Jeri Tidwell Photography
The holiday season is upon us once again and Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia, MD has kept to its tradition of a classic holiday offering, this year reviving the musical version of Miracle on 34th Street, which was last presented in 2017. The original 1963 Broadway production was actually titled Here’s Love and was written by Meredith Willson, better known today for The Music Man, and was based on the 1947 movie. Perhaps to give audiences a little more interest in the show, it has been retitled It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical, and features part of Willson’s song ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas’, which was written in 1951. Willson also cribs from himself a bit with a second act song that sounds suspiciously like “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man. You’ll know it when you hear it!
If you’re not familiar with the 1947 movie (there have been four additional filmed adaptations of the story including three for TV and a feature film remake, as well as a radio adaptation with the original film’s cast in 1947) it goes a little something like this: a man sporting a white beard sees a drunken Santa Claus on the day of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Macy’s events director Doris Walker finds herself in a bind without a Santa to close the parade but the gentleman in front of her was so convincing that she thought he was her Santa, so she hires him on the spot not only for the parade but for the store as well.
The man, who claims his name is Kris Kringle, meets Doris’ young daughter Susan who promptly tells him she doesn’t believe in anything she can’t see, hear, smell, feel or touch and she knows Santa isn’t real because her mother hires a new Santa every year. The Walters’ next door neighbor Fred Gaily, a retired military man/ aspiring lawyer who has befriended Susan, also doesn’t buy the man’s story until after a few minutes with Kringle, Susan calls him ‘Uncle Fred’ (after Fred bet the man he couldn’t get her to call him ‘Uncle Fred’). As Christmas approaches and shoppers encounter the new Macy’s Santa, he surprises many of them by suggesting they go to rival Gimbel’s for any item they can’t find at Macy’s. Kringle is nearly fired for what Mr. Macy sees as a financial disaster but the notion of spreading love at Christmas brings more shoppers to Macy’s … and even Gimbel’s jumps on the bandwagon. But after failing a mandatory psychological evaluation (which he actaully passed but the ‘doctor’ just fails anyone he doesn’t like to get them fired), the man claiming to be the real Santa Claus is put on trial to determine if he’s a danger to society. It’s up to Fred to take on his first legal case to prove his client is Santa and save Christmas.
As we’ve come to expect from Toby’s Dinner Theatre, they have produced another entertaining production that should put you in the mood for the holidays — and as they want to make clear, even though this is a Christmas-themed tale, it’s really a story about having faith that anyone can relate to. Director Shawn Kettering, who also directed the 2017 production, works some magic in Toby’s ‘in the round’ performance space and even stages a mini-version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that kicks off the show. Choreographer Mark Minnick puts everyone through their paces and keeps every corner of the theatre in mind. This isn’t a show that relies on big group dance numbers, but what there are are energetic and full of joy, carefully choreographed to make sure everyone in the audience can see what’s going on. In an ‘in the round’ space, every movement has to be carefully thought out so one section of the room isn’t just getting the backs of the actors’ heads, and Kettering and Minnick carry out their duties with great expertise.
Jeri Tidwell Photography
As we come to expect from the casting at Toby’s, this cast is top notch with the two adult leads reprising their 2017 performances. Heather Marie Beck wears the role of Doris like a glove. Doris is an unusually strong woman in a position of power for a show from its era, and Beck knows exactly when to make Doris all business and when to make her the doting mother to Susan. She is also the fierce ‘tiger mom’ when it comes to Fred, whom she refers to as Charlie, and his relationship with Susan, warning him that he can’t use her daughter to catch her. Fred doesn’t buy it though. Doris also has to go through the most change, from cynic to believer, and Beck makes it totally believable especially as she reveals information from Doris’ past that has made her who she is in this moment. Beck also has a lovely and powerful voice, and she brings it all together in a well-rounded performance.
Jeffrey Shankle has the tougher role because Fred Gaily is definitely a product of the time the show was written. His attachment to Susan is very sudden, just meeting her on the steps of their apartment building and whisking her away to the parade, something that would never be allowed in today’s ‘stranger danger’ climate. Fred’s view of women is also a bit antiquated so Shankle has to work hard to make Fred likable instead of creepy, and in the end it just all works. Fred does come off as lovable and caring. Shankle also has a terrific voice and a great presence on the stage, and during that Music Man sound-alike song, I can easily picture him as Professor Harold Hill.
This production has two young actresses in the role of Susan, and at our performance Audrey Wolff took on the role. Wolff gives a terrific performance taking Susan from the wise-beyond-her-years girl, influenced heavily by her mother’s non-belief in anything, to a child who desperately wants to believe in Santa Claus so her wishes of a new house with a swing in the back yard along with a new daddy who isn’t a reprobate (even though she doesn’t know the meaning of the word) will come true. Wolff’s performance is natural and effortless, she has a lovely voice, and shows some great chemistry with her adult stars, particularly Robert Biedermann as Santa.
Jeri Tidwell Photography
If you’ve been to Toby’s in the past and have encountered Mr. Biedermann, you know he is Toby’s resident Santa … and for good reason. He brings such warmth to the role, he has a great voice and his interactions with Wolff in particular are charming and what this show thrives on. I would not be surprised to find out his Driver’s License actually lists his name as Kris Kringle because, for my money, Mr. Biedermann is Santa Claus.
Jordan B. Stocksdale has played some wacky characters in the last few shows at Toby’s and here he gets to tone it down a bit as R.H. Macy. It was nice to see this different side of Stocksdale, and he does get to shine in the second act courtroom scene where he has to convince a judge that he truly believes his employee is the real Santa. David James gets some laughs as the slightly inept Marvin Shellhammer, and Shane Lowry gets to shine in the brief role as the show’s villain, Mr. Sawyer, the man who causes all the trouble for Kringle and Doris. The show’s ensemble cast is excellent as always, especially in those moments when they get to raise their voices in song together.
The production design, costumes, hair and makeup are all period appropriate, and the lighting design is employed perfectly to direct your eyes to one part of the stage while the theatre’s outstanding stage crew quickly move setpieces on and off the stage. The house band, led by Nathan Scavilla at our performance, sounds great and the sound design never allows the music to overpower the singers. If by the end of the show you aren’t in some kind of holiday spirit, you might want to prepare yourself for a visit from some ghosts later in the evening.
Before the show begins Toby’s also has its full buffet meal, starting with a salad bar, and a full buffet with delicious green beans, roasted corn, steamed baby carrots, very yummy roasted red potatoes and the signature Spinach Phunque. The buffet also includes Beef Stroganoff, steamed shrimp, baked chicken, baked tilapia and a carving board of roast beef, ham and turkey. Plus cake and an ice cream bar in the lobby, and the show’s featured drink, ‘The Kringle’, a frozen hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, M&Ms and some Bailey’s for the adults in the room.
If you’re looking for something different to do for the holidays, you can’t go wrong with Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical at Toby’s Dinner Theatre. But make your reservations now as this is one of their shorter running shows, playing just through January 7, 2024, and many of the performances are already sold out. You can purchase tickets now through our link below. Enjoy the show and we wish you all a very happy holiday!
Miracle on 34th Street runs about 2 hours 30 minutes with one twenty minute intermission. Note that fog, haze and strobe effects may be used in this production.
Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Check our Ticketmaster link for ticket availability.
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