A Night at the Theatre

My buddy Cheryl just posted about seeing her favorite Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life, at a fully restored theatre in Birmingham. I will confess right here, in front of everybody, that I have never watched that classic movie. I may rectify that missing portion of my Christmas experience this weekend. In the meantime I want to talk about my favorite movie, "A Christmas Story."

Since I first saw the movie, many years ago, on Thanksgiving weekend at my in-laws, I have been nearly obsessed. I bought it the first time I saw it on sale and our family began the Christmas tradition of watching it. From the opening scene and the sound of Jean Shepherd's voice to the very end where Mom and "the Old Man" are drinking wine on Christmas night, I am transported to a world I remember as a child.

We watched it with the girls every Christmas season when they were at home and waited impatiently for them to return from college so we could watch it once they were almost grown. Now they own their own copies and it has become a part of their tradition.

Having such an ingrained tradition of watching the movie, I was a little reluctant to purchase tickets to see it as a stage play. While I hemmed and hawed with Jim, my friends were hemming and hawing with their husbands. Finally, we decided to take the plunge and purchase tickets.

Tuesday evening was the night. We met at the theatre early and had coffee and {stale} cookies before the show. I remember saying to Rick, "How can it be the same without the narration of Jean Shepherd?" Rick, who grew up listening to Jean under the covers of his ice cold bedroom in Indiana, agreed that it might be a tough act to follow.

I had many questions. How would they do the narration, what about the changes of scenery from the kitchen of the house to the street? From the school room to the school yard? How about the trip to the Christmas Tree lot or to Higbee's department store?

Oh Pam of little faith!! The lights went down, the narrator walked on the stage and I was enthralled. I cannot say enough about the quality of this production. It was fantastic. The parts of the children were filled by local school children, who did an outstanding job.

The set was phenomenal, turning quietly from scene to scene. The narrator {adult Ralphie} was on the stage throughout the show, never missing a beat. Both Jim and I were astounded by the amount of memorization the part required.

Well, I guess by now, you know I enjoyed the show. If you ever have an opportunity to see this production, run, don't walk to the box office.

Let me close this upbeat post with a picture of my daughter and son-in-law's home, taken today, in the desert of Las Vegas.

~Hippo Hugs~

P.S. - Remember, "Don't shoot your eye out!"