Review: A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL at Springer Opera House

A Christmas Story is one of the most beloved holiday films of all time. Though lesser known, the stage musical adaptation (with a script by Joseph Robinette and music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) is gaining a following. Over the past ten years, productions of the musical have proliferated, and it has even become an annual tradition for some theatre companies. The Springer Opera House is the latest group to mount A Christmas Story: The Musical, and though the production has a rocky start, it finds its legs in the end.

As Christmas 1940 approaches, what little Ralphie (played by Ben Tante) wants — more than anything else — is a Red Ryder BB gun. Despite using all the stratagems that his young mind can devise, things seem hopeless. But the musical version of A Christmas Story is not a story of boundless childhood greed; it is a tale about the ups and downs of family life.

Opening night of A Christmas Story: The Musical at the Springer Opera House was delayed by about 20 minutes as the staff fixed technical problems with the sound system. Once the show did begin, the cast struggled with lyrics, lines, and other aspects of their performances for about the first 30 minutes. I wonder if the unanticipated problems disrupted the show's mojo. Luckily, the cast got on track by the end of "Ralphie to the Rescue!", and the show continued to steadily improve throughout the night.

The strongest performer in the cast is Ben Redding as "The Old Man," Ralphie's father. Redding is surprisingly spry in his dancing, given his "dad bod." Redding's glee and delight in "A Major Award" was a key to making the song the funniest and most spectacular part of the play. Redding gave the most nuanced performance also, showing that beneath the character's gruff exterior was a man who sincerely loved his wife and family. Redding's subtle realism in the Christmas Day scenes (such as the Old Man's tenderness towards Mother or the pleasure he gets in watching his sons unwrap their gifts) was essential for making the play end with plenty of heart.

Larren Woodward's performance as Mother was another highlight. Her tender performance of "What a Mother Does" opened up the character's soul and showed how she is the glue of the family. In all of her scenes, the maternal love and wifely devotion of Mother never felt clichéd. Plus, Woodward knows how to slyly play into the script's hints that the character is probably the smartest person in the family.

Andy Brown is an affable guide through the story as Jean Shepherd, the play's narrator. Brown delivers many of the film's classic lines with the right timing to get a laugh. It is not an easy role because there is almost no interaction with other characters; Brown spends almost the entire time commenting on the action. But he plays it well, and his uvuncular nature make him a pleasant constant throughout the night.

The Springer has chosen to use homegrown talent for the child roles. All of the child actors attend the theater's youth education program, and their training is apparent. The children are all double-cast, which may have stretched the limits of the casting pool. But in most scenes, the children perform well. This is not an "ah, how cute" cast that only pleases parents and grandparents. Their "Somewhere Hovering Over Indiana" is the group's best moment in the play and fully embodies the excitement that children have on Christmas Eve.

Finally, Maya Isabella as (Miss) Shields is a pleasant surprise in her metamorphosis from schoolmarm to starlet in the fantasy number "You'll Shoot You're Eye Out." And she can  hoof it up with a mean tap dance.

Keither McCoy directed and choreographed A Christmas Story: The Musical. McCoy's best work is in the family scenes and the adult ensemble songs. "The Genius of Cleveland Street," "A Major Award," and "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" are the kind of numbers that musical theatre lovers devour. Other scenes sometimes suffered, though, when transitions were slow or awkward, such as when Ralphie changes in costume for "Ralphie to the Rescue!" or the long scene changes.

McCoy also sometimes relied excessively the audience's knowledge of the film, most notably in the scene with the neighbors' dog rampaging through the kitchen. Where familiarity did not help the audience was in understanding lyrics of some of the songs, due to the poor diction (which music director Courtlyn Holt could have improved).

Mike Morin's lighting design added a lot to the charm of the play, and he would bathe the stage in vibrant blue, purple, or red for the fantasy sequences — a technique that even my 6-year-old understood as marking those scenes as part of Ralphie's imagination. The trio of orange lights during the children's fight scene was also a nice touch that drew the audience's eye to the action downstage. Alex Allison's costume designs evoked the 1940s without romanticizing the period. All the characters wore typical clothing of the era, and none of it was matchy-matchy like is seen in many musicals. Allison dressed the characters as real people would dress in 1940. That is harder to do successfully than it looks.

A Christmas Story: The Musical is not a perfect show, but it has its charms. Just as the performance I saw improved with time, I strongly suspect that this production will improve over the course of its run. But already the show is a heartwarming and nostalgic evening with sincere performances. So, skip tonight's installment of the Hallmark Christmas movie marathon and get into the Christmas spirit with some live theatre.

To post a comment, you must register and login.