Almost everyone is familiar with the seminal holiday Dickens’ story A Christmas Carol. It’s a wonderful tale of the transformation of the miserable Ebenezer Scrooge, set in the bustling business center of mid-1800s London, England.
For the fifth straight year, West Reading will host its own unique retelling of this magical tale.
A Christmas Carol on the Avenue is a walking tour and interactive show, produced by Fecho Productions and sponsored by West Reading’s L.O.V.E. Team and Curious on the Avenue. This story, according to Larry Fecho, principal of Fecho Productions, has a unique “Dutch twist.”
Fecho, who wears many theatrical hats, including one as artistic director at Genesius Theater, says the inspiration for the holiday walking tour came from a similar production in Salem, MA, which has been running for more than 30 years.
“I went to see my friend perform as Scrooge [in Salem] one year, and the production piqued my interest,” recounts Fecho, a Reading High graduate. “I thought, ‘Why can’t we do the same thing in Reading?’ And the spark was lit.”
The idea, says Fecho, was to take the traditional Christmas Carol story and set it in various local venues, while changing the “ghosts and characters” to reflect the unique charm of Berks County.
“For instance,” he says, “we mention Sammy Boscov, the father of our wonderful Albert Boscov, and other local names that add flavor and familiarity to fit the area.”
There are even a few characters along the walk that have decidedly Pennsylvania Dutch accents, he notes. “What would a walking tour in Reading be without our Dutch?”
For Fecho, the production is as much fun as it is a labor of love. “A lot of the actors that perform [on the Avenue] also work with me at Genesius Theater, so putting the Christmas Carol show together is not difficult.”
The only real set that is created for A Christmas Carol on the Avenue is a mock cemetery. “Oddly enough, there are churches [in West Reading], but there aren’t any graveyards,” laughs Fecho.
The walking tour begins and ends at Curious on the Avenue (605 Penn Avenue). The entire tour, from start to finish, encompasses about four blocks, and as the performers wend their way along, they change characters and costumes, often involving participants in the storytelling.
“Scrooge is the emcee,” says Fecho, “and his storytelling shifts between the dramatic and comedic.” Additionally, he says, a “fringe benefit” is that guests also get a tour of historic West Reading.
The West Reading shopkeepers have their doors open for visits and complimentary tastings, so the Avenue will be bustling with activity from both the performance and business owners.
But perhaps the most important takeaway from A Christmas Carol On the Avenue is that it will provide a magical, vibrant event for West Reading throughout the holiday season.
“It’s not just a single performance,” says Fecho, “but something that unites the audience, the shopkeepers and our little corner of West Reading during such a wonderful season.”
