Parent Guide: A Christmas Story, The Musical

AGE ADVISORY:  

This production is appropriate for all ages.

ABA Christmas Story the MusicalOUT THE SHOW:

“A Christmas Story, The Musical” chronicles young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker as he schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams. Chock-full of delightful songs and splashy production numbers, “A Christmas Story” has proudly taken its place as a perennial holiday classic for the whole family.  

DIGGING DEEPER:

The 1940s were a time of growth and change in America. Franklin Roosevelt was president, and the American economy was beginning to recover from the effects of the Great Depression. A fast-paced, war-time economy was taking shape.

In the 1930s, the role of women as traditional homemakers was reinforced, as they were responsible for finding inventive ways to help their families get by on less. By 1941, when the United States entered the war, both men and women were united in a common cause. While men went off to fight, women took on new roles outside the home, including clerical positions and jobs in factories.  

When radio humorist Jean Shepherd was growing up in Indiana in the late 1930s, the concept of family and the values it was based on were held to a high standard. Kids drank Ovaltine and listened to “The Little Orphan Annie Show” on the radio. Their most prized possessions included Lionel trains, Radio Flyer wagons and BB guns. “A Christmas Story, The Musical” paints a picture of a simpler time in America, before the country plunged into the second World War.

FUN FACT:

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

2017 Tony® Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“Dear Evan Hansen”) wrote the songs for “A Christmas Story, The Musical,” which earned three Tony nominations and was named one of the Top 10 Shows of 2012 by “Time Magazine.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

  1. What role does the mother play in “A Christmas Story, The Musical” and how does that fit with the history described above?
  2. How does the modern family compare to the family depicted in “A Christmas Story, The Musical”? How and why has this changed? 
  3. Does your family have any special traditions associated with the holidays?
  4. What would be your perfect Christmas gift?
  5. Have you ever gone to great lengths to make sure that someone received their “perfect” gift? What did you do?

RESERVE YOUR SEATS FOR “A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL”

Questions? Comment below and we’ll answer as quickly and as best we can!

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