Actress comes full circle playing roll in Dickens classic

FAMILY CHRISTMAS TRADITION: Kenn Wheeler, left, and Jillian Wheeler play roles in "A Christmas Carol" opening Friday at the Elgin Opera House. Tickets are $15, $10 and $6. - Submitted photo

It will have been 14 years since she first appeared in this Christmas classic. Only the first time she appeared, it was in the role of Tiny Tim, the crippled son of Scrooge's clerk, Bob Cratchit.

The very first time that she hobbled across the stage as the tiny hero of this Charles Dickens masterpiece, Jillian was only 5 years old.

"My mom was directing the musical for the Lansing Civic Players in Lansing, Michigan," Jillian remembers. "And she needed a little boy to play Tiny Tim. But no boys young enough auditioned. I had just been given a haircut because I had gotten gum in my hair or something like that, and Mom looked at me and realized that I might be able to do it. So for two years in a row, I got to play a little boy."

This cross-gender casting began an interesting tradition for Jill. For several years that followed, she continued to play boys. She was Bobby, one of the newspaper boys, in "Newsies." She played Jack Rugby, the young male servant, in "The Merry Wives of Windsor." She also played several gender-appropriate roles as well, including Little Orphan Annie in the musical "Annie."

Jillian, a sophomore theatre major at Eastern Oregon University, spent the past summer in Jackson Hole, Wyo., doing summer stock at The Playmill Theatre. "I played Maud Dunlop in ‘The Music Man,' and Sister Robert Anne in ‘Nunsense' in repertory," she explains. "We did nearly 50 performances of each show."

In "A Christmas Carol," Jillian is playing several roles including Belle, Scrooge's lost love; Betty, the wife of Scrooge's nephew Fred; and Caroline, one of Scrooge's debtors, plus a beggar, a narrator and a caroler.

When asked about "A Christmas Carol," Jillian explains, "It's been really interesting playing female roles in this show. I've never been a love interest before, and it's definitely different."

Denise Wheeler is directing the production with scenery by Jon Hanley and lights by Sam Jacobson. Musical accompaniment will be provided by Stephanie Hale on keyboard and Collin Hemphill on percussion.

Joining Jillian on stage will be Kenn Wheeler as Ebenezer Scrooge, Fune Tautala as his nephew Fred, Seth Yohnka as Bob Cratchit, Sarah Maxwell as Mrs. Cratchit and Mrs. Dilber, Anna Maxwell as Martha Cratchit and the Ghost of Christmas Past, Terry Hale as The Ghost of Christmas Present, Liberty O'Dell as Harry Hawkins, Curt Whitaker as Jacob Marley and Chad Rasmussen as Scrooge as a young man.

All of these actors, with the exception of Kenn Wheeler, will play several parts as well. Liam Bloodgood will be taking the role of Tiny Tim, the role that Jillian had so many years ago.

Rounding out the cast are Ari Bloodgood, Israel Bloodgood, Avalon Bloodgood and Madeline Hale as the Cratchit children, Beth Jolly, Nannette Winkleman and Christine Rasmussen as beggars, and Luke Bloodgood, Abby Hale, Tess Cahill, Jade Schiller, Sadie Halsey, Clara Gandy, Brenna Blaylock, Mariah Hurse and Alea Hurse as Christmas Toys.

"A Christmas Carol" opens Friday in the Elgin Opera House. There will also be a performance on Saturday. Both shows will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets can be reserved by calling 786-2922.