![]() But he said that Dickens' descriptions of 1800s ailments are often very accurately rendered. Others have suggested that he had polio, cerebral palsy or a kidney disease called renal tubular acidosis.ĭickens isn't telling, of course, and "it's always hard to diagnose a character who is totally fictional," Chesney said. Tiny Tim's rickets could have been reversed - and his tuberculosis improved - by sunshine, a better diet and cod liver oil, a supplement rich in vitamin D, Chesney said.Ĭhesney isn't the first to suggest a medical diagnosis for Tiny Tim. (London's coal-choked skies blocked the sun's ultraviolet light that helps the body synthesize vitamin D.)Īt the same time, half of working-class kids had signs of tuberculosis, Chesney reported Monday (March 5) in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. At the time, 60 percent of children of working-class London families had rickets, brought on by poor nutrition and lack of sunlight. "We have this music and this story in our bones and in our blood," he said.Tiny Tim's life in cramped, polluted London would have set him up for both rickets and tuberculosis, Chesney said. He also said performing with familiar cast members each year has allowed him to reflect on his growth and to see characters differently as he accrued new life experiences. Woolweber said the themes around Tiny Tim - gratitude, striving to be your best, staying thoughtful - helped shape his own life. Woolweber’s whole family performed in the 1995 show, leading them to joke that they were the von Woolwebers - a nod to the von Trapp family from "The Sound of Music." Woolweber recalls fondly singing one song with his dad, who was cast as the Ghost of Christmas Present. We enjoy working with lots of different people." "That helps to bring people up like (Woolweber), like myself," she said on "Central Time." "We are confident. Eric Woolweber performs as Ebenezer Scrooge in the Falls Patio Players performance this month of "A Christmas Carol." Photo courtesy the Falls Patio Players and by Audra Dutler of Audra Christine Photography She is now its artistic director.Ĭommunity theater provides excellent opportunities for children to work as equals alongside adults, Bloch-Meier said.ĭ. ![]() Melissa Bloch-Meier was the group’s choreographer about 15 years ago. While Woolweber has been involved in the production 10 times, he said others have been part of the community performance for 20 of the 27 years. ![]() "We filmed it like a 1940s radio show," Woolweber said. In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the show pivoted to a radio-style production. The show has reappeared annually around the holidays nearly every year since. When Woolweber played Tiny Tim in 1995, the performance marked the first production of "A Christmas Carol" by the Menomonee Falls group. Having grown up on that stage, knowing the story, I can hit different points and different things that I know connect to this audience." "There's a lot to be said for the physicality, but also my own personal experiences where I'm at in my life. "We definitely do age me up quite a bit," he said. He said he might be a little young to play Scrooge, but on stage he was able to look much older. Eric Woolweberįrom Tiny Tim in 1995 to Scrooge in 2022, Woolweber has played seven different characters over 10 productions with the Falls Patio Players. Eric Woolweber dressed for the role of Tiny Tim in 1995 for the Falls Patio Players first show of "A Christmas Carol." Photo courtesy D.
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