A full house of eager children, parents and grandparents, who did not anticipate the surprises ‘A Christmas Carol’ had up their sleeves, created an intrigued audience from beginning to end.

‘A Christmas Carol’ performs at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 and 13 and 2 p.m. on Dec. 14 in Fisher Theater. 

Specifically detailed, the back drops and the cricketing, dilapidated house was constantly interchanging, making the scenes more comprehensible.

Walking down the aisles, arm in arm, characters cheerfully walked on stage, making the crowd jump, not with fright, but with glee. Following the happy towns people, four solemn men carried the heavy casket of Scrooge’s dear friend, Jacob Marley, for his funeral.

What Scrooge did not know was his friend, who matched his cold-hearted attitude, would visit him once more.

On a bitterly cold night, after a long day of Christmas cheer piercing his ears, humped over, Scrooge was unexpectedly visited by Marley, who had been dead for seven years at this time.

Hoisted through the foggy floor, the ghost of Marley appeared, making the crowd erupt in “Oohh’s” and “Aahh’s” by his choice of entrance.

Bellowing in a deep voice toward Scrooge, Marley, covered in chains, elucidated he is not able to leave the earth because of the greedy, selfish life he has lived. Marley warned Scrooge not to live the life he did, otherwise his future will be similar to Marley’s, chained and forgotten.

To make sure Scrooge understood how to change his fate, Marley warned him that three ghosts—Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future—were going to visit him throughout the next three nights.

Each ghost brought Scrooge to different parts of his life to help him realize how his life has affected others beside himself.

Ghost of Christmas Past, dressed in entirely white, spoke with soft urgency. She truly appeared to be concerned with Scrooge’s sadness from his childhood and the loss of the love of his life.

Ghost of Christmas Present, dressed in a V-neck dress and robe, causing the crowd to chuckle, showed Scrooge two distraught children—Want and Ignorance. He advised Scrooge to think very carefully about his choices.

Ghost of Christmas Future, dressed in a shredded black cape, did not speak a word but pointed a deadly finger to Scrooge’s future unless he changed.

The gray hair of frost on Scrooge’s face matched his cold heart until Christmas cheer warmed his heart, melting his cantankerous personality.

Sudden merriment was expressed from Scrooge to others in order to change his fate, including his clerk, Bob Cratchit, who was consistently worried about his crippled son, Tiny Tim. Scrooge paid a boy to deliver the largest turkey to the Cratchit household and attended his nephew’s Christmas party.

At the end of the play, Tiny Tim, who was constantly adored by the audience throughout the play, said, “God bless us, every one.” Elated, the crowd clapped with smiles on their faces and loved ones beside them, truly feeling the Christmas cheer.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for seniors and $11 for students. Tickets are available at the Iowa State Ticket Office, at ticketmaster.com or at the door in Fisher Theater before the performance.