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Troupe America Inc.
Presents: The Holiday Classic
Book, Music, and Lyrics by
MEREDITH WILLSON
Story by
Valentine Davies
Original Screenplay by
George Seaton
Rediscover the magic of believing that wishes can come true and miracles still happen in
Meredith Willson’s (“The Music Man” & “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”) musical production of one
of the best loved of all holiday classic tales, “Miracle On 34th Street”.
This heartwarming story by Valentine Davies, originally written for the 1940’s movie of the same name, is brilliantly brought to life in a fully staged musical
production. The story follows the adventures of an elderly gentleman named Kris Kringle who must leave his cozy existence at the Maplewood Retirement
Home because Maplewood only keeps elderly people as long as they are in good physical and mental health. There is this matter of Kris continuing to
claim that he is Santa Claus which calls his sanity into question.
Kris has two choices: either he can go to the Mount Hope Sanitarium (the “nut house,” Kris calls it) or he can try to fend for himself on the streets. Kris
chooses to make his own way and leaves the Maplewood Retirement Home early on Thanksgiving Day. He ends up in Manhattan and happens to arrive
during the last minute preparations for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade where he discovers the person hired to play Santa Claus has been
drinking. Kris is horrified for the children who will be watching the parade and complains to the parade organizer, Doris Walker, about this intoxicated
fraud. Doris fires the Santa she has hired on the spot and offers the job to Kris, who reluctantly agrees--and this is where the adventure begins.
From that point on, Kris alters the lives of those he encounters, especially Susan, Doris’s daughter who has been raised by Doris to be a realistic, practical
and pragmatic girl, certainly too sensible to believe in Santa Claus. During the story, this friendly old gentleman comes in contact with many characters:
Fred, an attorney and Doris’s lovestruck neighbor; Alfred, a young janitor and volunteer Santa at Macy’s; Mr. Sawyer, the loony store psychologist who
tests Kris’s sanity; and Mr. Macy who becomes a great promoter of Kris. Needless to say, these characters (and many others) find that their lives are
changed forever after meeting Kris Kringle.
Featuring an imaginative set, stylish costumes of the period, superb choreography and the wonderful sound of Meredith Willson’s fabulous lyrics and score
including “It’s Beginning To Look A lot Like Christmas” and “May the Good Lord Bless & Keep You”, this holiday family plum of a show is sure to leave
every audience believing in love and miracles once again.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Meredith Willson was born in Mason City, Iowa. His most famous work, “The Music Man”, premiered on Broadway in 1957, and
was adapted twice for film in 1962 and 2003. He referred to the show as “an Iowan’s attempt to pay tribute to his home state”. His second musical, “The
Unsinkable Molly Brown”, ran on Broadway for 532 performances from 1960 to 1962 and was made into a 1964 motion picture starring Debbie Reynolds. His third Broadway musical was an adaption of the film “Miracle On 34th Street”. Two songs from “Miracle On 34th Street” have become American
standards: “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” and “May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You”. Willson died in 1984 and on June 23rd, 1987,
was presented, posthumously, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan.
“Miracle On 34th St.” is produced by Troupe America Inc., now in it’s 25th year of touring musicals and comedies in every State and Province in Canada.
It is directed by John Tsafoyannis with musical direction by Dennis Curley and choreography by Michael Mathew Farrell.
Exclusive Tour Direction;
GURTMAN AND MURTHA ARTIST MANAGEMENT
One Penn Plaza, 36th floor, New York, New York 10119
Phone 212-967-7350 - Fax 212-967-7341 - gmartists@aol.com
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