'A Christmas Story, the Musical' at Walnut Street Theatre

A Christmas Story is the story of Ralphie Parker (Craig Mulhern Jr.), who wants a “Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time,” and his father, the Old Man, who wants to be seen as a winner by winning a prize for a crossword puzzle contest.

The play is narrated by Jean Shepherd (Bill Van Horn), an actual radio host and storyteller, who pretends at first that Ralphie is not himself as a child, but eventually admits that he’s telling his own story. It’s filled with nostalgia and a sense that wishes do come true and families can get along, even during the holidays.

In many ways it’s the antidote to Matilda the Musical. Matilda had a family who didn’t care about her; Ralphie has a family who loves him very much, even though he’s afraid of his father’s temper. Matilda and Ralphie both learn to fight back against bullies, and both have good teachers who help them on their way to adulthood. And both children have vivid imaginations that help them get through tough times.

Unanswered questions

So why do I have questions about what is ostensibly a sweet family story? Maybe because it got me thinking about what it means for a boy to become an adult in the modern world.

When Ralphie not only stands up to the school bully, but also beats the heck out of him, he wins applause from his schoolmates and support from his mother (Lyn Philistine). While standing up to a bully is a valuable lesson, is the lesson that Ralphie learns that he should use his fists instead of his voice?

More significantly, why does Ralphie want that gun? What does he want to shoot? Throughout the show Ralphie is constantly warned that “You’ll shoot your eye out,” when perhaps the warning should be that he could harm someone else. There’s a moment in one of Ralphie’s fantasies (“Ralphie to the Rescue”) in which he imagines that his teacher, Miss Shields (Melissa Joy Hart), has been taken by outlaws and is tied up with dynamite strapped to her body. In 2015, a hostage situation in a school can no longer be funny, yet we laugh, knowing that Ralphie will save the teacher and no one will be hurt. So I wonder, is getting a gun, whether toy or real, a step toward maturity for a young boy? The answer is probably yes.

Despite my concerns, the show is filled with talented kids (there’s a different cast for Thursday matinees and weekends) and enjoyable if not memorable music. It's worth seeing if you want to feel happy during the holidays.

For Craig Peters's appreciation of Jean Shepherd, author of the story on which the musical and the movie were based, click here.