I’ve got three reviews of shows for the family for the holidays because this time of year, theatres are hopping with shows for the whole family.
I’m reviewing: A Christmas Story, The Musical based on the movie, and playing until tomorrow at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton.
The Wizard of Oz the Ross Petty Panto, is playing at the Winter Garden Theatre until Jan. 5.
And Alligator Pie based on the beloved book of Dennis Lee silly poems is playing at The Young Centre for the Performing Arts until Dec. 29, produced by Soulpepper.
A Christmas Story, The Musical.
Live and in person at Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton, Ont. produced by Theatre Aquarius. Playing until Dec. 22, 2024.
Book by Joseph Robinette
(Based on the motion picture A Christmas Story).
Music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Directed by Mary Francis Moore
Choreography by Robin Calvert
Music direction by Patrick Bowman
Set and costume design by Brandon Kleiman
Lighting by Jareth Li
Sound by Ranil Sonnadara
Cast: Hailey Balaz
Dharma Bizier
Adam Brazier
Karen Burthwright
Mark Crawford
Eric Dahlinger
Finn Kirk
Ha’Keena Maneso
Andrew McAllister
Jamie McRoberts
Madelyn Miyashita
Nicole Norsworthy
Shakeil Rollock
Nick Sheculski
Lee Siegel
Addison Wagman
The book is by Joseph Robinette with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. It’s based on the 1983 film, which in turn is based on the childhood memories of Jean Shepherd, a humourist and radio personality in New York City.
It’s 1940 in Indianna and Ralphie Parker, aged nine, wants only one thing for Christmas, the Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun with an additional watch mechanism to tell time. That’s all he wants. He schemed to get it, hinting to his parents that’s what he wanted. When it looked like it wasn’t going to happen, he hinted to his teacher he wanted it in an essay, in the hopes she would tell his parents. Nothing worked. Ralphie was frantic.
He also had other issues at school, with bullying for example. And his parents also had concerns. His father was an irritated, insecure man who just wanted to win something so he kept entering contests, in the hopes of winning something. The mother was stay at home, always cooking, cleaning and picking up after her inattentive family. A younger brother seemed carefree. It was definitely a family with emotional issues.
As a musical it works a treat because the book by Joseph Robinette captures the essence of a family in the 1940s but makes it applicable to 2024. The music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are sharp and evocative. They know how to write angst filled songs— after all, they wrote Dear Evan Hanson.
So while the Mother (the wonderful Jamie McRoberts) was stay at home and ‘invisible’ as the cook and bottle washer—she has a song “What A Mother Does” with a lyric, “I sit down to stand up” that says everything. It beautifully shows that she rarely has the luxury of eating her dinner with her family undisturbed because she’s always tending to her family’s needs, getting up to give another serving of food to her children or husband, etc. I loved that inner life of the mother expressed in song, for an audience in 2024. The Father is played by Adam Brazier with barely contained anger at some irritation in his life. The Father is a disappointed man in every way and comes home for some peace if that’s possible. Brazier also sings beautifully and with power.
It’s also directed beautifully by Mary Francis Moore. She focuses on the angst, the emotional bubbles of each character and keeps them simmering at an even pace.
The cast is terrific lead by Mark Crawford as Jean Shepherd as an adult and the narrator talking about his younger self, here named Ralphie. Crawford invests Jean’s involvement with the same attention that Ralphie has. Crawford is always there beside Ralphie when Ralphie is in the scene. Finn Kirk as Ralphie the young kid is a marvel. Ralphie is 9 and is played by the remarkable Finn Kirk who is a bit older—and a wonderful singer and actor.
Robin Calvert has choreographed this so that the ensemble bubbles with energy and joy.
A Christmas Story, the Musical is a charming, edgy musical for the holidays.
The Wizard of Oz, The Ross Petty Panto.
At the Winter Garden Theatre, Toronto, Ont. Produced by Canadian Stage, playing until Jan. 5, 2025.
Written by Matt Murray
Directed by Ted Dykstra
Choreography by Jennifer Mota
Conductor/musical director/keyboard player, Mark Camilleri
Set by Michael Gianfrancesco
Costumes by Ming Wong
Lighting by Bonnie Beecher
Sound by Brian Kenny
Cast: Jordan Bell
Georgia Bennett
Andrew Broderick
Dan Chameroy
Jonathan Cullen
Saphire Demitro
Eddie Glen
Sierra Holder
Tyler Pearse
Julia Pulo
Kirstyn Russell
Vanessa Sears
The Ross Petty Pantos, such a mainstay of the holiday season, stopped about two years ago when Ross Petty retired his sneers and invective to his adoring, booing audience. But Brendan Healy, the Artistic Director of Canadian Stage, saw a gap in their holiday shows and called Ross Petty to resurrect the Pantos. Ross Petty was there opening night to say a few words—we booed him roundly because he always played the villain—and he said how glad he was that this holiday tradition was continuing.
As one expects, the story is not the straightforward Wizard of Oz story, since it’s a Ross Petty Panto. The script is by Matt Murray who has written these the Ross Petty Pantos for years. It’s a wild story that sort of keeps to the main story of the Wizard of Oz.
Dorothy does live on a farm but has doubts about who she really is and where she belongs. She is loved by the people there but still there are those doubts. There is that tornado and she is transported to a neon coloured city that looks strangely like Toronto with a CN Tower in the background and various landmarks with “Oz” in the title: such as OZZZZington St. There is a witch who wants to rule over everybody and needs those shiny red shoes to do it. So there is a tug of war between Dorothy and the witch to see who outsmarts whom to get them.
Dorothy is beautifully played by Julia Pulo—plucky, resourceful and a strong voice. And there are some regular characters from other Ross Petty Shows.
Plumbum (Dan Chameroy) for example has returned in all her frizzy hairedness and skewed lipstick and makeup. Dan Chameroy plays Plumbum as an irreverent woman with sass and a lovely sense of style. Chameroy gives a subtle but detailed performance of this awkward but feminine character, that is quite captivating to watch. Eddie Glen plays an optimistic Scarecrow.
And Vanessa Sears, new to the panto, plays the witch with wonderful disdain for the booing audience. She knows how to whip the audience into a loud frenzy.
I’ll say the outline of the basic story is the same, but we have a new director in Ted Dykstra and the look of the show is eye-popping neon. The projections of places in Toronto OZZZZZington, and any other name they can apply OZ to are funny and witty too. It looks like a psychedelic dream.
They usually get kids to come on stage for a small bit, and that didn’t seem to be well thought out as to why they were there….perhaps a bit more thought there. But on the whole, it’s a fun time in the theatre. And we get to boo the villain. And she gives it right back.
Alligator Pie.
Live and in person at The Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District, produced by Soulpepper, running until Dec. 29. 2024.
Poems by Dennis Lee
Created by Ins Choi, Raquel Duffy, Ken MacKenzie, Gregory Prest, Mike Ross with new contributions from the 2024 Soulpepper Academy.
Directed by Severn Thompson
Music supervisor and Co-Music Director, James Smith
Costume designer, Ellie Koffman
Lighting designer, Logan Raju Cracknell
Sound designer, Olivia Wheeler
Props designer, Jessica Balyk
Cast: Alicia Barban
Belinda Corpuz
Ben Kopp
Ruaridh MacDonald
Haneul Yi
Alligator Pie isbased on the poems of Dennis Lee and was created a few years ago by Ins Choi, Raquel Duffy, Ken MacKenzie, Gregory Prest and Mike Ross. With new contributions from the 2024 Soulpepper Academy of actors, who also performed it.
It’s presented in the round with the audience on either side of the playing area. It’s wonderful looking around the space and seeing young kids with their mouth agape, captivated.
The talented cast recite and perform the many Dennis Lee poems and make them work in performance, by bouncing off boxes, twirling umbrellas in inventive ways and singing various songs of the poems.
It’s directed by Severn Thompson who keeps the pace going like the wind, and also trusts her gifted cast to be inventive and create moments of fun and silliness.
Alligator Pie is a great way of introducing young children to theatre and reacquaint older ones too.
A Christmas Story, The Musical plays at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton until tomorrow, Dec. 22:
The Wizard of Oz plays at the Winter Garden Theatre until Jan. 5.
Alligator Pie plays at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts until Dec. 29.