The Sauk originally planned to perform “Cheaper By the Dozen” for their December show, but when they unexpectedly got the coveted rights to perform “A Christmas Story,” the producers quickly switched gears.
The show will debut in Jonesville at The Sauk’s “Pay What You Can Preview Night” on Thursday, December 6 at 8 p.m. “A Christmas Story” will continue in the theater that weekend and the following weekend, with shows at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets can be bought in advance at TheSauk.org.
Director Ron Boyle said he is excited for the performances, as he likes the play a lot better than the movie.
“Its warm, its friendly, it makes you feel good, it just moves, moves, moves,” Boyle said.
The play is mostly comprised of skits, and Boyle made sure that the performance would capture the details of the story with historically-accurate costumes and props, as well as lighting, sound, and even smoke effects.
From the youngest cast member to stage managers, everyone is working hard to capture the youthful essence of the story in every performance of the show.
“I’ve told them this is going to be a work in progress until the Sunday we close,” Boyle said.
In regards to the work, Boyle said he loves working with the cast, half of whom are children, all around the actual ages of the characters they play.
“I really felt everybody looked the part,” Boyle said, “I really liked the cast, I think they’re well-suited to their parts.”
The children said they are also very excited to perform. For some, it is their Sauk debut, including 11-year old Storm Tremblay, who will play Ralphie.
Tremblay said that he “loves how Ralphie really does not give up when he wants something. Once he wants something, he sticks his mind to it.”
Meanwhile, 10-year old Tyson Duff has fun portraying the “sassy, mouthy, mamma’s boy” that is Flick, mainly because he gets to pretend to be a bully.
The camaraderie among cast members and crew will be apparent in their performance of the endearing comedy. So I “triple-dog-dare you” to see “A Christmas Story” when it comes out this weekend.