On December 17, the musical adaptation of the beloved Christmas movie A Christmas Story hit the small screen in the live television event A Christmas Story Live! With music by Tony and Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land), there was much anticipation leading up to Fox鈥檚 second live musical broadcast. (The network first jumped into the scene with Grease: Live in 2016.)
Co-directed by eight-time Tony nominee Scott Ellis (She Loves Me) as the stage director and Alex Rudzinksi as the live television director, the broadcast starred Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph as Mrs. Parker, Chris Diamontopoulos (Waitress) as Mr. Parker, Tony winner Jane Krakowski as Miss Shields, Ana Gasteyer as Mrs. Schwartz, and Andy Walken as Ralphie Parker.
Just as Grease: Live kicked off with a pop star performance from Jessie J, Bebe Rexha opened the broadcast with the new song 鈥淐ount on Christmas鈥�:
Tony winner Matthew Broderick served as the 鈥済rown up鈥� version of Ralphie Parker, narrating the story of the kid desperate for an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. In this clip, Broderick narrates the opening scene and audiences meet Walken as young Ralphie singing the Act 1 opener, 鈥淚t All Comes Down to Christmas.鈥�
Viewers got to know Ralphie鈥檚 dad, played by Diamontopolous, a bit better in the next number 鈥淭he Genius On Cleveland Street鈥� as he dreams of being the best crossword-puzzle solver. It鈥檚 the simple things in life:
At school, Ralphie struggled with bullying problems. In this song on the playground, the kids of A Christmas Story Live! sing 鈥淲hen You鈥檙e a Wimp.鈥�
In another dream-like sequence, Ralphie saves the day in 鈥淩alphie to the Rescue鈥�:
The famous leg lamp, now symbolic of A Christmas Story, inspires the next number, 鈥淎 Major Award鈥�:
Pasek and Paul wrote a new song for the December 17 event: 鈥淚n the Market for a Miracle.鈥� Drama Desk winner Gasteyer played Mrs. Schwartz, the mother of one of Ralphie鈥檚 friends, and sang the new song about celebrating Chanukah amidst the typical Christmas festivities. Watch her belt it out here:
In this iconic moment from the movie, Ralphie鈥檚 friend Flick gets his tongue stuck to the flagpole in 鈥淪ticky Situation鈥�:
In this fantasy sequence, Ralphie鈥檚 teacher Miss Shields (Krakowski) wows in a traditional musical theatre showstopper. Zach Woodlee鈥檚 choreography takes center stage in this number. Complete with sequins and top hats, Krakowski sings and taps to 鈥淵ou鈥檒l Shoot Your Eye Out鈥� to explain to Ralphie why his theme will never work:
Like any kids, Ralphie and his brother, Randy, can鈥檛 sleep on Christmas Eve because they鈥檙e too busy tracking Santa鈥檚 path in 鈥淪omewhere Hovering Over Indiana鈥�:
