FEZZIWIG AND FRIENDS: As Ebeneezer Scrooge, Joel McKinnon Miller is at the center of the action at the Fezziwigs’ Christmas party in “A Christmas Carol.” (Photo courtesy of McCarter Theatre)

By Anne Levin

Joel McKinnon Miller has a distant memory of seeing A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis when he was in high school. Other than that trip in his home state, and taking his own children to a production years later in Los Angeles, the actor’s association with the Charles Dickens classic has been limited.

But since signing on last June to play Ebeneezer Scrooge in McCarter Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol, on stage through December 24, Miller has immersed himself in everything Ebeneezer — down to his genuine mutton-chop whiskers. And he figures he has read the script, adapted by director Lauren Keating, every day since he knew he had the job.

“My wife can vouch for that,” said the affable actor, familiar from his roles on the television shows Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Big Love. “I had heard that Anthony Hopkins reads a movie script 100 times before he does a film. And then I saw a YouTube video of an interview with him where he admitted, kind of sheepishly, that he reads a script 250 times. So I thought, ‘I’m going to do that.’”

By the time Miller showed up for rehearsals in Princeton, he was ahead of the game. “I had all the lines memorized,” he said. “I hadn’t met the other actors yet, so I hadn’t been able to see what we’d give each other. But I did have the words. I was really glad I had taken the time to do it, so I could spend the time working on the character and the relationships with the other characters.”

A Christmas Carol has been a holiday tradition at McCarter since 1980. Keating’s production debuted last year. This year’s version has enhanced special effects, music, dancing, and a new lobby experience with local choirs, and photo opportunities for visitors.

“Every version at McCarter gets refined, and changes are made,” said Zachary Hines, the theater’s associate director of marketing. “There is definitely more music woven through this production than there was last year. Carols are sung throughout the entire show. There is more spectacle and camaraderie. All of this was added primarily because the restrictions from COVID-19 are not as strict. The budgetary restrictions are also not as strict. So we’ve had the ability to fulfill Lauren’s vision and create this spectacle.”

Miller and Keating have known each other since working together on The 24 Hour Plays at the Guthrie Theater, where she was formerly the associate producer, in 2017. “When we were done, she said, ‘If you ever want to do something at the Guthrie, let me know.’ I was still doing Brooklyn Nine-Nine at the time, but we kept in touch with Christmas cards and things like that,” Miller said. “And then, out of the blue in April or May, I got a text from her asking if I’d be interested in playing Scrooge. My first reaction was ‘Yes, absolutely! I would love to work with her again.”’

Miller is effusive when describing his fellow cast members in A Christmas Carol, as well as those behind the scenes. “The actors are wonderful. And it starts at the top, with Lauren,” he said. “She’s wonderful and giving. I never worried about who she was going to cast.”

Asked what is most meaningful about the experience, Miller’s voice broke for a few moments. “I’m sorry. I get a little emotional,” he said. ”I love the message we’re sending, especially at this time when there is so much angst in this country, and in the world. People can come to see the show and get a respite from that for a moment. To bring some love and light and happiness, and a good story we can all relate to — well, it’s just very special.”

Spending several weeks in Princeton has been a novel experience for Miller. “The town is lovely and the people have been lovely,” he said. “It’s so different from L.A. I started out my career in New York City, working with the John Houseman Theater, Joseph Papp, and in regional theater on the East Coast. So coming back to the East Coast is very comfortable and comforting. To have had this experience has been just amazing.”

Miller’s wife joined him in Princeton on Thanksgiving Day. “She’s staying with me. She brings me to the theater, and makes her chili or something for me to have,” he said. “It would be really hard for me to do this if she weren’t here. We’ve been married for 39 years.”

Miller finds the 40-plus-year history of A Christmas Carol in Princeton epecially meaningful. “It’s a real part of the fabric of the area,” he said. “I think it’s a really cool tradition. I love being able to be a part of that.”