The 1983 film “A Christmas Story” is, at this point, a fun vehicle of double-nostalgia — for older generations, it sparks a genuine yen for its mid-20th century setting. For younger folks, it reminds us of Christmas Eves watching the film when we were younger. Either way, it’s a holiday cultural touchstone that endures still.
Lucky for lovers of live performance, Pittsburgh Public Theater has brought “A Christmas Story: The Play” back for another season. With a script written by Philip Grecian that includes all of those fan-favorite vignettes — with even more laughs heaped on top — and a cast that keeps things jolly for the whole two-hour, 15-minute runtime, it’s a fitting complement to a well-loved tale.
For those who’ve somehow avoided the movie all this time, the plot of “A Christmas Story” is fairly simple. Nine-year-old Ralphie Parker lives in Indiana in the 1940s with his parents and younger brother, Randy, and Christmas is on the horizon. This year, Ralphie has only one desire: a Red Rider BB gun. Seemingly stymied the whole way through by various forces, Ralphie battles his way towards Dec. 25 — meeting many mishaps along the way — in hopes of receiving his most-wanted gift.
There is, of course, all the side business of tongues stuck to poles, leg lamps and bunny pajamas to contend with — don’t worry, this production doesn’t leave anything out.
Instead of the film’s ever-present irreverent voiceover from older Ralphie, adult Ralph is portrayed onstage by John Shepard. He makes the many classic one-liners his own, drawing big laughs from the crowd. But he also ends the play with an earnestness that might leave you a bit misty-eyed. The interactions between him and his younger counterpart — the energetic and hilarious Avery Schneider, as young Ralph — were some of the play’s highlights.
Speaking of highlights, Hope Anthony plays Miss Shields, Ralphie’s teacher, with an infectious energy — especially in some of Ralphie’s daydream sequences where she gets to let loose and really bring the house down with laughter.
The same goes for Tim McGeever and Jamie Agnello as Ralphie’s parents. They have an adorable and slightly antagonistic chemistry that will feel familiar to many who grew up in close families. McGeever has to contend with some of the original film’s most memorable moments and still comes out well in a comparison, and Agnello’s steadiness and authenticity allow her to be even funnier when she gets the chance.
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Naturally, their battle over the infamous leg lamp is one of the show’s best parts, but sticking out most is the quiet moment the couple gets to share at the end of the second act in a mid-century living room lit only by the Christmas tree.
There were a gaggle of child actors playing Ralphie’s classmates, and all of them did an outstanding job onstage. But two standouts came from the precociously funny fifth-grader Neal Raj Wadhwa Jr. as Randy and Eamonn McElfresh as the fearlessly menacing bully Scut Farkus.
This production may be a well-oiled machine after a couple of years as a PPT favorite, but director Michael Berresse still has plenty of scene changes and delicate comedic dances to contend with, and no one in the cast missed a beat at Tuesday night’s performance.
Scenic designer Tim Mackabee made a 1940 Indiana home that couldn’t have felt cozier, with some other fun set pieces to boot; the audience oohed and aahed as the stage’s turntable swiveled to reveal a cheerily lit department store Santa’s village scene. Costume designer Venise St. Pierre hit the right sartorial notes, especially with Ralphie’s mother’s dresses. And lighting designer Robert J. Aguilar, along with projection designer Bryce Cutler, ushered the audience along through Ralphie’s childhood fantasies and adult remembrances alike with clever transitions and deft lighting schemes.
Sound designer Sartie Pickett also deserves a shout-out for a masterful use of music and voiceover. It’s funny to say about a play based on a movie, but the sound design gave the production a cinematic feel.
Even if repeated viewings of “A Christmas Story” over the years makes you feel like you never need to see it again, this production is worth your time this holiday season. It brings a heartfelt new layer to these childhood tales, and the cast breathes a whole new life into the vignettes. I triple dog dare you to check it out.
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s “A Christmas Story: The Play” will run through Dec. 22 at the O’Reilly Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh. To get tickets, visit ppt.org.