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Peter Billingsley, Dan Lauria, Bernadette Peters Celebrate Broadway’s A Christmas Story on Opening Night

Stage and screen favorites including Jennifer Damiano, Tony Danza, Christine Ebersole, and Michael Park were on hand to welcome the new holiday musical to the Great White Way.

New York City

Broadway rang in the holiday season on Monday, November 19 with the opening of Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Joseph Robinette’s A Christmas Story, The Musical at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Following the performance, the cast, creative team, and VIP guests gathered at Lucky Strike Lanes in Hell’s Kitchen to party (and bowl) the night away.

Based on the writings of humorist Jean Shepherd and the cult classic 1983 holiday film, A Christmas Story, the stage musical follows the story of young Ralphie Parker’s quest to receive a Red Ryder BB Gun from Santa Claus. The production is directed by John Rando and choreographed by Warren Carlyle.

Dan Lauria and Johnny Rabe lead the company as Jean Shepherd and Ralphie, with John Bolton as The Old Man, Erin Dilly as Mother, Zac Ballard as Randy, Eddie Korbich as Santa Claus, and Caroline O’Connor as Miss Shields.

The ensemble includes Tia Altinay, John Babbo, Charissa Bertels, Grace Capeless, Zoe Considine, Andrew Cristi, Mathew deGuzman, Thay Floyd, George Franklin, Nick Gaswirth, Mark Ledbetter, Jose Luaces, Jack Mastrianni, Mara Newbery, Lindsay O’Neil, Sarah Min-Kyung Park, J.D. Rodriguez, Analise Scarpaci, Lara Seibert, Jeremy Shinder, Luke Spring, Beatrice Tulchin, and Kirsten Wyatt. Pete and Lily, two bloodhounds trained by Bill Berloni, are also featured in the production.

Guests at the opening night performance included Tony Award winners Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens), Priscilla Lopez (A Chorus Line), Jeff Marx (Avenue Q), Michael McGrath (Nice Work If You Can Get It), and Bernadette Peters (Follies), along with James Barbour, Glenn Beck, John Bucchino, Stephen R. Buntrock, Steve Byrne, Corey Cott, Claybourne Elder, Michael Feinstein, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Michael Learned, Andy Mientus, Jill Paice, Michael Park, Eve Plumb, Krysta Rodriguez, Eric Rosen, Stephen Schwartz, Marilyn Sokol, and Maura West.

The production features scenic design by Walt Spangler, costume design by Elizabeth Hope Clancy, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Ken Travis, wig design by Tom Watson, orchestrations by Tony nominee Larry Blank, music direction and supervision by Ian Eisendrath, dance music arrangements by Glen Kelly, and vocal arrangements by Justin Paul.

Click here to read TheaterMania’s review of A Christmas Story, The Musical.

Click here for more information and tickets to A Christmas Story, The Musical.