'A Christmas Story' A Feel Good Musical, Actors Say
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David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
The original 1983 film version of “A Christmas Story” wasn’t a big hit at the theaters when it was released. But over the years the film has become such a holiday staple that it spawned a Broadway musical in 2009. This month, the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts chose “A Christmas Story, the Musical” for its holiday show. “I think it just has that joy that people want to watch on Christmas. That feel-good kind of movie,” said Parker Irwin, 11, who plays the main role of Ralphie Parker in the Wagon Wheel’s production. “It wasn’t terribly popular when it was in the movie theaters. It kind of tanked, and then became kind of this cult classic,” said Kira Lace Hawkins, who plays The Mother in the Wagon Wheel production. “I think that the black comedy of it, the off-kilter, normal family, mistakes happening all over the place – I think that that’s kind of fun and was a little bit new when the movie came out in the ’80s. Maybe something that hadn’t been done all that often, which is why it didn’t do well at first, but then people were, ‘Oh! This is really fun to see a really normal family kind of go through the craziness that is always every family’s Christmas.’” Show dates of the musical at the Wagon Wheel are Dec. 5-7, 12-14 and 19-21. Tickets range from $16 to $34. Discounts are available for college students and on designated performances for seniors. For more information, visit wagonwheeltheatre.org or call 574-267-8041. When it opened Nov. 18, 1983, the film earned just over $7.2 million in its first 10 days at 938 theaters in the United States and Canada, according to newspaperalum.com After it closed five weeks later in most theaters, its final receipts totaled a “disappointing” $19 million. It was out of most theaters before Christmas and studio executives considered it a flop, the website states. Over the years, however, it became a Christmas favorite, playing repeatedly on stations like Turner Classic Movies. More than 100,000 DVD and Blu-ray copies of “A Christmas Story” are sold weekly during the holiday season, newspaperalum.com reports. In December 2012, the movie was one of 25 films selected for the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. In describing his character, Irwin said, “My character is kind of like a modern-day kid, a normal kid.” Hawkins said the Mother is a “classic, late ’40s, post-Depression housewife.” The musical earned three Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical for Joseph Robinette and Best Original Score for Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. “It’s great,” Hawkins said of the music. “It’s Pasek and Paul. They’re these (University of Michigan) grads. They did another Broadway show called ‘Edges’ and I think that’s been their main thing. It’s modern. It’s kind of tough musically. It’s been tough to learn and kind of modern and good.” Irwin said, “Most of it is upbeat and there’s only – one of (Hawkins’) songs is kind of (slow).” “I get the slow songs,” Hawkins agreed. “It’s not era specific, so we’re still based in the kind-of post-Depression era and the music is kind of classic, Broadway and fun. Lots of different styles, too. A lot of it comes out of Ralphie’s imagination, a lot of the musical numbers. So the music is tailored to whatever mood that piece is in.” Irwin said Ralphie’s mood is often “anxious, kind of excited feeling. He really wants to get a Red Ryder® BB gun. He keeps praying, and praying and praying. He has dream sequences about saving people and using the gun.” He said Ralphie probably wants the gun so bad because he thinks with it he can be the cool kid in the neighborhood who is so brave and tough that no one will mess with him. Hawkins said Ralphie talks a lot about saving people with the gun and fending off the bad guys. Comparing the movie and the musical, Irwin said they were “fairly similar.” “They’re fairly similar. There are some new things,” he said. “Mostly just because we need musical numbers and dance numbers. Those really just add to the fun,” Hawkins interjected. “A lot of times with musicals made out of movies, you can lose some kind of iconic moment, but this one keeps them all. If you love a part of the movie, it’s going to be on the stage.” There’s even a whole song about a character’s tongue sticking to a metal pole. Irwin said his favorite part of the musical is “A Major Award.” The song references the leg lamp from the movie heavily. “There’s something about it that always makes me laugh or smile. Just the choreography is amazing,” Irwin said. Irwin’s Christmas present wish in real life isn’t much different from what Ralphie wants in the musical. “I am getting a BB gun. I am getting a Red Ryder BB gun. I went to the Christmas Story House and I saw it and I said I had to have that,” Irwin said. “I don’t get it until Christmas. I will use it. There’s a muskrat in our back yard.” Hawkins and her husband just moved into a new house, so all she wants for Christmas is a turntable to play her records on. “We’ll see if Santa brings that,” she said. To see the full interview, visit the free video section at www.timesuniononline.com
