by Mike Hoban
‘Miracle on 34th Street’- Adapted by Mountain Community Theater from the novel by Valentine Davies. Based upon the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture Miracle on 34th Street. Directed by Ilyse Robbins; Scenic Design by Jon Savage; Lighting Design by Andrew Andrews; Sound Design by David Wilson. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham through December 22
The holiday season is upon us, and theatergoers looking for a worthwhile Christmas-themed production (other than whatever version of A Christmas Carol is playing at your local theater) should take a trip to Stoneham to check out Miracle on 34th Street at Greater Boston Stage. Director Ilyse Robbins has crafted a buoyant version of the 1947 film of the same name, employing a light comedic touch rather than an overly sentimental tone. The comic flavor is enhanced by a brilliantly colored set by Jon Savage that looks like the backdrop of a 1960’s cartoon, and the hilariously over-the-top performances by the play’s secondary characters produce unexpected laughs throughout.
It’s Thanksgiving, and Macy’s department store executive Doris Walker (Greater Boston Stage favorite Sarah Coombs) has everything running like a well-oiled machine in preparation for the parade. Unfortunately her Santa – the star of the parade – shows up pretty well-oiled himself and is too intoxicated to carry out his duties. He’s discovered by Kris Kringle (yes that Kris Kringle, as played by the incredibly Kringle-esque William Gardiner), who after admonishing the boozy Santa for being derelict in his duty to children and Christmas, agrees to fill in for him. Not surprisingly, he’s a hit, so Doris hires him on the spot as the in-store Santa for the holiday season. Kris is of course, is a natural for the job. He’s kind, friendly, has the Christmas spirit and even has his own costume and neatly trimmed whiskers.
There’s just one problem: He honestly believes that he is Santa. Ordinarily this would not be a big problem, given that he’s just a guy doing temporary gig as a store Santa. But there’s more to it. The stodgy Doris is raising her 10-year old daughter Susan (a terrific Addison McWayne) more like a sensible adult, trained to rely on reason, and doesn’t want her engaging in fantasies like believing in Santa, the Easter Bunny or even playing simple games of pretend with her schoolmates. So when Mom’s neighbor and love interest Fred Gailey (Michael Jennings Mahoney) takes her to see Santa at the store, and Susan begins to believe that Santa actually might be real, Doris tries to fire him. But the scheme backfires when Santa’s “do the right thing” advice to customers inadvertently turns into a windfall for Macy’s, and she’s forced to bring him back.
Enter Granville Sawyer (played by Juliet Bowler with devilish delight), the staff psychologist with a few issues of her own. Sawyer administers a bogus “psychological evaluation”, and when the store ignores her recommendation to jettison Kris, she accuses him of acting violently toward her, earning him a trip to the Bellevue psychiatric ward, thus setting the stage for the famous courtroom battle that will determine whether Kris Kringle really is Santa. You can probably guess the outcome, but the joy is in the storytelling.
One of the things that makes this show so much fun is the cast, who really seem to be having a ball. The principal players (Coombs, McWayne, Mahoney, Gardiner) play it straight in a kind of 40’s film style kind of way, while the talented supporting cast (Barlow Adamson, Margaret Ann Brady, Sarah Gazdowicz, Arthur Gomez, Jade Guerra, David Jiles, Jr, Gary Thomas Ng, Emme Shaw and Stephen Zubricki IV) go for a bit more camp – which works well with the joyous Christmas theme. Gardiner is the embodiment of Santa, physically, and plays him with a nice combination of human compassion and a kind of toughness to stand up for his ideals. Adamson, as the dweeby toy department head Julian Shellhammer, and Gazdowicz as a Brooklyn court officer, go big in their characterizations, and it pays off. My companion and I lost it every time Adamson opened his mouth, and Gazdowicz’ character got more ridiculously animated with each succeeding scene. And Gary Thomas Ng is a delight as the dim but lovable janitor Alfred.
Director Robbins (who’s also a multiple IRNE Award-winning choreographer) added her own special touches, with scene changes incorporating clever bits of dance and movement. This a thoroughly enjoyable holiday show, well worth the trip to the cozy Stoneham theater. For tickets and more information, go to: greaterbostonstage.org
