A Christmas Story: Ja’Duke Brings on the Kids
Tonight at Ja’Duke Theater in Turners Falls, I enjoyed a proper trip down memory lane. A man sat at a microphone with the radio station’s call letters WOR 710 am.
That’s the NYC station that played when I used to huddle beneath my blankets in the 1960s to listen to Jean Shepherd tell tales of his youth in his famous monologues–one of which, A Christmas Story, made it to Broadway and was made into a film that has played on TV ever since. That was tonight’s play.
Shepherd’s incredible voice painted the picture of his youth…of his pal Flick licking a flagpole and getting stuck to it, and growing up in a small Indiana town with his Homer Simpson-like pathetic dad, who ultimately becomes his hero.
Tonight’s opening night performance of Ja’Duke Theater’s production of A Christmas Story began at 6 pm. With the winter time change, this early show only made sense, but the show clocked in at around 2 hours and 15 minutes and felt a bit too long. Sixteen scenes, two acts, but some of them could easily have been excluded, especially when the young singers tried complex solos.
The show had a mix of young and old. So young! The star was Ralphie Parker, played by Darrow Pfannenstiel, age 10. His brother Randy was played by Jaxson Mitchell, age 8. These two had to belt out songs that were a bit over their heads, with the twisty, turny clever lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. It was a tough slog.
The difference when the strong adult singers like Miss Shields (Jenna Scott) and Mother (April Stroud) joined the kids was marked.
The play was set during Jean Shepherd’s own youth, so this means the 1940s. One funny and dated scene comes when Ralphie utters a profanity. WHAT DID HE SAY? Ohmigod! Nobody, ever, said such a word in public, and he was in a world of trouble for simply saying it. Like any kid at Christmas, Ralphie has his eye set on a special present –a Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun. But he knows it will be a hard sell, like any kid who’s ever asked for a dangerous gift like a BB gun. You know, you’ll shoot your eye out with that thing.
So in another familiar pattern of youth, Ralphie tries a multi-pronged attack. First he’d include a plea for the BB gun in an essay in school. Then he would ask Santa to bring him the gun. Then, he tries to mail an ad for the gun to his mom but this too, goes nowhere. And the clock continues to tick down to the fateful hour of Christmas morning.
But at this house, things just don’t go right. First, the absurd gift that sad sack dad won in ‘A Major Award,” a lamp made from a fake plastic women’s leg, dad’s pride and joy, is destroyed when Mother ‘knocks’ it over while vacuuming. She won’t miss the hideous thing, but dad …he’s upset. He sets out to buy glue to repair it and returns to abject failure. Plus, the Oldsmobile is constantly breaking down, and now the turkey for the Christmas feast fell down and got ruined.
What do to? Follow the Schwartzes and go out to Chinese. I can remember Shepherd taking all the time he needed the night that I heard him tell this tale, and the narrator here (Fred Warren) does a good job taking us through these memories as he watches Ralphie play himself.
Mike Wright as The Old Man played his bumbling role well, and was a strong singer. He redeemed himself in that way that only dads can, when they can’t resist buying a kid the same gifts that they wanted as kids, despite all the talk and the song about shooting your eye out. Ralphie is over the moon, and dad, well, he ain’t so bad now.
Some of the changes to the characters include making Flick a girl, and even making one of the bullies who torment Ralphie and the other ‘wimps’ a girl as well. One cast member with pigtails was especially charming, definitely the youngest member of the cast. The two Bumpus Hounds, (Ralphie’s next door neighbor’s barking dogs) played by Lilly and Kimmie did a fabulous job until one decided to stop on stage and steal the scene!
It was another chance for Ja’Duke to do what they do best–combine choreography with catchy music and funny moves to build a fast-paced show that keeps the audience toe-tapping and laughing. Good fun on a cold December night. It’s also encouraging to have these young actors getting into the groove so early. No better way to train actors and ensure audiences for future shows.
A Christmas Story, Ja’Duke Theater, Industrial Boulevard Turners Falls. Shows Dec 16 6 pm and Dec 17 at 2 pm. Tickets. Directed by Nick Waynelovich, based on the movie written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark.