The best time for a Good Time Christmas Carol

By Matthew Young, RealWV

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I realize that Christmas was a week ago already, and you may have had about enough Ebenezer Scrooge for the year. But we’ve got one more holiday to go, and it’s kind of a big one because it kicks off a whole new year. Also, I took a few days off which I never do, and I had a tough time getting my thoughts together. So anyway, I know I’m a little late with this, but Merry Christmas.

The Good Time Christmas Carol…Again

I have the prettiest writing partner in the whole wide world tonight.

My little girl – who is up way past her bedtime – is sitting right next to me, looking at the pictures on my phone and probably making accidental calls that I’ll have to explain tomorrow. But I don’t care about that right now. I love these quiet moments with her, even when they’re really loud quiet moments. She just turned eight last week (last, last week now), autism is her super power, and she’s the apple of the one eye I have left that still kinda works.

My son (AKA junior editor Nathan) is in the living room with the love of my life, watching some scary movie. I’m not sure what movie exactly, but it must be a good one because I hear him squealing the way that only a 13-year-old boy can. I can’t see them, but if I had to guess I’d say that the love of my life has one arm wrapped around him and the other around the dog – protecting them both. The dog, by the way, abandons his allegiance to me every time he’s around her, and I really can’t say I blame him. She is pretty amazing.

So yeah, another all night write-a-thon in the Beckley wing of my Charleston apartment, another holiday spent with the people that I love more than I love myself, and another year that started out one way, and ended up as something very different. But for all the changes that 2025 has brought to my life, one thing remained very much the same…

For the second year in a row, my Christmas began last Thursday (last, last Thursday now) in the front row of Huntington’s Foundry Theater, for Michael Valentine’s Good Time Christmas Carol.

***(Left) Michael Valentine and Rachel Allinder backstage at the Foundry Theater. (Right) Adam Harris, Chelsea Nolan, and Chris Sutton before the show. Photos by Matthew Young, RealWV.***

The Ghost of Christmas Past

This was the fourth year that Michael Valentine put this show together, and the second that I’ve gotten to be there to see it. Michael really is such an amazingly talented guy, and I’m lucky to call him my friend. And speaking of friends, I was once again tagging along with my great friends Mary Hott and The Carpenter Ants – Mike Lipton, Jupie Little, and Ted Harrison. Although at this point they’re beyond friends – these people are my family.

The cast members were mostly the same people who did such a wonderful job last year, and they did not disappoint. Although with Tim Irr taking on the role of Jacob Marley, Justin McElroy stepped into the skin of Ebenezer Scrooge as smoothly as though he’d been wearing it his whole life.

Something I’d been looking forward to since last year was Sasha Collette’s performance as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Honestly I was kind of expecting it to be one of those things that’s never as good as you remember it, but I think her rendition of “Silent Night” may have been even more emotionally-stirring this year. And that’s really saying something.

As I listened to her sing, I let my mind wander back through the past year. I thought about the day that my son came to live with me in Charleston, and I remembered saying goodbye to my one bedroom walk-up because it wasn’t big enough for the both of us, and how we made a home for ourselves in a much bigger apartment above the offices of the WV Music Hall of Fame.

I thought about the random day in July when my son showed up with a dog, and how mad I was when it pee’d in my bed that first time. (Yes, there have been other times, and no, I’m not into that). I remember how frustrated I was when the first vet bill ran north of $400, and how irritated I would get every time he’d try to pick a fight with the air conditioner. But what I couldn’t seem to remember is what it was like to not have him greet me whenever I’d walk in the door, or crawl up in my bed every night.

As the spirit brought Scrooge back in time to visit the Fezziwigs (AKA David and Teresa Prince), I thought about the stories I’ve told this year, and realized how humbled I am for having had the opportunity to tell them – and how truly thankful I am for the people I’ve gotten to tell them with.

Nightmare Weekend in Cleveland with my son, Anna Knapp, and Chase Stewart, where I got to interview Chris Sarandon. Taking my son – somewhat against his will – to hang out with the original Jason Voorhees himself, Ari Lehman. Playing the smallest of roles in the exceptional work that Jenny Harnish did for the Pulitzer Foundation, and Vanta Coda did reporting on the realities of the flooding in McDowell County. Hearing praise from strangers on the emergence of Dakota Baker as an undeniable force in Appalachian storytelling.

When Jeremy Short and Emmy Davis – playing young Scrooge and his girlfriend Belle, respectively – broke into “O Holy Night,” I thought about all the hours working beside my partner in business, Stephen Baldwin, and my partner in life, Autumn Shelton. I realized with perfect clarity that those hours mean more to me than I have the words to explain.

So yeah, my 2025 started out one way, and ended up as something completely different. But the memories that were made getting from there to here, I wouldn’t trade those for all the gold in Scrooge’s counting house.

***(Left) Jupie Little. (Right) Ted Harrison. Photos by Matthew Young, RealWV.***

The Ghost of Christmas Present

Dave Lavender once again played the Ghost of Christmas Present, and he was once again right out of Mickey’s Christmas Carol. After once again crushing it on “Deck the Halls,” he once again brought ol’ Scroogey to the Cratchit’s house to see their Christmas goose.

Of course there was Tiny Tim – played again by Huntington’s real life superhero, Jan Rader – and Scrooge began to soften a bit. You know how it goes from here – the spirit tells Scrooge that Tim’s seat at the table will be empty by next Christmas, and Scrooge starts feeling his feelings.

My own present that night was pretty full of feeling my feelings, too. And if the spirit was giving me the tour instead of Scrooge, I’d see some really great people on that stage.

Folks like Rachel Allinder, who runs the Foundry and makes one hell of a wreath merchant, and Adam Harris, who kept the good times rolling at the Good Time Christmas Carol. Angel Davila, Chris Sutton, Perry Casto, and Ryan Faulkner. Clint McElroy, Chelsea Nolan, Essie Riddle, and Steve Barker.

Death Falcon Zero (because how can you not love a guy who wears a Lucha mask and goes by Death Falcon Zero), and his merry bunch of gravediggers, Cody Hatton, Corey Hatton, and Bud Carroll. Then the kids: Edward Carroll, Quincy Hart, and Billie Jamison. And of course all of the musicians, and the dedicated stage crew that worked so hard to create an unforgettable night.

Like I said, on that particular present, the Foundry Theater was filled with some really great people. And I didn’t even need a ghost to see them.

(Left) Death Falcon Zero body slams Scrooge (Justin McElroy). (Right) L-R: Dave Lavender, Jan Rader, Ryan Faulkner, Justin McElroy, Quincy Hart, Billie Jamison, and Angel Davila. Photos by Matthew Young, RealWV.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

Interestingly enough, I didn’t think very much about my own future during the show. Not because I wasn’t inspired by the performances, but because I’m pretty content right now with focusing on my present.

Again, I have two wonderful kids who drive me insane, a 14-pound dog that pees in my bed (I’m still not into that), and the most amazing woman in the world to keep me in line. Beyond those four, I’m usually surrounded by some of the best people you’ll ever meet. You’d never know it by my bank account, but I’m the richest guy in the world.

So the future will be what it will be, and I know that 2026 will not end the way it starts. But whatever the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come has in store will just have to wait because I’m nowhere near done enjoying my Christmas present.

***(Left) L-R: Logan Gabill and Michael Valentine. (Right) L-R: Clint McElroy and Mary Hott. Photos by Matthew Young, RealWV.***

Put A Little Love in Your Heart

I know you’ve all been wondering if they ended the show like the Bill Murray “Scrooged” movie again, and the answer is yes. And it was still absolutely perfect.

By the time the four of you read this, it’ll probably be a little too late to say Merry Christmas. So I’ll hit you with some Tiny Tim, and say God bless us, everyone.

Happy New Year, everybody. But also, and maybe even more importantly, happy present.