‘A Christmas Story’ rings in the holiday season with a tale full of Christmas cheer.

Syracuse Stage’s early production of ‘A Christmas Story’ displays a timeless tale of joy, hope, love and family values. With a large, eye-opening, fully moving set and a mixed cast of professional and local child actors, the story of a young boy’s trials and tribulations comes to life. ‘A Christmas Story’ is now in previews at Syracuse Stage in Archbold Theatre and premieres Dec. 3.

Based on the short stories of Jean Shepherd and adapted for the stage by Philip Grecian, ‘A Christmas Story’ recounts one of Ralphie Parker’s childhood Christmases. The play has been modified from Bob Clark’s 1983 film of the same name.

Set in the small town of Hohman, Ind., in 1938, an older Ralphie narrates the events of his family and friends during the holiday season, describing his own inner thoughts and feelings. Like most grade-school children, Ralphie lives in his very own unique world, where he fantasizes about the romantic and dangerous life in the Old West. What he wants more than anything is to receive a Red Ryder BB gun from Santa Claus for Christmas. To receive this gift, he must convince his parents that the toy can be safely operated. He implements a series of tactics to achieve this, serving as the catalyst for the rest of play.

For a production still in its previewing stages and in the process of making adjustments, the show comes across as very refined. The scene transitions, with set pieces and props, seemed fluid and precise. For each set change, the narrator — visible to the audience during the play — stands in front of one set while the lights are dimmed on the other, transforming half of the stage. The staging and blocking of the actors was executed with a terrific professional quality that made each scene more realistic than the last.

A great deal of credit must be given to the scenic designer of the show, Michael Ganio. While it takes great acting to effectively create a world onstage, the world still needs to look authentic and aesthetically appealing. The set included magnificent pieces that moved in, out and around on stage, setting the story’s yuletide mood.

The performances from all onstage actors conveyed a genuine feeling, like they were a slice of real life taken and put on display. Even with modifications still being made to the show, all of the actors did an excellent job portraying their roles. The shining stars of the production were the young actors playing the various children in the show, all displaying their own individual sense of genuine naïveté and captivating innocence.

Meanwhile, the professional actors filling the adult roles successfully provided the sense of family and community throughout the production. With both of these elements in place, the cast effectively told the Christmas story.

The most notable aspect of the evening was the reaction from the audience. The crowd responded to every joke, story and anecdote with extreme enthusiasm. This leaves much to be said about the arrival of the long holiday season to come. The story is relatable to audience members of all ages, with age-appropriate material for children but with thematic elements that do not leave the adults unacknowledged.

With its young point of view, ‘A Christmas Story’ offers the opportunity for viewers to be transported to a world without major troubles or cares for a brief period of time. During these few hours, the audience members gets to relive their own childhood and feel a sense of nostalgia, which can be a valuable gift of its own.

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Published on December 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm

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