KAYSVILLE — I watch the film A Christmas Story every year on Christmas day without fail and am the proud owner of a leg lamp gracing my front room with the “soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.” So, it is safe to say that I am the target audience for A Christmas Story, The Musical written by Joseph Robinette with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The musical adaptation premiered in 2012 and is quickly becoming a new holiday tradition for many. Hopebox Theatre’s production of this show is a little wobbly in places but still finds a leg to stand on.
Set in 1940s Indiana, A Christmas Story follows young Ralphie’s quest to attain his ultimate Christmas wish of getting a Red Ryder BB gun. Jean Shepherd’s iconic tale weaves humor and sentimentality as we relive the hilarity of playground triple-dog dares and the infamous leg lamp debacle. Like the movie, the story is narrated by Jean (Darin Beardall), who is the center of the story and the center of my problem with this production. Beardall has a good singing voice, and certain bits worked very well like when he intensely describes the playground politics that led to the infamous frozen flagpole incident, capturing the drama and absurdity of childhood logic. However, much of his performance was a little too frantic; his delivery often veered into shouting, which flattened the nuance of the lines. Directors Jan Williams and Wyatt Welch clearly focused on keeping the show moving at a good pace, which works well generally making sure that the show never lags. But I wish Beardall was given direction allowing more time to slow down in certain places, give a little variety in tone, take some beats, and connect more to the scene to let the warmth and nostalgia steep into the role.
Show closes December 28th, 2024.
The production’s highlight is Jake Swensen as the Old Man. Swensen brought undeniable energy to the role of the gruff yet lovable patriarch, playing it with a twinkle in his eye. Swensen gives the Old Man some fun eccentricities and excels during the battle between the family furnace and the Bumpus’ dogs. Swenson strikes a balance between comedic chaos and heartfelt moments. Swensen’s performance really shined when he jumped onto the big crate during the show-stopping number “A Major Award” and he deserves praise for his unexpected dancing abilities which added a delightful surprise to his performance. He fully committed to the dancing, which added depth to the character, giving the Old Man a lighthearted and playful side to oppose his authoritarian aspects.
Swenson’s Old Man also had nice chemistry and playfulness with Mother played by Torrey Woolsey. Woolsey offered a steady presence as the nurturing matriarch of the family. Woolsey’s standout moments came in interactions with Ralphie and Randy. Vocally, Woolsey’s performance was consistent and pleasing such as in solo moments delivered with sincerity and clarity. Her rendition of “What a Mother Does” was a highlight, drawing the audience into Mother’s perspective and her character’s selflessness in a relatable way.
A lot of the weight of the show rests on young shoulders. Ralphie, played by Golden Leon Flint, was brimming with youthful enthusiasm. Flint did struggle with a few of the tongue-twisting lines, but his acting shows great promise and his sweet voice is impressive as he leads the ensemble of children. Flint’s relationship with his kid brother Randy, played by Sawyer Collins, is touching as shown during their duet “Before the Old Man Comes Home.” Collins also has great comedic timing when Mother puts Randy into his snowsuit and later when on the way to school he falls down in the snowsuit.
The other children in the show are all adorable and endearing during their numbers, doing very well with the singing and choreography. Schoolyard bullies Michael Choate as Farcus and Ty Swensen as Dill bring menacing energy to the roles as they loom over the pipsqueaks of the playground. Back in the schoolhouse, Miss Shields (Rylee Harris) was well played, particularly in her fantasy number “To the Nightclub” where Harris has a great tap performance in addition to solid vocals.
I enjoy the Hopebox’s blackbox stage setup, which keeps the audience right in the action. Directors Williams and Welch excelled in choreographing all the dance numbers and blocking the small stage well with such a large cast for the space. The big dance numbers like “A Major Award” and “Ralphie to the Rescue” have a lot of people shuffling around the stage and it was all well laid out for every actor’s abilities which is a real strength for the show.
Light designer Darren Maxfield has covered the set with lots of Christmas lights that are used effectively in changing the mood between Ralphie’s fantasies and reality. The sound design by Alex Stewart is good, with the track well-balanced for the group. The elves at Higbee’s had some mic issues during “Up on Santa’s Lap” which detracted from that scene. The slow-motion section with Santa (Jared Doegey) was fantastic with the right amount of reverb slowing the moment to a hilarious crawl. Additionally, Doegey was an excellent grumpy Santa, getting lots of laughs.
This show has a lot of costumes, and designer Sadie Day does a good job of making the characters distinct. I really liked the group costumes for “To the Nightclub” and everything Mother and the Old Man wear is great for their characters and the period. I also loved the super long scarf Mother wraps three times around Randy as she bundles him up for school. However, a few pieces stood out for the wrong reasons. Jean wears a bright red sweater for most of the show which is probably meant to look cozy and draw our eye to the narrator, but it is too small for the actor. Likewise, Ralphie’s Christmas pajama top is too small for the actor and should be switched out. However, the bunny suit Ralphie puts over his pajamas is a perfect replica of the pink nightmare and allows Ralphie to really ham up his depression at being forced into such a beautiful abomination.
This was not my first time seeing the musical version of A Christmas Story. I was excited to see it because I love the Hopebox Theatre’s mission statement to bring “hope to families battling cancer through the performing arts” by raising funds and awareness for a selected Wall of Hope recipient. I encourage people to see the show and support Isaac Shipp, this show’s 10-year-old Wall of Hope recipient. The production does have some flaws; then again, don’t we all? Some look at a leg lamp and think it’s hideous, others see a Major Award blazing forth in all its glory, either way, it’s worth checking out.
