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IN MEMORIAM >> RUSTY SALLING
BAH, HUMBUG!
A Christmas Carol:
Remembering
Rusty
Behind-the-scenes of this Local, Lovable Actor whose Legacy will Continue to Live on W RIT TE N BY C A MERON COBB
R
usty Salling’s charisma, compassion and real-life charming character could not have clashed more with that of Ebenezer Scrooge. But that certainly didn’t stop him from playing the part and doing so perfectly. Born in October 1948 in Wilmington, North Carolina, Salling stole both the show and the hearts of audience members during many of the Hippodrome’s annual showings of “A Christmas Carol” before passing away in June 2016 after a valiant battle with cancer. From the show’s first production in 1978, Salling was initially cast as Bob Cratchit. And roughly a decade later, he starred and continued as Scrooge for 25 years until his final performance in December 2014.
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OUR TOWN MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017
“The theatre was his life,” said longtime theatre friend Carlos Asse. “He could do comedy, he could do drama – every show he did, whether he had the smallest part or was playing the lead, was incredible.” Director and stage designer Asse said he worked in various productions at the Hippodrome for 15 years, many of which were with Salling, including Asse’s 1981 building of the current set for “A Christmas Carol.” The two first began to get close years prior in 1975 when Salling was cast as the title role in “Macbeth,” another play Asse had designed at the time. “When I think of the Hippodrome, Rusty’s the primary picture,” Asse said. Salling was a man of many hats both on and offstage, with duties over the years ranging from running the box office to information systems director