BOSTON — By day, he runs Westford’s schools, but this holiday season, Superintendent Christopher Chew is returning to the stage as Scrooge in Lyric Stage Boston’s production of “A Sherlock Carol.”
Literary classics collide with this fast-paced blend of mystery and holiday storytelling that brings together Sherlock Holmes and the world of Charles Dickens. The show runs Nov. 14 through Dec. 21 and features Chew in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
The two-hour production, written by Mark Shanahan and directed by Ilyse Robbins, imagines what happens years after Scrooge’s Christmas Eve transformation. With Moriarty “as dead as a doornail” and Sherlock Holmes sinking into depression without an adversary to best, when a grown-up Tiny Tim appears seeking the detective’s help to investigate Scrooge’s mysterious death. What follows is a comedic, quick-paced mystery that Lyric Stage describes as “‘Dickens’ of a yuletide detective story that’s as ‘good as gold.’”
Chew, who has performed professionally in the Boston area for more than 25 years, said audiences can expect a lively, multi-layered performance.
“It is a fun, quick-paced Sherlock mystery and ghost story rolled up in one,” he said, “A group of actors play multiple roles while stringing together familiar aspects of different stories into one.”
A New Chapter for Scrooge
Chew said stepping into Scrooge’s shoes offered a chance to explore the character beyond the pages of Dickens’ original story.
“It is years after his transformation after being haunted on Christmas Eve,” Chew said. “He is a changed man and has had a positive impact on his community. It is a wonderful opportunity as an actor to explore the next chapter of Scrooge’s life, the man we only see beginning to develop at the end of Dickens’ tale.”
While Chew keeps most plot details tightly guarded, he said he’s enjoyed every moment in rehearsal.
“That’s really hard to say without giving anything away, so I’ll just say that I’ve been enjoying all of it,” he said.
A Life in Theater
Chew’s history with “A Christmas Carol” stretches back decades to his very first role in theater as Tiny Tim in a local production. As an adult, he went on to play Bob Cratchit and then the Ghost of Christmas Present at Worcester’s Hanover Theatre. He also voiced every character in a one-man radio version of “A Christmas Carol” during the COVID-19 shutdown.
“This is my first chance to perform the role on stage,” he said.
Chew has appeared in 15 to 20 Lyric Stage productions, beginning with “Sunday in the Park with George” in 2001. Some of his Lyric Stage shows include “Urinetown: The Musical,” “Sweeney Todd,” “A Little Night Music,” “1776,” and “The Spitfire Grill.”
Balancing School Leadership and the Stage
Chew said that despite the demands of serving as superintendent, he has continued performing thanks to flexible rehearsal schedules and supportive theater companies.
“Rehearsals are in the evenings and on weekends, which makes for very long days, but it is manageable,” he said. “Doing something so different outside of the office can be very therapeutic and rejuvenating.”
He also said that his work in the arts informs his leadership in education.
“Artists are constantly trying to look at things differently and consider different perspectives,” Chew said, “I believe my arts education has had a direct impact on who I am as an individual, an educator, and an instructional leader.”
Chew said he encourages students who are passionate about the arts to keep pursuing them.
“If the arts fuel you, then I think it is important to find ways to create, even if that changes over time,” he said. “ Most of the artists that I know have what I would call parallel careers. They have careers as artists and also have a career in a different field that they are able to balance at the same time.”
Chew will also return to the stage this spring in SpeakEasy Stage Company’s “Swept Away,” a musical based on songs by the Avett Brothers that was recently produced on Broadway.
Tickets
Tickets are available on the Lyric Stage website.
