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‘Miracle on 34th Street' at the Trop will put the entire family in the holiday spirit

By Lori Hoffman

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Dec. 1, 2009

While there are many people who declare that It’s A Wonderful Life is the best holiday movie of all time, as a lifelong movie buff, my favorite holiday flick is the original Miracle On 34th Street (1947).
I bring this up only to declare my bias both ways — I love the story, so if you mess with it, I’ll be in bah humbug!-mode. However, if you capture the spirit of the original, I will be your champion.

The stage version of Miracle on 34th Street being presented at the Tropicana pays tribute to the original in all the best ways. The cast is wonderful, starting with a perfect Kris Kringle (Gordon Gray); the sets are top-of-the-line considering the very reasonable price for the tickets, and despite the fact that this production is sub-titled “The Musical,” it is really a play with holiday music as the background theme. That makes it a must-see in my book, especially if you have kids, but even if you don’t have any toddlers, don’t let that stop you from seeing a wonderfully warm family production.

If there is anyone out there who doesn’t know the story here it is: When a jolly old fellow named Kris Kringle is hired to be the Macy’s Santa, he freaks a few people out when he claims to be the “real” Santa Claus. The woman who hired him, Doris Walker (Hayley Johnson), is in hot water; her daughter, Susan (Brianna Bennett), taught that Santa Claus isn’t real, is intrigued by his claim. Later, when Kringle is thrown in the loony bin, Doris’s would-be suitor, lawyer Fred Gailey (Shayne Mims), defends him against the insanity charge in court.

The story plays out bolstered by a collection of classic holiday music and original songs, performed mostly by a quartet that drifts in and out of the narrative. Those songs include “Christmas Lives Inside the Heart,” “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" (sung beautifully by Denise Estrada, who plays the Walkers’ housekeeper), and “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

As noted, the set is impressive, including the clever use of video to recreate the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and a terrific Macy’s interior with a Christmas tree and Santa’s chair for greeting children and asking for their holiday wishes.

Susan wishes she lived in a real home with a swing and a backyard; that will be a tough order for Mr. Kringle, but that’s why they call it Miracle on 34th Street.

Kudos to Jersey Shore Entertainment for a terrific production with an excellent cast from the top — the adorable Gordon Gray — down to the minor supporting roles.

If you inner Scrooge has been coming out due to the economy, see this show and it should make any “Bah Humbug!” thoughts melt away as the snow falls during the finale.

Miracle on 34th Street
When: Now to Dec. 19
Where: Tropicana Showroom — Sat. 9pm; Sun. 7pm (also 3:30pm Dec. 13); Mon. 8pm; Tues., Wed. 3:30 & 8pm
How Much: $25