A Christmas Story Live! facts for kids
Quick facts for kids A Christmas Story Live! |
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| Genre | Musical |
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| Narrated by | Matthew Broderick |
| Composer(s) | Pasek & Paul |
| Country of origin | United States |
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| Production location(s) | Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California |
| Running time | 180 minutes (with commercials) 133 minutes (without commercials) |
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| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
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| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | December 17, 2017 |
A Christmas Story Live! was a special TV show that aired live on Fox on December 17, 2017. It was a musical version of the popular 1983 movie A Christmas Story. The show also used ideas from the 2012 stage musical, A Christmas Story: The Musical. Famous people like Matthew Broderick, Maya Rudolph, and Jane Krakowski starred in it.
Contents
About the Story: A Christmas Wish
A Christmas Story Live! is based on funny stories by Jean Shepherd. The show takes place in Indiana in the 1940s. It follows a 9-year-old boy named Ralphie Parker. All Ralphie wants for Christmas is a special Red Ryder BB gun.
Meet the Cast and Characters
This live musical featured many talented actors. They brought the beloved characters to life.
The Parker Family
- Andy Walken played Ralphie Parker, the boy who dreams of a BB gun.
- Matthew Broderick was the voice of Ralphie as an adult. He narrated the story.
- Maya Rudolph played Ralphie's kind and caring Mother.
- Chris Diamantopoulos was The Old Man, Ralphie's dad.
- Tyler Wladis played Randy Parker, Ralphie's younger brother.
School Friends and Teachers
- Jane Krakowski played Miss Shields, Ralphie's teacher.
- Sammy Ramirez was Schwartz, one of Ralphie's friends.
- JJ Batteast played Flick, another friend.
- Sacha Carlson was Scut Farkus, the school bully.
- Elie Samouhi played Grover Dill, Scut's sidekick.
Other Fun Characters
- Ana Gasteyer played Mrs. Schwartz.
- Ken Jeong appeared as a Tree Salesman and a Restaurant Owner.
- David Alan Grier was the Mall Santa.
- Fred Armisen played a Mall Elf.
- The group PrettyMuch appeared as carolers.
Musical Performances
The show featured many songs from the stage musical. Two new songs were created just for this live TV broadcast. They were "Count On Christmas" and "In the Market for a Miracle." Some songs from the Broadway show were changed or removed.
Songs in the Show
- Opening Song
- "Count On Christmas" – performed by Bebe Rexha
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How the Show Was Made
The live musical was based on A Christmas Story: The Musical. That musical was inspired by the 1983 A Christmas Story movie. Marc Platt was one of the main producers. He also worked on Grease: Live in 2016.
Filming Location
The show was broadcast live from the Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California. They used mostly outdoor sets to create the look of the 1940s.
Creative Team's Vision
Director Scott Ellis said it was important to focus on the "feeling of family." He wanted the show to be more than just big musical numbers. The goal was to keep the family feeling strong throughout the performance.
New Songs for the Show
The songwriters Pasek & Paul wrote new songs for the TV special. These included "In the Market for a Miracle," "Ralphie's Nightmare," and the opening song "Count on Christmas." They tried to keep the movie's classic moments while adding new musical parts.
Live TV Challenges
Making a live TV show is exciting because anything can happen. Producer Marc Platt mentioned that they "prepare for the unknown." This makes live TV special and unpredictable.
A Live Commercial First
During the show, Fox also aired a special 2.5-minute live commercial. It was for the movie The Greatest Showman. This commercial featured the movie's stars, like Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, performing a song. It was the first time a movie had a live TV commercial like this!
See also
- 2017 in American television
- List of Christmas television specials
