident and they will tell you what the special pricing will be for that specific show. Gretchen Hansen in Rossmoor transportation (988-7670) says that you should all meet at the Rossmoor bus stop by 1:30 and that the bus service should return you to Rossmoor by 4:30 that same day. The Town Hall Theatre Company is located at 3535 School Street, at the corner of Moraga Road, in Lafayette. This is a terrific show, don't miss it!