REVIEW: Boisterous Christmas show a joyful gift at Circa
Mia Phillips
Updated on March 14, 2026
A few years before Benj Pasek and Justin Paul hit the Broadway stratosphere with “Dear Evan Hansen,” the songwriters premiered their “A Christmas Story: The Musical” in Seattle in 2010 and on Broadway in 2012.
A perfect holiday gift, you can hear the confidence, wit, verve, heart and passion of Pasek and Paul pulsing all through the production, now back at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse.
The 38-year-olds (who started working together while students at University of Michigan), Pasek and Paul had their first Broadway smash with the 2015 musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” which won six Tonys including Best Musical and Best Score and later that year, they won the Best Original Song Oscar for “City of Stars” from the movie-musical “La La Land” (2016), for which they wrote lyrics.
First performed at Circa ’21 in 2013, the fun-filled “A Christmas Story” is based on the 1983 film classic and set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, in December 1940, as a countdown to the big holiday.
Told as a nostalgic reminiscence by narrator (and story author) Jean Shepherd in New York City in the year 2000 (here played with authority and fond longing by Mark McGinn), “A Christmas Story” follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts: an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle.
Rebuffed at every turn with a similar echoing response, Ralphie plots several schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun.
Meanwhile, all of the iconic scenes that audiences may recall from the movie are found in its boisterous musical adaptation: Ralphie’s friend Flick getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole, his little brother Randy getting dressed in his suffocating snowsuit, the bullies Farkus and Dill; the leg-lamp Major Award, Ralphie’s bunny suit and many more.
The blissfully entertaining new Circa version is bursting with talent on and off stage. The super cute, colorful production is directed and choreographed by Ashley Becher, music directed by Ron May, scenic design by Becky Meissen, costumes by Bradley Robert Jensen, and lighting design by Heather Hauskins.
While Circa veteran Tom Walljasper played Ralphie’s father (“The Old Man”) 10 years ago, the role is now embodied by grace, style and intense determination by Bobby Becher (Ashley’s husband), a dependable Circa star in his own right.
Whereas Ralphie is laser-focused on getting the gift of his dreams, his dad has exalted visions of winning a crossword contest, and Becher’s winning ode to that plan, “The Genius of Cleveland Street” is sweetly hopeful and exuberant.
Becher later shines in the musical’s first act in the heavenly “A Major Award,” as his glee at winning the show’s trademark leg lamp becomes a glorious formal production number – complete with men in tuxes and leggy women in lampshade-style dresses. Becher leads as the irresistibly brash, debonair song-and-dance man he is.
A major award for this show’s cast should also go to Kiera Lynn, who showcases boundless, electrifying enthusiasm as the teacher Miss Shields. She takes over-the-top joy in grading the kids’ essays about what they want for Christmas – and both “Ralphie to the Rescue” in Act I and “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out” in Act II are phenomenal, energetic highlights featuring the ensemble.
Lynn is especially wonderful in the big tap number “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out,” which includes kids (who are consistently terrific in the show), and is simply jubilant and ecstatic.
Another impressive element to the performance I saw – Wednesday night, Nov. 22 – was that it featured Jack Carslake as Ralphie and Savannah Bay Strandin as Mother.
Jack (a Pleasant Valley High freshman) is an area theater veteran and is rotating in “A Christmas Story” between playing Ralphie’s friend Flick and Ralphie himself just Wednesday evenings, and he’s super solid and sympathetic. Fulton Young (a 4th grader in his Circa debut) is an adorable delight and a hoot as little brother Randy.
Ben Pisel (a 5th-grade theater vet here making his Circa debut) plays Ralphie for most performances.
Most impressively, Savannah Bay Strandin (normally in the ensemble) went on as the Parker mom Wednesday, since she’s understudy for regular Cara Chumbley, who’s been sick. Strandin had just 48 hours’ notice that she had to go on in this major role, and by her flawless performance, you’d never know she wasn’t playing it the whole time.
She portrays the reliable rock of the household with strength and compassion, and her standout ballads – “What a Mother Does” in Act I and “Just Like That” in Act II – are poignant and deeply affecting. Fortunately, Strandin returns to the role tonight and Saturday.
Another comic high point of “A Christmas Story” (literally) is Kyle DeFauw as the cynical Santa (who carries a flask) hearing the kids’ gift requests from his department store throne on high, after which the children exit down a slide.
The show fittingly reflects the absolute anticipation and thrill of Christmas Day and opening of presents in your PJs that morning. The final title song is winningly heartwarming, with some beautiful, transcendent harmonies.
“A Christmas Story” will be presented at Circa ’21 through Dec. 30, with performances on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday matinées at 1:15 p.m. Pre-show entertainment featuring the theater waitstaff The Bootleggers will also precede all performances.
Ticket prices are $63 for the evening dinner-and-show productions and $56 for the matinee or evening performances on Wednesdays. Reservations are available through the Circa ’21 ticket office at 1828 3rd Ave, Rock Island, by calling 309-786-7733 ext. 2.
