By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The holiday season is approaching fast, and popular radio host and DJ Ralphie Parker (here, and narrating throughout, is the grown-up Ralphie, played by Joe Balaz) has a story to tell his loyal listeners. And it’s not just any story; it’s a true and heartfelt Christmas story.
Decades ago, when he was a young boy with big dreams, there was only one Christmas gift he wanted in the whole wide world: a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Nine-year-old Ralphie (played by Lily Bruce) covets this toy gun to the point of obsession, but a series of events presents him with an even more valuable and long-lasting Christmas gift. For Christmas in the early 1940s, when times were hard but resilience was strong, Ralphie would gain maturity and a keen understanding of the importance of family love.
On Friday, November 6, 2026, Drury Lane Theatre enjoyed a successful opening night of their fall production of A Christmas Story, an updated and nostalgic musical tribute to the original 1983 film that many people watch every holiday season. Danny Harvey took on this ambitious undertaking as director and brought together a legion of young local talent to perform alongside the adults. Set designer William Nelsen and crew recreated Ralphie’s 1940s family home, made more cheery with his mother’s domestic touches, as well as his school, populated by his band of mischievous classmates.
Brian Vaughan and Lauren Shepherd play Ralphie’s hard-working but exasperated parents, and Claire Emery Leblanc makes her way onstage to play Ralphie’s fussy little brother Randy, the kid who just will not eat. A supporting cast of child actors play Ralphie’s classmates, who roughhouse and dare each other to lick flagpoles in winter. The adults who get in Ralphie’s way to become the town’s gun-slinging hero include his own strict teacher, Ms. Shields (Katharine Costa), and a disgruntled, drink-swigging department store Santa Claus (played by Greg Porter).
The show contains a sequence of lively, toe-tapping numbers that revolve around the ever-active imaginations of Ralphie and his father, Mr. Parker, also known as “the Old Man.” The two are more alike than either is willing to admit at first. Ralphie wants to stand out among his peers for his bravery and quick thinking, and Mr. Parker wants to make a name for himself in the neighbourhood as a great intellectual and success. While Ralphie schemes various ways to obtain his desired gun, Mr. Parker fanatically enters crossword contests in the hopes of winning a prestigious prize. They sing their way to bizarre, fantasyland victories with the help of the ensemble. Father and son eventually come together and find common ground, providing one of the story’s emotional centres.
A standout performance comes from Lauren Shepherd playing Ralphie’s well-meaning mother Mrs. Parker, whose character in this show is developed further compared to her more background presence in the film. Mrs. Parker, as portrayed by Shepherd, whose strong voice matches her determination, is the heart of the family and the glue keeping everything together. Her selflessness paired with her realistic exhaustion makes her a relatable figure for all the mothers in the world who scramble to make Christmas a happy reality for their families.
Drury Lane’s A Christmas Story does make some changes from the original movie. It does away with some of the jokes from the film that did not age particularly well. It also dilutes some of the film’s more cynical moments in favour of a more upbeat approach to the stresses and anxieties of preparing for the Christmas season, for both kids and adults. At the core, Drury Lane’s take on the story commits to being fun and offers a lighthearted way for the people of Burlington to reconsider priorities in our own consumerist age.
Drury Lane Theatre will be holding performances of A Christmas Story up until November 29, 2026. Tickets are selling fast, and all still-available seats can be purchased here. Following the closure of A Christmas Story, Drury Lane Theatre will continue its holiday festivities with its annual Christmas pantomime. This year, the fairy tale made comical will be Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, starting on Friday, December 11, 2026. Tickets to the pantomime can be bought here.
