'You'll shoot your eye out!' to see this Christmas cult classic on stage at Holy Heart
A Christmas Story is a must-watch for many people during the holiday season
Throw on your pink bunny pyjamas and get the glue — a stage adaptation of the holiday classic A Christmas Story is at Holy Heart Theatre.
The play, based on the classic 1983 movie starring Peter Billingsley as nine-year-old Ralphie, is a production of the Holy Heart Performing Arts program, which has mounted a Christmas play three years running.
Watch the students bring a short scene to life in the CBC NL studio.
"We wanted to do something different every year," said artistic director John Rao.
"We did It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and the next logical one was A Christmas Story."
The cast members, who are high school students completing the performing arts certificate at Holy Heart, hadn't all seen the 35-year-old movie. Sophia Ryan, who plays Ralphie's mother, watched it after she was cast and said it holds up.
"I watched it and I loved it," she said. "It's hilarious."
I've never had more fun on stage.- Noah Davis Abraham
The movie, based on Jean Shepherd's 1966 book, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, was only a modest success, but developed a cult following over the decades for its BB-gun-blasting, flag-pole-licking, lady-leg-lamp hijinks.
Since 1997, Turner Broadcasting channels have run a 24-hour marathon of the movie every Christmas.
Noah Davis Abraham, who plays Ralphie's father in the Holy Heart production said the play is true to the movie.
"I've probably never had more fun on stage than my made-up strings of endless swears," he said.
A Christmas Story is on stage for three performances, including Friday evening and Saturday afternoon and evening at the Holy Heart Theatre.