By Aaron Brand
Texarkana Gazette
TEXARKANA, Texas - The nostalgic humor and family bonding in the modern movie classic "A Christmas Story" come alive for the stage version, which Silvermoon Children's Theatre presents next week.
SCT presents "A Christmas Story: The Musical" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, and Friday, Nov. 22; at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23; and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24.
Susannah Morriss Linnett directs the young theater cast for this production, which is based on a 1983 film that annually airs for 24 hours in a row on Christmas, so beloved it is. "It's only been around since 2012, so it's a fairly new one," she said about the stage adaptation. The movie's status as a cult classic is what inspired this version, which started on Broadway seven years ago.
For her crew of actors, the material is a bit of a challenge but a welcome one. Linnett is working with both a children's ensemble and an adult ensemble of characters. Everyone acting in the play - apart from the narrator Jean portrayed by Michael Skotnik - is a youngster, ranging in age from 7 to 18.
"This is one that we kind of push the envelope on," Linnett said. "As far as children's theater goes, we try to keep everything very, very tame. We changed a little bit." But in this musical there's the "fudge" scene, the leg lamp and things that are "more mature," she said.
"If they've seen the movie, it won't be shocking," Linnett said. "It's not like adult mature. Everything in the movie is going to be in the play."
Because it's a memory piece, the narrator is looking back warmly on these events from the most memorable Christmas from his youth, when all little Ralphie wanted for Christmas was a Red Ryder BB gun.
"It's nostalgia, it's looking back on his most memorable Christmas," Linnett said, noting her actors love it. "And, as much as everybody loves the movie, the music adds so much more to it."
After all, they sing songs about the leg lamp and about shooting your eye out. "There's a song about the bully being a wimp there's a whole western song about Ralphie to the rescue. The mom has a couple of songs that bring in the heart of the play. I feel like the musical has a better ending, it has a more feel-good ending than the movie even does," Linnett said.
The musical emphasizes the family togetherness, she said.
In all, Linnett is in charge of 36 talented actors for the production. Christmas in the movie was set in the 1940s, so there are some differences between Christmas then and the ones these youth have now.
"Having to explain, well, why is it so important that they go look at a store window," Linnett said. Now, Black Friday ads are what kids may look at on a screen. "Back then they would go and look at the store window the first day of December, and so it was a big deal," she said. She's had to explain some of the differences that developed over time.
"The fact that Ralphie reads a magazine and it's a big deal to have a color ad on the back. That was a big deal," Linnett said. Or there's the dad complaining about the price of batteries back then, which doesn't sound like much now.
The musical, she said, will be fun for "kids of all ages." The parents have more development, for one thing. Everyone can get something from the musical, she believes. She suspects it's her favorite production they've done.
"One of the things that I really like about the musical is that the old man is mirrored a lot with Ralphie. We get to see a lot more of his personality in this, and the mom's personality," Linnett said.
Other recent Christmas shows for SCT include "Elf," "A Christmas Carol" and "Annie." They're about to announce their next season, too. For this show, Linnett recommends getting tickets ASAP. The two-act show runs about two hours long, intermission included.
(Tickets: $12. Buy tickets online at Silvermoonkids.com. Silvermoon Children's Theatre is located at 217 W. Broad St. More info: 903-278-9077.)