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Published: Nov 10, 2019 - 5:17:51 AM |
Brian Bianco as The Old Man
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“You’ll shoot your eye out kid!” That’s likely one of the most widely-recognized lines from filmdom, due in great part to the long-standing marathon TV airing of the classic 1983 movie, A Christmas Story! Now, for the first time in Fairfield County, A Christmas Story, The Musical, will play at Curtain Call, Stamford, November 15 through December 14.
Written by Oscar and Tony Award winners Justin Paul & Benj Pasek (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land and more) A Christmas Story, The Musical chronicles young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker as he schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams, an official Red Ryder® Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle.
The Parker Family heads out to buy a Christmas tree in A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL, playing at the Kweskin Theatre, Stamford.
First row, parents - Julie Loyd and Brian Bianco. Second row, the kids - Ari Sklar and Ari Frimmer (contributed photo)
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An infamous leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a maniacal department store Santa, and a double-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the distractions that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas wish. Loaded with delightful songs and splashy production numbers, A Christmas Story, The Musical, following its Broadway run, may prove to be a perennial holiday classic for the whole family for years to come.
“I loved seeing A Christmas Story, The Musical in New York when it first opened and have been waiting patiently for the rights to become available to us,” said Curtain Call executive director, Lou Ursone. “It gives you all the warm and fuzzy feelings you expect from a holiday presentation, but it’s loaded with laughs and a really terrific score by Pasek and Paul. (Justin Paul often credits his educators from Westport for giving him the foundation upon which his many successes have been built.)
Ari Frimmer as Ralphie
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One of those educators, Ben Frimmer, speaks highly of Paul and is thrilled to be heading up this Curtain Call production as its director. “As a theatre educator there are few former students I am prouder of than Justin Paul. He’s not only an incredible composer and lyricist, he’s a terrific person and great friend. What an honor it is to be directing my second Pasek and Paul show,” said Frimmer.
Working with Frimmer as music director is Greg Chrzczon, along with choreographer, Caitlin Roberts, costumer, Robin L. Mazzola, lighting designer, Peter Petrino, set designer, Peter Barbieri, Jr., and technical director, Jamie LaJoie. The cast includes: Seth Barkan, Chris Beaurline, Brian Bianco, Matthew Bukzin, Elena Cappella, Jennifer Faccenda, Scott Ferrara, Donna Fox, Ari Frimmer, Robert Geils, Darcy Gonzalez, Cooper Gusick, Griffin Handley, Willow Handley, Rick Harrington, Katie Imholt, Angela Jackson, Gavin Jamali, Kaite Laurie, Emma Listokin, Julie Loyd, Imogen Medoff, Kristin Morrow, Tyler Pascarella, Sarah Peterson, Sydney Sibilia, Olivia Simner, Ari Sklar and Jonathan Wu.
Both Ursone and Frimmer were aglow when speaking of this cast and this production in general. “A Christmas Story is both heartfelt and hilarious. I can’t wait for audiences to see this musicalized Christmas classic,” said Frimmer. “The show’s really not geared toward any one religion. It’s a love story to a time gone by when life was simpler and family was at the heart of it all,” he added.
Ursone noted that the entire play is a fantastic Christmas memory to share with the entire family. Plan for lots of laughs (Flick does get his tongue stuck to the flagpole), and to enjoy a very talented large cast and crew.
Performances will be held Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30PM and Sunday afternoons at 2:00PM. There are two Thursday evening performances December 5 and 12, as well as two Saturday, 2:00PM matinees, December 7 and 14. The Kweskin Theatre is located at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT. Doors open one half hour before show time. Tickets are $35 for adults, $25 for senior citizens and $17.5 for children. Thrifty Thursday tickets are $27.50. Flex Passes offer discounts of 25% and more. Box Office: 203-461-6358 x 36 or on the web at www.curtaincallinc.com.
Curtain Call's 29th season also includes the Fairfield County premieres Something Rotten and Kinky Boots as well as several other plays and musicals, comedy nights, and an interactive murder mystery. Discounted Flex Pass subscriptions offer savings of 25% and more. Additional information is available at www.curtaincallinc.com or by calling 203-329-8207.
Curtain Call is the non-profit community-based theatre company in residence at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue in Stamford. Year-round productions and educational workshops for all ages are presented by and for area residents in The Kweskin Theatre and The Dressing Room Theatre.
Curtain Call was voted Fairfield County's BEST LOCAL THEATRE GROUP ten years running in the Annual Readers' Poll of the Fairfield County Weekly and has received similar BEST OF awards from Stamford Magazine and StamfordPlus magazine for 2008 through 2018. Curtain Call received The Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2011 and the ACE Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture from the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.
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