‘Miracle On 34th Street’ Bringing Holiday Joy To The Wagon Wheel Stage
December 6, 2024 at 1:08 p.m.
If the joy of the season hasn’t found you yet, maybe the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts’ production of “Miracle on 34th Street, the Musical” can find it for you.
In fact, two of the actors are pretty sure you’ll end up feeling pretty good after seeing the stage show.
“Miracle on 34th Street, the Musical” returns to the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts stage with Abby Menocál as Doris Walker, Evelyn Poston as Susan Walker and Lou Price as Kris Kringle. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union“I think this is a story that can stand the test of time. I think that it is a family-friendly, beautiful show about love and generosity and Christmas spirit,” said Abby Menocál, who plays Doris Walker, the mother of 6-year-old Susan in the musical. “No matter your religion, no matter who you are, this show is just fun and a bucket of joy and amazing for the holiday season. And I think no matter what, you should absolutely bring the whole family.”
Lou Price, who plays Kris Kringle, stated, “People will leave here feeling tremendously good.”
Dale Melancon (C) is Fred Gaily in “Miracle on 34th Street, the Musical” at the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts this December. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-UnionShow times are 7 p.m. Dec. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21; and 2 p.m. Dec. 8, 15, 22. Tickets can be ordered online at wagonwheelcenter.org; by phone at 574-267-8041; or at the box office, 2515 E. Center St., Warsaw.
In “Miracle on 34th Street,” Menocál said Doris is a Macy’s employee who runs the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and also a realist.
“I teach my daughter that using your imagination is unrealistic and to go through life living in a fantasy can cause you to get heartbroken, because I was heartbroken. Her father stepped out on me and her the day she was born, so I’m very much a realist,” Menocál explained.
When Macy’s doesn’t have a Santa Claus for the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Kringle volunteers. As it turns out, he’s the real Santa Claus.
“I step in to instill everything that she doesn’t have. To bring it all back,” Price said.
Menocál said Kringle gives the magic of imagination to Susan first and then Doris becomes a “much happier, lighter person” who finds love. “The Christmas spirit is spread all throughout New York thanks to Santa Claus,” she said.
Not everyone believes Kringle is the real deal at the get-go. At one point, he even ends up institutionalized.
“He’s taken dozens of these intelligence tests. He’s used to them because nobody believes him,” Price said. “... Who, of course, is going to believe that he is the real deal? And that’s the miracle, is realizing by the end of the show he is. He really is.”
In one of Kringle’s speeches, Price said, Kringle says he was ready to give up and that he lost faith in himself. However, Susan and Doris reinstill that faith and spirit of Christmas back in him.
This is the first time Price has played Santa Claus in a show, but for about five years he’s been contracted to play Santa for several places. He plays the role on stage differently than when he’s Santa out on contract.
“When I go out, I put the glasses on and I’m just in the suit. You never see me out of Santa. Last year I did it for the Red Cross. I actually had to give blood and had news stations there watching. It was like, ‘Oh, man, don’t pass out, Lou!’ And it is different, you’re playing more of the commercial Santa,” Price said. “For (‘Miracle on 34th Street’), I wanted to be very aware that, no, he is the real deal. I didn’t want the fake beard, which I actually gave up a couple years ago doing because I don’t like it.”
Dale Melancon as Fred Gaily, and Evelyn Poston as Susan Walker. Photo by Gary, Nieter, Times-UnionHis hair has gotten a little whiter - though he also still whitens it when he plays Santa - but he generally just goes with his own real beard instead of using a costume one.
Menocál said what she also loves about the musical is that it adds depth to Santa.
“It’s not the commercialized Santa Claus. You get to see that he is a multi-faceted, multi-level person, and I just think that’s beautiful. I really do, to add a layer that we’ve never seen before and see him live day to day as a normal person, because he is. He’s just Kris Kringle,” she said.
For most of the show, Price said he’s not in Santa garb. He’s in a suit, or in pajamas and a robe at the mental institution.
There have been a lot of actors over the years who have played different incarnations of Santa Claus over the years, from Mickey Rooney and Andy Griffith to Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell and J.K. Simmons.
“With this one, you see he’s generally good and he wants to do good and he wants to bring that back to people, to feel the spirit,” Price said of the Claus he plays in “Miracle on 34th Street.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Menocál. “And I feel like more than ever, this is a perfect time to have this show, to just bring people together. The main song in the show is ‘Here’s Love,’ and it’s just about no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, no matter your upbringing, everyone deserves love. Everyone needs to be treated with love, not only during the holidays, but in general. And I believe like this is a beautiful show to put on for this community at this time in our country. I think it’s a really, really important show.”
The original movie version of “Miracle on 34th Street” dates back to 1946.
Lou Price as Kris, Abby Menocál as Doris Walker and Thomas Eliot Squires as Shellhammer. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union“Meredith Wilson had originally written ‘Here’s Love’ and then that morphed into this,” Price stated. “He’s also the guy who wrote ‘Music Man,’ and, gee, isn’t that a story about gaining your faith as well?”
Almost 80 years later, “Miracle on 34th Street” continues to be enjoyed by many people around the holidays, whether that’s a stage adaptation or on television.
Menocál said it’s withstood the test of time because, “In a non-religious sense, wanting a sense of faith and wanting a sense of happiness. I feel like more than anything, that’s what we all look for during the holidays, but when you meet with family, that can get lost. It can become very commercialized, it can just become like a chore or a task, ‘Oh, it’s Christmas.’ Where I feel like this show kind of shows how much we should want to lean on each other.”
Wanting love and spreading love is universal, Price said.
If the joy of the season hasn’t found you yet, maybe the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts’ production of “Miracle on 34th Street, the Musical” can find it for you.
In fact, two of the actors are pretty sure you’ll end up feeling pretty good after seeing the stage show.
“Miracle on 34th Street, the Musical” returns to the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts stage with Abby Menocál as Doris Walker, Evelyn Poston as Susan Walker and Lou Price as Kris Kringle. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union“I think this is a story that can stand the test of time. I think that it is a family-friendly, beautiful show about love and generosity and Christmas spirit,” said Abby Menocál, who plays Doris Walker, the mother of 6-year-old Susan in the musical. “No matter your religion, no matter who you are, this show is just fun and a bucket of joy and amazing for the holiday season. And I think no matter what, you should absolutely bring the whole family.”
Lou Price, who plays Kris Kringle, stated, “People will leave here feeling tremendously good.”
Dale Melancon (C) is Fred Gaily in “Miracle on 34th Street, the Musical” at the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts this December. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-UnionShow times are 7 p.m. Dec. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21; and 2 p.m. Dec. 8, 15, 22. Tickets can be ordered online at wagonwheelcenter.org; by phone at 574-267-8041; or at the box office, 2515 E. Center St., Warsaw.
In “Miracle on 34th Street,” Menocál said Doris is a Macy’s employee who runs the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and also a realist.
“I teach my daughter that using your imagination is unrealistic and to go through life living in a fantasy can cause you to get heartbroken, because I was heartbroken. Her father stepped out on me and her the day she was born, so I’m very much a realist,” Menocál explained.
When Macy’s doesn’t have a Santa Claus for the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Kringle volunteers. As it turns out, he’s the real Santa Claus.
“I step in to instill everything that she doesn’t have. To bring it all back,” Price said.
Menocál said Kringle gives the magic of imagination to Susan first and then Doris becomes a “much happier, lighter person” who finds love. “The Christmas spirit is spread all throughout New York thanks to Santa Claus,” she said.
Not everyone believes Kringle is the real deal at the get-go. At one point, he even ends up institutionalized.
“He’s taken dozens of these intelligence tests. He’s used to them because nobody believes him,” Price said. “... Who, of course, is going to believe that he is the real deal? And that’s the miracle, is realizing by the end of the show he is. He really is.”
In one of Kringle’s speeches, Price said, Kringle says he was ready to give up and that he lost faith in himself. However, Susan and Doris reinstill that faith and spirit of Christmas back in him.
This is the first time Price has played Santa Claus in a show, but for about five years he’s been contracted to play Santa for several places. He plays the role on stage differently than when he’s Santa out on contract.
“When I go out, I put the glasses on and I’m just in the suit. You never see me out of Santa. Last year I did it for the Red Cross. I actually had to give blood and had news stations there watching. It was like, ‘Oh, man, don’t pass out, Lou!’ And it is different, you’re playing more of the commercial Santa,” Price said. “For (‘Miracle on 34th Street’), I wanted to be very aware that, no, he is the real deal. I didn’t want the fake beard, which I actually gave up a couple years ago doing because I don’t like it.”
Dale Melancon as Fred Gaily, and Evelyn Poston as Susan Walker. Photo by Gary, Nieter, Times-UnionHis hair has gotten a little whiter - though he also still whitens it when he plays Santa - but he generally just goes with his own real beard instead of using a costume one.
Menocál said what she also loves about the musical is that it adds depth to Santa.
“It’s not the commercialized Santa Claus. You get to see that he is a multi-faceted, multi-level person, and I just think that’s beautiful. I really do, to add a layer that we’ve never seen before and see him live day to day as a normal person, because he is. He’s just Kris Kringle,” she said.
For most of the show, Price said he’s not in Santa garb. He’s in a suit, or in pajamas and a robe at the mental institution.
There have been a lot of actors over the years who have played different incarnations of Santa Claus over the years, from Mickey Rooney and Andy Griffith to Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell and J.K. Simmons.
“With this one, you see he’s generally good and he wants to do good and he wants to bring that back to people, to feel the spirit,” Price said of the Claus he plays in “Miracle on 34th Street.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Menocál. “And I feel like more than ever, this is a perfect time to have this show, to just bring people together. The main song in the show is ‘Here’s Love,’ and it’s just about no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, no matter your upbringing, everyone deserves love. Everyone needs to be treated with love, not only during the holidays, but in general. And I believe like this is a beautiful show to put on for this community at this time in our country. I think it’s a really, really important show.”
The original movie version of “Miracle on 34th Street” dates back to 1946.
Lou Price as Kris, Abby Menocál as Doris Walker and Thomas Eliot Squires as Shellhammer. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union“Meredith Wilson had originally written ‘Here’s Love’ and then that morphed into this,” Price stated. “He’s also the guy who wrote ‘Music Man,’ and, gee, isn’t that a story about gaining your faith as well?”
Almost 80 years later, “Miracle on 34th Street” continues to be enjoyed by many people around the holidays, whether that’s a stage adaptation or on television.
Menocál said it’s withstood the test of time because, “In a non-religious sense, wanting a sense of faith and wanting a sense of happiness. I feel like more than anything, that’s what we all look for during the holidays, but when you meet with family, that can get lost. It can become very commercialized, it can just become like a chore or a task, ‘Oh, it’s Christmas.’ Where I feel like this show kind of shows how much we should want to lean on each other.”
Wanting love and spreading love is universal, Price said.