Mr. Fezziwig is a character in the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol. A younger Ebenezer Scrooge worked as an apprentice for Fezziwig, a very joyous man who loved to dance. When the Ghost of Christmas Past visited Scrooge, at one point they returned to a happier time in Ebenezer’s life during a Fezziwig Christmas party.
The McCarter Theater in Princeton, NJ held two separate Fezziwig parties in their west lobby just before A Christmas Carol performances. Festive decorations graced the large area which was filled with holiday tunes. Food was catered by Chez Alice, offering a wide variety of tasty morsels including soups, spreads, anti-pasta, appetizers, pasta and desserts. The open bar was popular serving up wine, beer, hot chocolate, hot cider with rum and soft drinks. Coffee and tea were also available to accompany the desserts. The food was delicious!
There was only a minimum surcharge for the theater tickets to attend the party, so naturally, the two Christmas Carol performances were very popular (see my review here). Patrons had one and a half hours to eat, drink and be merry before they were transformed back to the mid 1800’s by the spectacular performance. These parties really enhanced the theater experience. It gave the community a chance to spread the holiday cheer, and have a feast for the bellies before their feast for the eyes! Some patrons even dressed for the occasion.
The second party offered a bonus. The Princeton University a capella group Princeton Tigertones was available, and graced us with their beautifully harmonic voices. They had just returned from singing at the White House, where of course Princeton alumna and First Lady Michelle Obama was front and center for their performance. The Tigertones’ musical talent was the perfect way to conclude the party!
Mark your calendar for next year, because the tickets will sell quickly. It is in my opinion, one of the ‘must do’ events to kick off the holiday season! The only thing jolly ol’ Fezziwig would have loved more, is if all would’ve broken out into the English country dance Roger de Coverly.