“Pride and Prejudice” is one of the most cherished love stories in the Western literary canon, and many a Jane Austen lover has imagined what it would be like to live in the world of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. This month, City Theatre is giving theatergoers the opportunity to spend a holiday with the classic couple with “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley.”
Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon wrote this charming sequel which finds the characters of “Pride and Prejudice” visiting Pemberley — Darcy’s estate — to visit Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy for Christmas after their marriage. This play is a “companion piece” to last season’s Christmas play, “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” and it brings the estate’s staff to the forefront, following plenty of household drama, mishaps, romance and Christmas cheer.
The Bennets have assembled for the holiday, including Elizabeth’s sister, Lydia — but not her husband, George Wickham, who has been barred from Pemberley by Darcy. So what happens when he shows up uninvited? Christmas chaos, naturally!
Some knowledge of “Pride and Prejudice” is helpful here, especially in understanding the relationships between several of the characters. But it’s certainly not required; “The Wickhams” is a good time even if you’ve never read a page of Austen.
This production is also in association with Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, and features many current and former students of that institution. Seeing how well-executed every aspect of “The Wickhams” turned out to be is truly a credit to CMU.
Of course, any script about the characters of “Pride and Prejudice” without a well-suited Elizabeth and Darcy would fall flat. Melessie Clark and Juan Rivera Lebron have great chemistry and rapport. Clark is poised, witty and headstrong as Elizabeth, just as the iconic heroine should be. And Lebron’s Darcy is at once stubborn and vulnerable, matching his book counterpart well.
Alex Sheffield plays Lydia Wickham, Elizabeth’s sister who is married to the scoundrel George Wickham. She got the most uproarious laughs during Friday night’s packed opening night performance — her exaggerated physical acting and line delivery made her a standout.
Then there’s Brett Mack, as the aforementioned scoundrel George Wickham. He’s roguishly charming, sure, but oh-so-hateable, too — in a good way.
The household staff is comprised of Mrs. Reynolds (Shammen McCune), Cassie (Anna Bakun) and Brian (Evan Vines). All three got to play out rich storylines and brought nuance to characters that could have been one-note. McCune especially tugs at the hearstrings during several scenes, especially ones she shares with Lebron.
With festive projections and a cozy set — all courtesy of Anne Mundell — the play was economical but felt homey and warm, especially with such a bitterly cold Pittsburgh night waiting outside the theater doors. Costume designer Carrie Anne Huneycutt outfitted the characters in well-fitting 19th century garb spanning the classes from servants’ uniforms to oooh-worthy gowns. And the lighting design by Xuewei (Eva) Hu ws subtle and atmospheric, bringing in deep nighttime shadows and bright mornings to the estate.
Using the same clever trick as Netflix’s “Bridgerton” series, sound designer Howard Patterson made scene breaks fun by playing classical covers of pop songs such as Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams,” Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” and Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love.”
Director Kyle Haden really brought the best out of these actors and artists, whisking the audience into the world of Permberley and putting a big, lovely Christmas bow on the whole thing. There’s one more play in this “Christmas at Pemberley” trilogy, so hopefully we have another holiday treat to look forward to this time next year.
(Also, this reviewer wants the recipe for those biscuits all of the Bennets were so obsessed with!)
“The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley” will run through Dec. 22 at City Theatre on Pittsburgh’s South Side. Visit citytheatrecompany.org for performance times and tickets.