This musical is based on one of the best-loved Christmas films of all time and comes from the pen of Meredith Willson, best known for The Music Man.
A fable of belief and faith, it tells of Susan, a young girl who dreams of a father and brother to make her family whole, and Kris Kringle, a kindly old bearded man who claims he is the real Santa Claus.
The charm of the story, is at times, lost through heavy-handed direction and way over the top performances. Often a sledgehammer is applied where subtlety would serve.
That said there are some entertaining scenes, especially in the second half and some excellent performances that redeem the show.
Danny Lane, as Kris Kringle, gives an understated performance that is delightful and strongly delivers his musical numbers.
Equally charming is the performance from Hannah Thompson as Susan.
The best numbers in the show are She Hadda’ Go Back with strong echoes of Music Man’s Ya Got Trouble, the lively That Man Over There led by fine voiced Michal Adams and, of course, It’s Beginning to Look a Bit Like Christmas.
The show ends with a cast and audience sing-along of festive numbers.
Three stars
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