Larry Yando reflects on a decade playing Scrooge in Goodman's 'Carol'

If someone had suggested to Larry Yando in 2007 that he would play Ebenezer Scrooge, he would have laughed.

“Maybe when I'm 80,” said the four-time Joseph Jefferson Award-winner. “I never considered it. I certainly never considered I'd be doing it 10 years later.”

But here he is, celebrating a decade playing Charles Dickens' famous miser in Goodman Theatre's 40th annual production of “A Christmas Carol.”

“I don't have to put on age makeup anymore, but I do it anyway to make myself feel better,” joked Yando.

Yando - whose credits include productions at Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Court and Writers theaters - says the role has been a gift.

“I came to realize just how important and how complex this story is and how complex this man is,” said Yando.

“Like a lot of villains I have played, this man is operating out of fear and damage,” he said. “I've never thought of 'A Christmas Carol' as a chestnut you blow the dust off. It feels every bit as deep as any Shakespeare play I ever did.”

Moreover, Scrooge's journey to redemption and forgiveness remains as compelling to him today as it did a decade ago, he said, adding “this year it resonates like there's no tomorrow.”

Yando says his performance has darkened to reflect the disenfranchisement, fear and anger many people have experienced.

“The only way for the end to pay off is to bring out all the darkness you can at the beginning,” he said. “It's important to me to acknowledge (what) can happen to us when we're confronted with things that are unbearable.”

During fraught times, “A Christmas Carol” reminds us that “love and goodness can still find a way into our lives,” he said.

That's what keeps Yando coming back. That and the energy new cast members, including Yorkville's Paris Strickland, bring to the production. The 10-year-old newcomer makes her theatrical debut as Goodman's first female Tiny Tim.

“I can't help but love the (Tiny) Tims, and Paris is just so gung-ho,” he said.

“I am truly excited,” said Strickland via email.

“My favorite part of working with Larry is when we do the final scene,” she said.

To the audience, she and Yando appear to be whispering right before Tim utters the play's last line.

“Really he is giving me a pep talk telling me: 'you're going to do great out there' right before I say my famous line,” she said.

Known for its sumptuous look and special effects, Goodman's “Carol” has become a tradition for many Chicago area families over the last 40 years. But the reason has nothing to do with lavish sets and costumes.

Yando says audiences see themselves reflected on stage and have taken journeys that brought them joy and hope.

“That's what theater does,” he said. “That's what 'A Christmas Carol' does.”