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Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" runs through Dec. 21 at Overture Center's Capitol Theater. - CTM

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How is it that I've never noticed how scary "A Christmas Carol" is?

For the first time Friday night, it began to strike me as odd that such a spooky story is considered symbolic of the season. Charles Dickens makes the point that to really change, we have to be frightened into it.

Kind of like global warming. But I digress.

Hauntings aside, Children's Theatre of Madison presents a well-polished, visually appealing production of this holiday classic. Director and CTM Artistic Director Roseann Sheridan embraces the darkness in Dickens' story (so much so that a little girl a few rows ahead of me had to be taken out by her father until the monstrous Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come left the stage).

Not to worry; this "Carol" is heartwarming too. With a huge cast, beautiful costumes and the wonderful Robert Spencer as Ebenezer Scrooge, Sheridan presents a fine version of the play, which runs through Dec. 21 in the Capitol Theater.

The storyline is familiar to most everyone, but just in case, Ebenezer Scrooge is a friendless old miser. On Christmas Eve, the ghost of his former business partner pays him a warning visit. Three spirits of Christmases past, present and future convince Scrooge to change his ways and open his heart.

Spencer is a veteran Scrooge, and it shows — he's excellent in the part. From the first scene, he's sputtering and raging, mocking his poor employee Bob Cratchit (Scott Haden) and dismissing his only living relative, his nephew Fred (William Bolz). In every flashback, Spencer masterfully reveals Scrooge's pain, regret and the seeds of the new life he embraces at the end.

Donavon Armbruster is a treat as Jacob Marley, appearing in a gust of ghostly green and grey with howling and billowing smoke. Christopher Babiarz, likewise, is a perfectly flinty schoolmaster, ordering young Scrooge (Marty Schreibman) to keep at his math figures through the holidays.

The women are dressed beautifully by designer Scott A. Rott. Standouts include Christmas Past's (Georgina McKee) flowing golden robes flecked with glitter, and Chelsea Stockhaus's lovely green and gold dress for the Fezziwig party (she is a sweet, soft-spoken Belle, Scrooge's love interest). The men's costumes, too, are well chosen, especially Fred's festive red and gold vest.

The production rarely feels stale, faltering only when strict choreography overcomes the emotion of a moment. The sweet-faced Fezziwig daughters (Katherine Biskupic, Monica Schmidt and Natalie Trumm) prove this need not be so — their laughter is infectious.

This is a truly British "Carol," thanks in part to the work of voice and dialect coach Sara Phillips. In a scene with the charwoman (Stockhaus), laundress (Heather Robbins) and undertaker's woman (Ali Close), all sport refreshing, believable cockney accents, a tribute to Phillips and the actors as well.

Scenes at the Cratchit house give Haden a chance to prove what a fine actor he is, especially after the death of Tiny Tim (played by Sarah Engle, who falls off her crutch like a pro). Here as in the rest of the play, the children are carefully placed and directed, singing and star-gazing in sync.

Scrooge's world is populated by a motley crew of townspeople, carolers, grave diggers, beggars, businessmen, servants and street urchins. It's colorful and engaging, especially against Nayna Ramey's evocative, intelligent set.

That a man is shown his own dead body and that we are supposedly surrounded by chain-dragging spirits wandering the earth without rest is disquieting for a Christmas tale.

But as Scrooge learns the inconvenient truth about the cost of his selfish ways, so do we. CTM proves Dickens' morality tale is just as relevant in Christmas present as it was in Christmases past.

IF YOU GO
Children's Theatre of Madison presents "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, adapted by Romulus Linney and directed by Roseann Sheridan through Dec. 21 at the Capitol Theater in Overture Center. Tickets cost $10 to $32 and are available through Overture Center. For more information visit CTM's Web site.