A Christmas Story Announces Tour

Photo credit: Don Ipock and Kansas City Rep

This holiday season, one of America’s favorite Christmas movie comes to life on stage as a hilarious holiday musical. A Christmas Story, The Musical! features a bright holiday score by composer/lyricist team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Joseph Robinette based on the writings of radio humorist Jean Shepherd and the 1983 holiday film favorite.

Acclaimed director/choreographer Warren Carlyle (Broadway’s Finian’s Rainbow, Follies at The Kennedy Center, An Evening With Hugh Jackman) will helm the production. Peter Billingsley, who starred as Ralphie in the original 1983 film, serves as a producer for the holiday tour.

After acclaimed, sold-out, record-breaking runs at Kansas City Rep in 2009 and Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre in 2010, A Christmas Story, The Musical! will launch a five-city National Tour for the 2011 holiday season with engagements in Hershey, PA (Hershey Theatre, Nov. 8 – 13); Detroit, MI (Fisher Theatre, Nov. 15 – 27); Raleigh, NC (Memorial Auditorium, Nov. 29 – Dec. 4); Tampa, FL, (Straz Center, Dec. 6 – Dec. 11); and Chicago, IL (Chicago Theatre, Dec. 14 – 30).

A Christmas Story, The Musical! chronicles young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker as he schemes his way towards the holiday gift of his dreams, a Red Ryder Action Air Rifle BB Gun (“You’ll shoot your eye out kid!”). A kooky leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a maniacal department store Santa, and a double-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the distractions that stand between young Ralphie and his Christmas wish. Produced by the film’s original Ralphie, Peter Billingsley, It’s a perennial holiday classic that will entertain the whole family.

A Christmas Story, The Musical! features scenic design by Walt Spangler  (Desire Under the Elms); costume design by Elizabeth Hope Clancy (Passing Strange, The Goat or Who Is Sylvia?); lighting design by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley;  orchestrations by Larry Blank ; musical supervision by Ian Eisendrath; dance arrangements by August Eriksmoen.

For more information, visit www.aChristmasStoryTheMusical.com or the links below.

A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL! - 2011 HOLIDAY SEASON TOUR
November 8 – 13
Hershey, PA
Hershey Theatre
www.hersheytheatre.com

November 15 – 27
Detroit
Fisher Theatre
www.broadwayindetroit.com

November 29 – December 4
Raleigh, NC
Memorial Auditorium
www.progressenergycenter.com

December 6 –11
Tampa, FL
Straz Center
www.strazcenter.org

December 14 – 30
Chicago
Chicago Theatre
www.thechicagotheatre.com