Constellation Stage & Screen’s production of “A Christmas Story: The Musical” at the John Waldron Arts Center opened Dec. 11. The show featured music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and was directed by Richard Roland.
Adapted from the beloved film and Jean Shepherd’s book, the show is a musical retelling of the holiday spirit and familial connections that showcase what the holiday truly meant for the fictional Parker family in 1940’s Indiana.
The mother, played by Constellation debut actress Cassandra Simons, served as the steady and loving center in a familial bustle. Simons said she believes the musical format is essential to convey the depth of her character.
“The songs are so wonderfully written that it just adds a whole element of storytelling,” Simons said. “It brings some really heartfelt moments to this sort of classic iconic Christmas movie.”
This sincerity is present during one of Simons’ solo musical numbers, “Just Like That,” which is a quiet moment Simons wanted to land with an emotional force. A lyric emphasized in the number, “A moment comes, a moment goes, and just like that, the moment’s gone,” was meant to guide her son, Ralphie (Harvey Baggetta and Kyston Zeller), past scary thoughts to a brighter outlook.
Simons said the song is a big step in the mother’s journey toward realizing her son needs to slow down and look forward.
“But really by the end of the song, I think she realizes that he needs to slow down and take a deep breath and really enjoy and savor these moments, even in the chaos, even in the mess,” Simons said.
Simons, who is new to Bloomington, said the show is a “great community resource” that brings together Indiana University theatre students, Bloomington residents and longtime Constellation artists.
IU musical theatre senior Lucy Ferguson played the exuberant Miss Shields — the teacher of Ralphie and the other kids in the story — in Constellation’s production. Ferguson, who loved getting to watch the local youth ensemble grow through prior shows with the group, said playing this character is a personal reward.
“It’s really exciting to get to play a principal (role),” Ferguson said. “It makes me see my growth and working with my directors from school is really rewarding to see that growth as being a senior now.”
One of Ferguson’s high points is her tap-heavy “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out” number, a moment that was met with audience laughter. The song included a transformation from the ordinary teacher to a dancing and glamorous teacher.
“It’s from just plain, drabby, strict Miss Shields into over the top (Miss Shields), and the flapper dress really makes the number come to life,” Ferguson said.
Both Ferguson and Simons praised the intensive short-run months long process of the show’s preparation.
Simons noted the “really stellar team of technicians,” while Ferguson highlighted the resilience of the full cast, including the two casts of children, whose quick learning and “tight harmonies” presented a difficult task. The children in the production played Ralphie, his sibling Randy (Augustine Miles and Claire Lucas), his classmates as well as Scut (Leah Rodkin and Parker) and Grover (Maddie Bishop and Sawyer Kimery) — the story’s central antagonists.
Alongside the show, Constellation is hosting a holiday market, decorations and a “Holiday Eye Spy” room, all adding to the Christmas festivities. Constellation is also hosting a food drive in partnership with the Community Kitchen of Monroe County and collaborating with Crumble Coffee & Bakery and Cardinal Spirits inside the arts center during the run of the show.
“It’s something really special we don’t have around during the year,” Constellation Artistic Director Chad Rabinovitz said.
“A Christmas Story: The Musical” runs through Jan. 4 at the Waldron Auditorium in the John Waldron Arts Center. Tickets range in cost from $25-59 depending on seat selection. More information can be found on Constellation’s website.
