Open the Christmas season with Miracle on 34th Street

Laureen F. Guenther
Times Contributor

 

Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to. That’s the theme of Miracle on 34th Street, which opened Nov. 11 at Rosebud Theatre.
Susan Walker (Kaia Rose Wilson/Hannah Andersen) is a feisty little girl who’s been raised solely on facts and tangible realities. She’s never been told fairy tales and she doesn’t know how to do imaginary play.
Then a young lawyer named Fred Gailey (Jordan Cutbill) comes into the lives of Susie and her mother, followed by a kind, elderly man named Kris Kringle (Tim Dixon). Fred encourages Susie to believe in things that can’t be seen, and Kris Kringle teaches her to use her imagination. But Doris Walker, Susie’s mother (Cassia Schramm Schmidt), is much harder to convince.
All of that is complicated by the issue of who Kris Kringle truly is. Is that his real name? Is he mentally sound? Susie is sure she knows who he is, and even her mother is almost a believer. But can he persuade the New York City courts?
There’s more than one miracle happening on 34th Street. The 13-year-old in our company liked it when bags of mail arrive at the courthouse, just at the right time. I like the intangible miracles: a practical and play-less little girl learns to be creative, and to hope for the impossible. A woman whose heart was broken starts to love and trust again. And a massive, business-driven city discovers that kindness is more powerful than commerce.
This show has a large cast, and most actors play multiple roles, so I imagine the task for director Paul F. Muir to be even more complex than for most productions. But these actors perform well, and they clearly distinguish their characters for us with accents and wardrobe, and very good acting. They seem to have fun all the way through the show, and because they are, we do too.
Kaia Rose Wilson’s performance as Susan Walker is remarkable, especially since she’s only about seven years old. Mike Thiessen gives expressive, hilarious performances as Mr. Macy and other characters. Stephanie Lanting, a third-year Rosebud School of the Arts student in her first Opera House role, is endearing as a young caretaker with a Brooklyn accent, and as the enthusiastic courtroom stenographer. And Bethany Wickens, another third-year student, is hilarious in several roles, especially as the happily-inebriated Mrs. Shellhammer. The 1940s-era costumes, designed by Victoria Krawchuk and created by Amy Castro, also do a lot to enrich this production.
For our young teenager, Miracle on 34th Street is her favorite of the Rosebud Theatre shows she’s seen. She was only one of many children in the audience, and if the audience laughter is an indication, people of all ages enjoyed this production of Miracle on 34th Street.
Afterward, my companion said, “that’s a really nice way to start the Christmas season.” I agree.
Miracle on 34th Street plays in Rosebud Theatre’s Opera House until Dec. 23, but some performances are already sold out. Get your tickets, which include a buffet meal complete with turkey and the trimmings, at rosebudtheatre.com or 1-800-267-7553.