The movie A Christmas Story has been beloved since its release on Nov. 18, 1983. It is based on the book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, by Jean Shepherd. The film appears on televisions nationwide, each holiday season, featuring the story of a boy, Ralphie, who desperately wants to receive a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle for Christmas. This year, the Stoughton Center Arts (SCA) put on this movie as a musical in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) here at Stoughton High School, with opening night being on Dec. 5.
The venue itself was comfortable and efficient. Ticket scanning was quick and finding seats was easy. Opening night was nearly a full house, so the space felt crowded, but that was to be expected. The show was well organized, which was especially impressive given the large number of young children participating in the production. The actors ranged in age, from adults to children as young as seven. Many of the actors also came from the SHS theater department, meaning many of them were already well-versed in stage performance.
Overall, the acting itself was phenomenal. The lead part, Ralphie, was played by Grace Bailey, who brought remarkable charisma to the character and made the role her own. Her delivery was entertaining and helped make the audience feel alongside her character. Bailey especially shone during her singing performances. Although microphones were used due to the size of the PAC, her strong projection and clear enunciation helped make every line easy to understand. Her voice was energetic and powerful, particularly coming alive during the song “Ralphie to the Rescue.” The song is about Ralphie’s daydream in which he saves his teacher, Miss Shields, and his classmates from criminals using his air rifle. The scene was exaggerated and humorous, perfectly complementing Bailey’s style of singing.
The show also stood out in its set and costume design. The costumes were time-accurate, beautifully made and numerous. While many outfits were reused due to the storyline, the sheer volume needed to accommodate the large cast and frequent scene changes was astounding. The set pieces were equally well done. They were well thought out and colorful, featuring many different furniture pieces. The standout set was Ralphie’s family home. It included a kitchen, living room, upstairs children’s bedroom and an entrance way. Additionally, set pieces closer to the curtain were placed on wheels to be moved out of the way. In fact, the majority of set pieces were put on moving dollies for easy removal, making for quicker setting changes.
The few problems that arose throughout the performance were either unavoidable or fixed quickly. During one of the school sequences, a scene change was quite slow due to the number of desks that needed to be moved and the fact that children were responsible for the change. This was understandable, as anyone involved in theater will tell you that scene changes with many set pieces are often challenging. The other, more noticeable issue was that Ms. Shields’s microphone was malfunctioning during this same scene, forcing the actress to project more loudly. After intermission, however, the problem was fixed and in all following scenes she was able to be heard as easily as her fellow actors.
Overall, the musical A Christmas Story was put together beautifully. From the performances to the set and costume design, the production was magical. While the SCA showcases a new musical every year and may not come back to A Christmas Story anytime soon, this performance suggests that future productions will be worth your time.
