When the Theatre Orangeville Youth Singers take to the stage – and the aisles – to open A Christmas Story, it’s hard not to get into the holiday spirit.
The Christmas carols sung by the loveable group of kids was a great addition to the latest presentation at Theatre Orangeville. But despite the unique start and memorable performances throughout, in the end audiences may leave the Opera House on Broadway less thrilled than usual.
As was the case with last year’s production of A Christmas Carol, the youth singers, while energetic and entertaining, were a tad too quiet during certain moments. That is understandable, given the age of some of the members, but it can still be frustrating for those at the back of the theatre struggling to make out the words.
A Christmas Story is adapted by Philip Grecian from the movie of the same name, as well as from the book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash.
Directed by Theatre Orangeville’s own David Nairn, it relays the story of Ralphie Parker, a 9-year-old boy growing up in the 1940s, who dreams of owning an authentic Red Ryder BB gun.
Consumed by the idea the gun is the perfect gift, Ralphie launches an all-out campaign to convince everyone of his theory, but he becomes frustrated by unforeseen opposition from his parents, his teacher and even Santa Claus.
Adam Bartley is great as Ralphie. The 6th grader, who boasts a sense of timing and an ability to play off other actors far beyond his years, will be a hit with audiences from the beginning.
The other child actors in the play, including Christopher Dubois (as Ralphie’s brother, Randy), Samuel Grant (Scut Farkas), Alexander Newall (Flick), Jayde Lavoie (Esther Jane), Jacqueline Vandervaart (Helen) and Daniel Reale (Schwartz) are all competent players.
Lavoie, in particular, is a fine talent at the tender age of 11. She is adorable in her portrayal of Esther Jane, whose persistent pursuit of an oblivious Ralphie is one of the play’s finer side plots.
Susie Burnett returns to Theatre Orangeville after outstanding performances in Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun and I’ll Be Back before Midnight. Her talents are again on full display in A Christmas Story, where she plays Ralphie’s mom and illustrates her range and ability; this time in a more supportive role.
Jamie Williams is a real treat as the father, whose adventurous spirit, penny-pinching ways, obsession with tacky furniture and propensity for colourful language will likely remind many in the audience of their own “old man.”
What makes Williams particularly impressive in this production is his hilarious array of body language and impassioned physicality, which manages to jump-start recurring dialogue and jokes that otherwise could grow stale.
Terry Hart, who also had a magnificent performance in last season’s I’ll Be Back Before Midnight, narrates the play as the adult Ralph. This role seems to be made for Hart, who excels at playing the blue collar, everyday man, but his performance at the preview show on Nov. 27 left a little to be desired.
He delivers an enormous amount of material and perhaps he just had an off night, but Hart repeatedly stumbled over his lines and struggled to recover on a few occasions (Cathy Elliot, who plays Miss Shields, also messed up a few lines, despite her limited dialogue). For those who have seen his other performances, that is totally uncharacteristic of Hart, but that also makes it all the more distracting.
But even a stellar performance from Hart likely couldn’t reconcile some of the play’s inherent flaws.
While narration is a vital component of the play (and the movie), there is too much of it here; a fact that’s amplified by the lack of action to coincide with many of the longer narrative components.
There are several laugh-out-loud moments – the majority of which are provided by Williams or occur during Ralphie’s day dreaming scenes – but many of the ongoing jokes grow a little tired by the play’s end.
Vaughn Davis does a fine job with the set design, Steve Lucas’ work with the lighting is great and generally, the actors seem to have received great direction – but there are several things in the play that could be improved.
For example, while it was likely not the intention, younger brother Randy’s mannerisms more resemble a mentally challenged boy than a quirky, adventurous one. And there has to be a better way to portray the scene in which the family’s turkey is taken.
Despite its weaknesses, A Christmas Story is a funny, lighthearted tale that will get audience members in a festive mood. And as long as they’re not expecting the theatrical equivalent of last season’s A Christmas Carol, that should be enough.
A Christmas Story plays up to six shows a week until Dec. 20. For tickets call 519-942-3423 or 1-800-424-1295 or visit theatreorangeville.ca.
