THEATER REVIEWS : Scrooge Dishes Up Some One-Liners in ‘Carol’

Orson Bean goes for laughs as Scrooge in his “family-friendly” adaptation of “A Christmas Carol,” presented by Pacific Resident Theatre Ensemble in Venice. The irony is that Bean is so good playing it straight that his periodic added gags and yuks are more intrusive than entertaining.

Two examples: The redeemed Scrooge wishes Cratchit “A Merry Christmas, Bobbo!,” and earlier, on his journey with the Spirit of Christmas Past, he tells the audience that he and his lost love Sally “used to smoke the eucalyptus leaves behind the . . . but that’s another story.”

Bean in character, however, is a pleasure to watch, as is his company of veteran professionals. They and director Kathy Scambiatterra do a respectable job with Dickens’ classic within the confines of the tiny black box theater.

Standouts include Frank Collison’s Ghost of Marley and Robert Lee Jacobs as both Fred and a younger Scrooge. Shawn Toovey, 12, from TV’s “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” keeps the sugar to a minimum as a likable Tiny Tim.

A Victorian ambience is nicely evoked with period costumes and a few props courtesy of the “Dr. Quinn” show and costume designer Linda Ewing. The mood is expertly enhanced by the cast’s caroling, choreography by Reamy Hall, Guido Girardi’s versatile lighting and Peter Kallish’s sound and special effects.

* “A Christmas Carol,” Pacific Resident Theatre Ensemble, 705 1/2 Venice Blvd., Venice. Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. ; Saturdays, 3 p.m. ; Sunday s , 4 p.m. Ends Dec. 23. $15-$18. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.