Here's Love facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Here's Love |
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Image of cast album CD cover
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| Music | Meredith Willson |
| Lyrics | Meredith Willson |
| Book | Meredith Willson |
| Basis | Film Miracle on 34th Street |
| Productions | 1963 Broadway 2007 Toronto |
Here's Love is a fun musical with a story, songs, and lyrics all created by Meredith Willson. It's based on the classic 1947 movie Miracle on 34th Street. The musical tells the heartwarming story of a young girl who doesn't believe in Santa Claus. But then, the real Kris Kringle is hired to play Santa in the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. He has to convince the girl and her busy mom (who works at the department store) that he is the one and only Santa.
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The Original Broadway Show
The very first production of Here's Love opened on Broadway in New York City. It started on October 3, 1963, at the Shubert Theatre. The show ran for 334 performances, which means it was performed over 300 times! It closed on July 25, 1964.
Many talented actors were in the original cast. These included Laurence Naismith, Janis Paige, Craig Stevens, and Fred Gwynne. Two famous dancers and choreographers, Michael Bennett and Baayork Lee, were also part of the cast.
Before it was called Here's Love, the musical had other names. These included It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical. A very well-known Christmas song, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas", was written by Meredith Willson in 1951. This song is used in the musical. It is sung at the same time as a new song called "Pine Cones and Holly Berries".
What Happens in the Story
The musical takes place in New York City in the 1960s. It follows a young girl named Susan Walker and her mother, Doris. Doris is a busy executive at Macy's department store. At the start of the story, she is getting ready for the big Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Susan meets a friendly ex-marine named Fred Gaily. Fred wants to help Susan believe in magic and fun again. He takes her to see Santa Claus at Macy's. This Santa is Kris Kringle, and he manages to win Susan over. At the same time, Fred and Doris start to fall in love.
In the second part of the musical, Kris Kringle has to go to court. Fred helps him prove that he is truly Santa Claus. In the end, Fred uses the Post Office to show everyone in court, and the world, that Santa Claus is real. He proves that Kris Kringle is indeed Santa!
Main Characters and Original Cast
Here are some of the main characters in Here's Love and the actors who played them in the first Broadway show:
- Susan Walker – played by Valerie Lee
- Doris Walker – played by Janis Paige
- Kris Kringle (Santa) – played by Laurence Naismith
- Fred Gaily – played by Craig Stevens
- Mr. Shellhammer – played by Fred Gwynne
- Mr. Macy – played by Paul Reed
- Hendrika – played by Kathy Cody
Songs from the Musical
The musical features many songs that help tell the story. Here is a list of the songs from the original Broadway production:
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