Old film classics die hard, if ever. “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Casablanca”, and…“Rocky Horror Picture Show”(!?!) are just a few examples of movies that have left such indelible marks on us that any attempt to replicate or change them would be fruitless and/or sacrilegious.
Through the art of reimagination, we can transform an existing priceless heirloom into a fresh, new showpiece. In this case, we refer to “Miracle On 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Show”. The premise is elegantly simple. Take an iconic film and transform it into an old-time radio show performed in front of a live audience. Of course, such an undertaking could not nearly encapsulate the scope of the film, let alone the original screenplay length. But with the help of versatile voice talents and an eloquent announcer voice, the gist of the story can be narrated between performances of the most memorable and relevant scenes.
The Phoenix Theatre Company presents “Miracle On 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Show” in its smallest venue, the Judith Hardes Theatre. The Judith Hardes Theatre has the vibe of an after supper club. The staging consists of a single set piece that never varies throughout the show. This, in no way, limits The Phoenix Theatre Company’s excellent production design. On the contrary, the compact stage is ripe for creative use of space, lighting, fabrications, props, and acoustics.
The scenario is a radio broadcast studio, circa 1947. The studio is fitted to accommodate a live audience. All of the characters of the radio play — of which there are many — are voiced by a group of just six fictitious radio personalities. Each one of those six is played by a real life performer. To avoid confusion, we will only refer to the real actors and their respective “Miracle” main characters.
Fan favorite local talent, Matravius Avent, voices the lead role of Fred Gailey, an up-and-coming defense attorney who takes on the challenge of keeping the affable Kris Kringle (voiced by Scott Davidson) from being committed to a mental institution. Kris seems to believe himself to be the actual Santa Claus. Avent had previously wowed us in “BEAUTIFUL – The Carole King Musical”, crooning 60’s soul songs like Marvin Gaye and Wilson Pickett. Here he exudes the sophistication and charm of a big city lawyer with a small town sense of fairness and decency. Avent’s Fred Gailey gives us hope that the good in people will prevail.
Davidson, who brought us back to our Jewish roots in his recent turn as Tevye in “Fiddler On The Roof”, is a boisterous yet benign Saint Nick. The spring in his step and twinkle in his eye could not have been manufactured. Here is a talented performer who dives into his roles with appreciation for the character and the craft. Davidson exudes the magic of theater in every role that he plays.
Krista Monaghan voices the role of Doris Walker, a hard-working, rational thinker who bears emotional scars from a past relationship. London Cairney is the voice of Susan Walker, whose personality has been shaped by her mother’s ill fortunes. Doris and Susan are hard-edged cynics. They are the motivating forces driving Fred and Kris to push themselves to rise above the negativity around them.
Michael Kary and Amy Jo Halliday carry the weight of some dozen supporting characters including Mr. Shellhammer, Dr. Sawyer, and Judge Harper. Each characterization is turned on and off as needed like a light switch. Kary and Halliday channel the serious pros of the “Golden Age of Radio”, who made their living by manifesting multiple personalities.
Steve Hilderbrand, in the guise of the music director and announcer at the studio, performs all the music while voicing all of the narration. He also does the occasional phone voice, and shares Foley effects duty with young Miss Cairney. London Cairney is a rising star with excellent timing, a strong voice, and a bubbly personality. We expect to see more of her at The Phoenix Theatre Company.
Our six radio show performers plus musical director — i.e., the fictitious actors played by our real actors — are aware that, in addition to participating in a live broadcast, they are also there to entertain the studio audience. So there’s a non-stop interplay among the performers as they mug, pratfall, and contort into the various characters and voices to give the impression of a cast of thousands — or perhaps just dozens. For example, during the trial scenes, the talented septet convincingly convey the collective murmurings of a packed courtroom.
“Miracle On 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Show” is an immersive experience that transports the audience back in time to an era predating television and the internet. For the listeners at home, live radio was entertainment to be listened to and then pictured in the mind’s eye. For the studio audience, it was an inside look into the making of a show and a fascinating taste of the creative efforts that went into such an endeavor. The Phoenix Theatre Company has brought that experience into the present in a rollicking musical variety show that pays tribute to the classic film on which it is based.
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