'Christmas' musical could use a miracle
“It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” the plot of the classic, 1947 Oscar-winning film “Miracle on 34th Street” re-imagined as a stage musical ought to have a lot of potential. The concept, from composer and adapter Meredith Willson, the man behind “The Music Man,” includes, among other things, a complete Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade onstage. In Steel Beam Theatre's earnest production, we also get a big cast full of cute kids and highly attractive adults.
The familiar Christmas story follows young Susan Walker, who is being reared by her divorced and disillusioned mother, Doris, in a no-nonsense way that doesn't include believing in Santa Claus. Their comforting pragmatism becomes shaken by Fred Gaily, the ex-Marine-turned-attorney next door, and a bearded fellow who calls himself Kris Kringle and shocks New York by telling Macy's customers to shop at Gimbel's.
Alas, this is no “Music Man,” and little about the score adds to the movie's story. The compacting and stylization necessary to fit the music into a stage-length show robs the plot of spice and leaves it cloying. Elements like a grown man squiring around a little girl without her mother's permission and a chauvinistic song about how long it takes a woman to ready herself to go out seem badly dated. Few of the songs will leave you humming, and a couple are downright painful.
Nor does director Donna Steele's production give us the pageantry and grandeur necessary to make a parade full of “Big Clown Balloons” come alive. Weak singers exacerbate the score's dullness. A five-piece orchestra, borne up largely by trumpeter John Evans, does its best to support the vocals but sometimes overwhelms them.
Originally called “Here's Love,” the musical opened on Broadway in 1963 and ran less than a year. Its latter-day title change explains why, rather than being central, the show's namesake tune, “It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” gets medley treatment. Willson's famous 1951 song becomes blended into something called “Pinecones and Holly Berries,” which makes it one of the better musical numbers, especially in its first iteration with a dance sequence by Jamey McDunn, Amy Steele and Will Nifong. This number also constitutes one of the brighter spots in Cynthia Hall's largely lackluster choreography.
The centerpiece of the second act comes in a zanily inane number, “My State, My Kansas,” which has so little to do with the storyline that I can only assume Willson put it in as joke, like the quirky “Hernando's Hideaway” in “The Pajama Game.” Sadly, it isn't nearly so good a song as that, though this production points it up with a fun banjo solo by Gary Patterson, playing the judge in Kris Kringle's insanity trial.
Nifong plays Marvin Shellhammer, a marketing assistant at Macy's. His wonderfully comic performance, here and throughout, forms a highlight of the show.
The very pretty Amy Steele sparkles as Doris, but wobbles in some in the vocals. A stalwart, smooth-voiced Greg Zawada portrays Fred, while McDunn's perfect appearance as Kris Kringle is marred by a curiously tentative and soft-voiced performance. Lauren Freas of St. Charles did a charming job as Susan the day I saw the show; she's played in alternating performances by Christina Zaeske of Aurora.
Kara Blasingame of Oswego is sweet as a little Dutch girl, alternating with Kathleen Miulli of Geneva. Adoniss Hutcheson of St. Charles and Mikey Taylor of South Elgin interchange as the district attorney's son. August Anderson of Batavia, Haleigh Hutchinson of Geneva and Emily Whaley of Schaumburg add youthful freshness to the ensemble.
Dean Dranias makes a stiff R.H. Macy. Brian Burch, Terry A. Christiansen, Andrew Kepka, Katie Meyers and Amy Moczygemba fill out the ensemble.
The cast, colorfully clad in Kim Maslo's nice costumes, clearly has a great time and tries hard. I wish I could say going out to see this live musical will offer better Christmas entertainment than staying home with a bowl of popcorn and watching “Miracle on 34th Street” on TV, but I can't.
<p><b>“It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”</b></p>
<p>Rating: ★ ★</p>
<p>Location: Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 587-8521, steelbeam theatre.com</p>
<p>Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 19</p>
<p>Running time: About 2½ hours with intermission</p>
<p>Tickets: $25 adults, $23 students/seniors</p>
<p>Parking: Free lot adjoining the theater </p>
<p>Rating: All ages</p>