A Christmas Story: further casting announced

Further casting has been announced for the upcoming Broadway musical comedy adaptation of the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, The Musical, playing at the Lunt-Fontane Theatre from 5 Nov - 30 Dec 2012.

John Bolton ('Spamalot,' 'Contact,' 'Titanic,' "Boardwalk Empire," "Gossip Girl') will reprise his performance as 'The Old Man' from the 2011 National Tour. Joining Bolton will be Tony Award nominee Erin Dilly ('Nice Work if You Can Get It,' 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang') as 'Mother,' Zac Ballard ('Oliver!' at Irish Repertory Theatre) as 'little brother Randy,' Caroline O'Connor ('Chicago,' 'Moulin Rouge') as school teacher 'Miss Shields' and Eddie Korbich ('The Little Mermaid,' 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' 'Wicked') as 'Santa Claus.' All join previously announced Dan Lauria (Broadway's 'Lombardi,' TV's "Sullivan & Son" and "The Wonder Years") as 'Jean Shepherd.'

The ensemble for the Broadway engagement will include Tia Altinay, John Babbo, Charissa Bertels, Grace Capeless, Zoe Considine, Andrew Cristi, Mathew deGuzman, Thay Flloyd, George Franklin, Nick Gaswirth, Mark Ledbetter, Jose Luaces, Jack Mastrianni, Mara Newbery, Lindsay O'Neil, Sarah Min-Kyung Park, J.D. Rodriguez, Analise Scarpaci, Lara Seibert, Jeremy Shinder, Luke Spring, Beatrice Tulchin and Kirsten Wyatt.

Casting for the central role of 'Ralphie' will be announced shortly.

Producer Gerald Goehring said, "We are blessed with an amazing company for our Broadway run at the Lunt-Fontanne. John Bolton has been with the show since its first production and has earned rave reviews for his performance. We're all thrilled to have such an incredible company of artists including Erin Dilly, Caroline O'Connor, Eddie Korbich, and Dan Lauria on board to introduce Broadway audiences to A Christmas Story, The Musical this holiday season."

In A Christmas Story, The Musical, Lauria will play radio and television icon, humorist and storyteller Jean Shepherd. Shepherd's stories were published in a series of books including "In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash," on which both the musical and the 1983 film are based. Shepherd also served as narrator and co-screenwriter for the film.

The show will be directed by John Rando (Urinetown) and choreographed by Warren Carlyle (Follies, An Evening With Hugh Jackman).

A Christmas Story: In 1940's Indiana, a bespectacled boy named Ralphie has a big imagination and one wish for Christmas—a Red Ryder BB Gun. A kooky leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a cranky department store Santa, and a triple-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the obstacles that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas dream.

The creative team features scenic design by Walt Spangler, costume design by Elizabeth Hope Clancy, lighting design by Howell Binkley and sound design by Ken Travis.

The musical launched a national holiday season tour in 2011 with stops in Hershey, PA; Detroit, MI; Raleigh, NC; Tampa, FL; and Chicago, IL.

The show is being produced on Broadway by Peter Billingsley, who starred as the original 'Ralphie' in the 1983 movie, along with commercial producers Gerald Goehring, Roy Miller, Michael F. Mitri, Pat Flicker Addiss, Mariano Tolentino, Louise H. Beard, Michael Filerman, Scott Hart, Timothy Laczynski, Bartner/Jenkins Entertainment, Angela Milonas, Bradford W. Smith.

The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1983 movie features a screenplay by Jean Shepherd, based on his novel "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash," with additional screenplay credits by Leigh Brown and Bob Clark. The movie was directed by Bob Clark and starred Peter Billingsley as 'Ralphie,' Melinda Dillon as 'Mother' and Darren McGavin as 'The Old Man.'