forte company kicks off with masterful Christmas production

By Tom Jozwik

Published Dec. 17, 2019

Forte Theatre Company’s inaugural production, “Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play,” at Martin Luther High School in Greendale, is a masterly endeavor appropriate for youngsters and elders alike.

The Randall Dodge-directed cast of eight, with Joel Kopischke in the Kris Kringle role most closely associated with Edmund Gwenn onscreen in 1947, will stage the play for a second weekend this Friday through Sunday. I saw it Sunday, Dec. 15, and it was, decidedly, worth missing the second half of the Packers-Bears game to do so.

The bearded Kopischke, it might be noted, is a credible Santa Claus even without a costume. (Costumes are not a staple with radio plays, after all.)

Perhaps the most endearing of all American Christmas stories, “Miracle” begins with the hasty hiring of Kris Kringle (the character insists that’s his real name) to replace a Santa who shows up inebriated for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Doris Walker (Leah Gawel), who hires Kris, continues as his supervisor after he agrees to play Santa in Macy’s between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Magnate R. H. Macy himself (Simon
Earle in one of several roles) is delighted with Kris, even when the latter starts recommending other stores to Macy’s shoppers unable to find what their kids want for Christmas.

Kringle, who lives at a suburban home for the aged, takes up
temporary residence closer to the store with lawyer Fred Gailey (Joey Chelius), a neighbor and friend of divorcee Doris and her precocious daughter, Susan (nine-year-old Lauren Milosavljevic). Neither female believes in Santa Claus and such. “She and that child are a couple of lost souls and it’s our job to help them,” Kris tells Fred. But soon circumstances send Kris to a mental hospital and he’s the one who needs help—primarily from Gailey, who goes to court attempting to prove the store Santa is the real deal.

Along the way, not surprisingly, the Fred and Doris friendship blossoms into love.

The Forte Company play, adapted  by Lance Arthur Smith from a decades old, movie-based radio broadcast, is a faithful rendition of that Edmund Gwenn film. What the film did not have, but the Forte production does, are Jon Lorenz songs and arrangements. Those numbers include “Jazzy King Wenceslas” and “Jazzy Halls” (as in “Good King Wenceslas” and “Deck the Halls”). Other songs, or
excerpts thereof, are similarly jazzed up. A quartet consisting of Chelius, Earle, Gawel and Lydia Eiche (who, like Earle, assumes a handful of “character” roles) is melodious and entertaining. Ryan Cappleman, the picture of competence as are his castmates, contributes piano expertise while serving as the production’s announcer/music director and taking on a couple bit parts.

Like the others, Justin Hall is onstage start to finish, furnishing sound effects as “Miracle’s” Foley artist. Robert Sagadin designed the set, which includes an applause sign that lights up and a machine that
spouts artificial snow. Brenda Dodge has served as executive producer and Marquette University theatre student Abby Wass as stage manager.

IF YOU GO:

Who: Forte Theatre Company

What: “Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play”

When: Through Dec. 22

Where: Martin Luther High School, 5201 S. 76th St.,
Greendale

Info/Tickets: fortetheatrecompany.org