November 8, 2011
11/09/11 “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” as The Wagon Wheel Theatre presents Miracle on 34th Street, The Musical December 2nd-18th. This timeless Christmas classic is sure to delight kids “from one to ninety-two” without the hassle of traveling “over the river and through the woods”.
Miracle on 34th Street, The Musical is the story of the REAL Santa Claus on trial in New York City. After taking the place of an inept Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, “Kris Kringle” is employed at the downtown New York Macy’s as the store Santa. The kids adore the jolly old elf and soon the line extends out the door and down the block. There is one problem. Kringle believes he is the REAL Santa and is enthusiastic about spreading the true meaning of Christmas amidst modern commercialism, even at the expense of Macy’s holiday success. Hoping to promote Macy’s at all cost, Doris Walker, Macy’s special events coordinator and Santa cynic, recommends Kringle to be evaluated by a company psychiatrist leading to his arrest. However, a young lawyer defends Santa Claus and Christmas. Could this be the REAL Santa? Will Christmas be cancelled this year? Will the cynics among us begin to see what the children have seen all along?
Based on the 1947 Twentieth Century Fox Film and adapted to the stage by The Music Man’s Meredith Willson, Miracle on 34th Street, The Musical debuted on Broadway in 1963. Songs include, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” “Pinecones and Hollyberries,” and “Arm in Arm.”
The Wagon Wheel Theatre is the best venue in the area to see professional productions off-Broadway and Miracle on 34th Street, The Musical promises to be a fun-filled treat for the whole family. Adult tickets are $30 for all shows, tickets for students 13 through college are $16, and children 12 and under are $12. Groups of 15 or more save nearly 40% and senior rates are available for Sunday and Thursday matinees. To order tickets or for more information, call the box office at 574-267-8041 or visit the Wagon Wheel website at wagonwheeltheatre.org.