NEW YORK—For a nostalgic Christmas treat, one need look no further than the delightful A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas and Twas The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore, the two pieces playing as one flawless 70-minute evening at the Irish Repertory Theatre.
The evening starts with a wonderful recitation of Clement Moore tale by Justin Packard, who gives the story just the right amount of wonder and mystery to make it come gently alive. (Both pieces are excellently directed and adapted by Charlotte Moore.) The production then settles into a fanciful mixture of music, Christmas carols and, most of all, childhood memories.
The latter is accomplished with the cast of five (Kerry Conte, Bonnie Fraser, Justin Packard, Joshua Park, and Ashley Robinson) clad in period costumes, and embodying characters from days gone by, reciting passages from the Thomas work.
Working in perfect unison, they relate memories of Christmases past. These include snowball fights, caroling in front of a possibly haunted house, sledding down giant snowy hills, eating Christmas dinners, surrounded by annoying relatives they only see once a year, and happily curling up by the fire. Stories sure to remind the audience of their own childhood holidays, and even if they never happened exactly this way, it makes one surely wish it could.
The entire ensemble is in fine voice. Conte and Fraser do a wonderful duet to "Sleigh Ride," with the others providing instrumental accompaniment. Other highlights include Robinson singing "O Holy Night," and the entire company joining in for "In The Bleak Midwinter," the hilarious "Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake," and the very rousing "Take My Hand (Tomorrow's Christmas)" and "Open Your Eyes."
Ms. Moore is definitely due congratulations for making what could be a rather stuffy museum piece seem alive and new. Credit also goes to John Bell's musical direction. The festive holiday set (uncredited in the program) serves to add to the atmosphere, as do the costumes by David Toser.
A Child's Christmas in Wales & Twas The Night Before Christmas Judd Hollander is the New York Correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
Irish Repertory Theatre
132 West 22nd Street
Tickets 212-727-2737
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