HARTFORD, CT – Two Connecticut actors are experiencing a uniquely poignant holiday season, finding themselves full-circle on the Hartford Stage during performances of “A Christmas Carol: A ghost Story of Christmas.” Veteran actor alan Madigan now plays Mr. Marvel, a role he vividly remembers watching as a child in the same production, while Leslie Blake Walker joins the cast, bringing a new dimension too the beloved tale.
The Hartford Stage’s production of ”A Christmas Carol” has long been a holiday tradition for Connecticut families,and this year’s iteration carries special weight as two local performers reflect on their journeys within the story. Madigan, who previously appeared in the ensemble as a child, now embodies the character who once captivated him. Walker’s presence adds to the production’s local connection, enriching the experience for audiences. This shared history underscores the enduring power of theater and the cyclical nature of artistic inspiration.
“It was kind of surreal,” Madigan said, “very full-circle” as he used to be one of the kids watching Mr. Marvel “kind of performing for Scrooge,” and now he is Mr. Marvel.
The experience has come full circle for Madigan in another way.”It’s weird.I’ll go backstage and see the kids and they’ll start quoting my lines at me, and it’s really charming and funny as I remember doing that to the adults when I was in the ensemble, so it’s really cool.”
Beyond the personal connection, Madigan appreciates the play’s thematic depth. He notes that each ghost represents a different dimension of time - past, present, and future – and that “time is treated as this moral mirror for Scrooge.”
“There’s this idea that we can’t change the past, but we can learn from it and we have to live mindfully in the present or we can doom the future,” Madigan said. “What’s been kind of landing on me lately is that even though it’s a ghost story and kind of scary, which I like, it presents this idea that compassion is the key to salvation.”
Madigan emphasized the play’s message of empathy over punishment. “And so, it’s been touching, watching these scenes play out with these actors and noticing that moral reform, you know for Scrooge, and for all of us, doesn’t come from punishment, but from empathy and revelation.”
