‘A Christmas Carol’ Makes Its Local Return With a New Scrooge

The Santa Susana Repertory Company may have to do without its usual Christmas this year, but its annual production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” will proceed with new strengths.

Missing will be actor Eric Christmas, who has played Ebenezer Scrooge for the last four years and has retired from the production. Beginning Dec. 19, fans can see the busy 81-year-old actor co-starring in the feature film “Mouse Hunt.” This year, Scrooge will be played by Hamilton Camp, 63.

“I dropped to my knees and thanked God,” Camp recalls--somewhat melodramatically--of the day Santa Susana artistic director Lane Davies offered him the role. “It’s one of the great parts in one of the great stories in the English language.”

Camp, whom many will remember from guest-starring roles on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (as a height-impaired date of the star) and “MASH” (as the insane “Boots” Malone), entered show business as a singer in the ‘50s folk boom.

Manager Albert Grossman attempted to combine him, Bob Gibson and a female vocalist as a trio. They failed to jell. Grossman fared better with his second try: Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers. And Gibson and Camp began a partnership that continued, on and off, until Gibson’s death last year from Parkinson’s disease.

Camp recorded three solo albums and wrote the song “Pride of Man,” which became integral to the repertoire of San Francisco’s Quicksilver Messenger Service.

After the first Gibson & Camp breakup, Camp was recruited by Paul Sills, founder of the Second City improv troupe. From then on, Camp became better known as an actor specializing in comedy and character roles. He’ll be seen on the Dec. 29 episode of “Star Trek--Deep Space 9” as an evil Ferengi.

Asked how he interprets his current role, Camp explains, “You play Scrooge the way he’s written and he’s a comic character. His greed and attitude are so outrageous, you can’t help but laugh. Yet when he meets Christmas Yet to Come and sees impending death, he’s a very tragic figure.”

* A Christmas Carol” opens Friday and continues through Dec. 21, Civic Arts Plaza Forum Theatre, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., matinees at 2:30 p.m. Sundays. No performance Dec. 12, but a show will be added at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17. $25; $22 seniors and $15 children 5-16. Tickets at Civic Arts Plaza box office, through any Ticketmaster outlet or by phone from Ticketmaster at (805) 583-8700 or (213) 480-3232.

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Christmas Nearly Forgotten: A curmudgeon attempts to wipe the holidays from everybody’s memory in the Moorpark Melodrama’s offering, “Goldthumb, the Spy Who Stole Christmas.” Fortunately for all, he’s stopped by one of Santa’s elves--code-named “Ho! Ho! Seven.”

Jon Hughes plays the brilliant but evil Dr. Goldthumb, as well as his good brother, Greenfinger. Attempting to thwart him is Scott Fraser as Ho! Ho! Seven, aided by Suzy (Katie Fraser) and Tom (also Scott Fraser), who work in Greenfinger’s store. There’s singing, dancing, dumb jokes and intermission entertainment by Melodrama stalwart Amy Sullivan. The whole thing comes in at under 2 1/2 nonreligious hours, directed by Jeff Wallach.

The Melodrama’s new proprietors are pulling things together. Their shows are more compact than their predecessors’ and nobody has to do “The Hokey-Pokey” during intermission.

* “Goldthumb, the Spy Who Stole Christmas” continues through Dec. 28 at Moorpark Melodrama, 45 E. High St. Shows at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, matinees at 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. No performance Christmas day. $12; $9.50 for seniors and children; group discounts available. (805) 529-1212.