City Theater in Biddeford is getting into the holiday spirit. Next month, it will present “Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play,” by Lance Arthur Smith with original songs and arrangements by Jon Lorenz

Be part of the studio audience for this live musical radio play adapted from the original 1947 Lux Radio Broadcast.

This story of the last-minute replacement for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade who claims to be the real Kris Kringle is sure to melt the most cynical of hearts and is destined to become a highlight of the holiday season.

In 1947, the world around was introduced to the film “Miracle on 34th Street.” Maureen O’Hara and John Payne won Academy Awards for Best Actress/Actor, Best Writing, Best Screenplay, Best Original Story, and a nomination for Best Picture. Along with Maureen O’Hare and John Payne, the film starred a young Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn. It was broadcast in 1947 as a radio production as well and starred the original cast. Since then, it has also been adopted into Broadway musical versions in the theater, television adaptations in 1955, 1959, 1973 and 1994, and even as a puppet show at the flagship Macy’s Department Store in New York.

“Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play” features seven talented local actors/singers who use changes in voices and dialects, as well as simple props and costume changes to move easily between the various roles. Playing a perfect Kris Kringle is Mark Nahorney of Biddeford, who is also the City Theater’s board of director’s president. Playing Cordelia Ragsdale/Doris Walker is Alyssa Forcier also of Biddeford. Playing her daughter is first time City Theater performer Juliet Rice of Kennebunk. Another first-time performer at City Theater is Robert Gerold of Portland. He plays the lawyer, Grady Williams/Fred Gailey. Jackie Grigg of South Portland, Lily Collins of Scarborough and Owen White of Kennebunk play a variety of roles throughout the performance and provide all the foley sound effects.

Holding everything together is the KSDMT radio announcer and story narrator, Alex Mialdo, played by Patrick Martin of Gray. Not only is Martin the music director but he also does all the narrating and steps into character as the evil and arrogant Mr. Sawyer.

“Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play” will be performed Dec. 3 through 19 on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m. There is no performance on Sunday, Dec. 5. Tickets are $25 and are available at www.citytheater.org/tickets or call 207-282-0849.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.