A Charmless ‘Child’s Christmas’

Any child’s Christmas tends toward the magical, given the right conditions. But only “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” speaks to us in the compelling language of Dylan Thomas, whose yuletide memories come wrapped in the dreamlike properties of true enchantment.

The stage version of the great Welsh poet’s Christmas tale, which is getting a fairly charmless production at the Laguna Playhouse’s Moulton Theater, tries to preserve a sizable share of “that wool-white bell-tongued ball of holidays resting at the rim of the carol-singing sea.”

The drowsy uncles and bustling aunts, the red-nosed postman with blue knuckles and the sound of church bells are all here, along with the ghost stories, mother’s blackened turkey and the village firemen.

And there is no lack of trees laden with snow that comes “singing out of the sky like flocks of white angels” or of “the frozen foam of the powder and ice-cream hills,” all of which is evoked with fairy-tale simplicity by a vast coloring-book set.

There is, however, a lack of dramatic oomph, which, though it comes with the elegiac territory of a poetical reminiscence, needs a driving hand to give it direction and a shaping hand to give it some theatrical form.

As staged by Richard Stein, unfortunately, the show seems to have no destination other than to get from the beginning to the end. It lies there more or less like a lumpish omelet without even the fluffy buoyancy often suggested, but rarely achieved, by the many, too many, songs.

In fact, the songs tend to be showstoppers in the worst sense. What little action there is comes to a halt time and again. For example, the opening scene in the pub, far from starting things off at any kind of rousing tempo or with any sort of atmospheric warmth, manages to launch the evening on a funereal downbeat, with a generally uninspired, if not leaden, musical delivery typical of the rest of the show.

Disappointment notwithstanding, there is some comfort to be taken in the uninterpolated narrative monologues offered straight from the page by Gary Bell, in the guise of the poet recalling the scenes being acted out for us. He rolls his Rs and avoids the stentorian, offering the lushly beautiful language without any excess of adoration. His plain style lets the words and phrases paint their own particular colors.

Danny Oberbeck brings a puckish energy and a tousle-headed look to the young Dylan, though he seems to have outgrown the role (especially when a five o’clock shadow is visible on his cheeks as he is tucked into bed in his white nightgown). The rest of the large cast gives routine performances, with no single standout.

Technically, the production is a bit of a letdown too. Although the costumes are fine and the huge set design is attractive, the mechanical turntable and slow scene changes are an awkward reminder of the earthbound rhythm of the staging overall--and the flat lighting design leaves something to be desired.

This outing of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” needs more flavor--Welsh and otherwise. It certainly could use more of what Thomas magically recalled as that “cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky.”

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* “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” Laguna Playhouse’s Moulton Theater, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Tuesday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m. No performance Dec. 24. Ends Dec. 29. $26-$30; $20 (ages 4-13). (714) 497-2787. Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes.

Gary Bell: Dylan Thomas/Father

Danny Oberbeck: Young Dylan Thomas

Kelly Herman: Mother

Joe Lauderdale: Jim

Bob May: Postman/Uncle Gwyn

Wendy Cullum: Aunt Hannah

Marnie Crossen: Aunt Nellie

Ivan Crow: Uncle Glyn/Smoky

Colin Martin: Jack/Murgatroyd

Norman Wilson: Tom

Bruce Smith: Hunchback

Sara Buskirk: Glenda

Bethanie Knieser: Brenda

Rory Johnston: Uncle Tudyr

Michele Loven: Aunt Bessie

Anne James: Aunt Elieri

A Laguna Playhouse production of a musical play adapted by Jeremy Brooks and Adrian Mitchell from the story by Dylan Thomas. Directed by Richard Stein. Music direction: Chuck Estes. Scenic design: Julia Zheng. Lighting design: Monique L’Heureux. Costume design: D. Richard Odle. Choreography: Michele Loven. Sound design: David Edwards. Stage manager: W. Brian Hugo.