East Theater Department Performs Holiday Classic: “Miracle on 34th Street”
So much work goes on behind the scenes of a school production. Entire teams dedicate hours of rehearsal time daily to ensure the show runs smoothly. Click the video links below to meet them and watch a backstage walkthrough!
Meet the Stage Managing and Prop Teams
Justin Malec as Kris Kringle
Q: How did you balance working on the play with other activities?
A: In order to manage my time better during the play, I made sure to get all of my work done in school, so I had nothing to do after rehearsal. A lot of my free time was used for memorizing lines and going over blocking.
Q: How do you get into character for the role, and what kind of connection do you feel towards your character?
A: In order to get into character before going on stage, I would try to go through the motions of the show in my head. I also silently muttered a ho ho ho every once in a while backstage! It was fun to play a character that is 100% sure in himself and determined to always do the right thing. I connect with his strong morals and childlike innocence.
Q: What does it feel like to be the face and the lead of the play? Does that translate to anything behind the scenes – maybe other cast members looking to you?
A: It was definitely a strange feeling to become the lead of a show for the first time. I have had many supporting roles in the past, but this was my largest role yet. I definitely felt the pressure of having such a large part, but the amazing cast and directors helped me feel confident in myself that I was able to do it. I felt very supported by all the people involved. Being a new upperclassman, I tried to be the best role model for the people new to the theater department at East.
Q: What was the audition process like?
A: In order to audition we had to learn a quick monologue for the character we chose to go out for. I chose to audition for Kris Kringle and ended up being called back for both Kris and Fred Gayley (the male love interest of the show)
Q: Did you feel like the show was a success?
A: I think the show was a huge success in both our school community and outside of East. Our wonderful toy drive for Toys for Tots run by the Thespian Society was a huge success. We were able to donate many boxes of toys to children who may not be able to afford Christmas presents. I am super proud of everyone involved in the show and so happy to be part of such an amazing community.
Maggie Pierlott as Shellhammer
Q: How did you prepare for the audition?
A: For the audition, I rewatched the “Miracle on 34th Street” movie to really get to know the characters. From there, I read through all the monologues given and picked what I felt worked the best for me. I practiced my monologue all week, the week leading up to the audition. Whether it be in the car or cooking dinner, I was saying the monologue, so I was comfortable with it before the audition day.
Q: How do you get into character for the role, and what kind of connection do you feel towards your character?
A: Getting into character is one of the most fun parts of theatre. My character was Ms. Shellhammer, a manager at Macy’s. Before I went on stage, I thought about what my character would have been doing before the scene and always had an idea in my mind of why my character going into that specific scene. I loved playing Ms. Shellhammer because she was sometimes comedic and serious, making her a complex character to play!
Q: How did you balance working on the play with other activities?
A: Managing the play and other activities is always very difficult. But time management becomes your best friend! I made sure to get a lot of homework done throughout the school day and before rehearsals so that I was not overwhelmed when I got home! I also made a schedule of all my activities for the week so I could plan my time well!
Q: Was there any particular costar or crew member that you particularly enjoyed working with and why?
A: For this show I particularly enjoyed working with the Troupe 213 Thespian Board! For this play, we chose to host a toy drive throughout the show to give back to our community! We also decorated the little theatre to look like Santa’s Workshop, so the little kids would have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus for free. This board is so hardworking, and it is a pleasure to work with them this year!
Q: Any thoughts about the upcoming Mary Poppins musical in the spring?
A: I am so excited about Mary Poppins! This musical is so much fun and something everyone can enjoy! Mary Poppins is definitely a hard show to work on, but it is always fun to take on a challenge!
Cherry Hill High School East theater department opened its curtains to their first show of “Miracle on 34th Street” on Friday, Dec. 6. Performances continued on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8. “Miracle on 34th Street” is a classic holiday play that celebrates the holiday season. The play takes place in New York City at a Macy’s Department store. Struggling to find a new Santa Claus for Macy’s, Doris Walker and Shellhammer, played by Maggie Pierlott (‘25), turn to an old man: Kris Kringle. He accepts the role of the Macy’s Santa Claus and immediately starts his position. Instead of denying kids their dream presents, he sends the parents to another department store. Kringle is more passionate about the holiday season than making a profit.
However, some employees of Macy’s believe that Kris Kringle is a threat to the store. Kringle’s sanity is put into question because nobody knows where he lives and he truly believes he is Santa Claus. The psychologist Sawyer, played by Ethan Cole (‘27), is apprehensive about Kringle and sends him to a mental institution. Doris Walker’s neighbor and love interest, Fred Gayley, takes on the role of Kringle’s lawyer in order to get him out of the facility.
The second act takes place in the New York City courtroom. Fred Gayley defends Kringle and attempts to portray him as the real Santa Claus. After multiple pieces of evidence to prove his statement, Gayley uses one last piece of evidence to convince the courtroom. Gayley mentions how every letter mailed to Santa Claus is delivered to Kringle. As evidence, hundreds of letters are brought into the courtroom. The judge rules in favor of Kringle and declares him the real Santa Claus.
Kris Kringle was played by Justin Malec (‘26). His performance was captivating and memorable. Malec embodied the role of Santa Claus and made the character come to life on the stage. Doris Walker, Fred Gayley, and Susan Walker were played by Kate Bove (‘25), Kyle McCann (‘25), and Zoe Kukafka (‘27), respectively. Bove played a realistic mother struggling with her divorce. McCann’s performance of Gayley was very impressive, making the audience root for his character. Kukafka played Susan Walker, the daughter of Doris Walker. She played a young girl who is learning to accept the idea of Santa Claus because of Kris Kringle. Kukafka brought a fun and spirited energy to the stage. All three characters had a strong stage presence, making each of their performances enthralling.
Overall, the East theater department hosted an impressive performance of “Miracle on 34th Street”. The stage crew and actors all did an excellent job of bringing together a fun holiday play. In the spring, the East theater department is performing its production of Mary Poppins. It will not be a surprise if the East theater department hosts another outstanding performance this spring.
On Dec. 6, 7, and 8, the Cherry Hill East Theater Department gave four performances of their fall show, “Miracle on 34th Street”. The show – popular since the original movie came out in 1947 – centers around the journey of stand-in Macy’s Santa Kris Kringle and a young girl’s discovery of the Christmas spirit.
Seeing as “Miracle on 34th Street” has been widely known for so long (with three different adaptations), many may not realize how putting on this play in a school contradicts recent public consensus.
Over recent years, there has been a push to celebrate the “holidays” rather than specifying the celebration of which one. As a society in general, language changes have been made – popularizing the use of phrases like holiday parties rather than Christmas parties, winter break instead of Christmas break, holiday cards instead of Christmas cards, and countless other traditions associated with Christmas. This was all done in an effort to become more inclusive to everyone, and considering how many different religions and cultures are present in America, this was a positive idea.
Cherry Hill School District adopted these policies alongside the public. Elementary school class parties are careful to avoid any specific mentions of Christmas traditions. At middle schools and high schools, teachers are not allowed to put up any decorations that are not holiday-neutral.
It’s hard to argue against any of these decisions because Christmas was at the forefront of all of these traditions. How would it be fair to leave out other kids, making them feel othered at such a young age? Especially since the holidays can be a time of joy and learning about other cultures.
These ideas aren’t exactly new in society, so it was surprising to some to see a play being performed with a plot involving Christmas and Kris Kringle, after years of holiday neutrality.
Some people may argue that since Santa is involved, and all of the characters are celebrating Christmas, “Miracle on 34th Street” violates these newly established holiday norms.
According to screenwriter Valentine Davies, religion is not meant to be a central theme in “Miracle on 34th Street”, nor is Christmas a main part of its message to audiences. Plays such as these include broader commentary about holiday times that apply across society. The idea for the play originated when Davies, after seeing the long lines at department stores, wondered what Santa would think of the commercialization during the holiday season.
Davies’ claims are consistent with the message portrayed in the play. However, to someone who celebrates another holiday, Santa and all of the traditions that surround him are inherently based in Christmas customs.
“Santa Claus, as depicted in stores like Macy’s, has more to do with Coca-Cola than Christianity. The themes audience members can expect to explore through the play – the importance of imagination, hope, love, family – are messages that everyone, regardless of his/her faith, can learn from,” said East theater director Peter Gambino.
In an instance such as this, where religion is not the main message, showing “Miracle on 34th Street” at school seems like an appropriate opportunity to teach the audience lessons while telling a story of holiday spirit.
The question becomes, when is it appropriate to learn from culture versus when is it appropriate to censor cultural differences altogether?
“Miracle on 34th Street” has remained a holiday classic since its release in 1947. Its reminder to believe in kindness and joy has resonated with 77 years’ worth of audiences. The film follows Doris Walker, an employee at a Macy’s department store, who discourages her daughter Susan from believing in Santa Claus. After the hired Santa arrives at Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade drunk, Doris agrees to let an elderly man named Kris Kringle step in. As Kris fights a legal battle to prove he is the real Saint Nick, he simultaneously tries to bring the Christmas spirit back to children.
Winning three Academy Awards, “Miracle on 34th Street” was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress, for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”. From the 1947 original to a Broadway musical adaptation, the film has been adapted several times over the years.
1947
The original adaptation of the film stars Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle and Maureen O’Hara as Doris Walker, the supervisor of the Macy’s where Kris works. The movie was released in May after studio head Darryl Zanuck argued that more people went to theaters during the summer. During promotions of the film, there was no mention of it being a holiday movie; instead, it was advertised as a lighthearted rom-com.
In order to achieve the ‘holiday feel’, many scenes were shot in the same locations as their movie counterparts, such as the Macy’s Department Store in New York City. Director George Seaton even filmed the 1946 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade live, with Gwenn portraying Santa on a parade float.
The film received widespread positive reception, with the New York Times calling it “the freshest picture in a long time, and maybe even the best comedy of the year”. Gwenn won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his charming portrayal of Kris Kringle. Co-star O’Hara remarked that by the time filming had finished, everyone on production believed he really was Santa.
1994
The 1994 remake of “Miracle on 34th Street” was its first theatrical reproduction, written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Les Mayfield. The remake was also in color, compared to the black and white 1947 original. It features Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle and Elizabeth Perkins as Doris Walker. However, Macy’s did not allow the film to use their department store name, so it was replaced by the fictitious “Cole’s”. Macy’s spokeswoman Laura Mellilo stated that they felt “the original stands on its own and could not be improved upon”.
The 1994 movie adopted a more serious and cynical tone, including religious commentary and centering the conflict around corporate greed. The movie also added a subplot about a rival store called Shopper’s Express trying to put Macy’s out of business.
The film received mixed reviews, with some arguing that the 1994 version stands up to the original, especially with Attenborough’s convincing acting of an innocent, sweet old man. Others missed the same heartwarming tone of its predecessor.
Broadway Musical
“Miracle on 34th Street” was also adapted into a Broadway musical in 1963. It was named “Here’s Love”, adapted by Meredith Willson, and directed by Stuart Ostrow. It ran for 338 performances, around three months. It followed the same plot as the original “Miracle on 34th Street”, with Kim Carson playing Doris Walker and Kevin McGuire as Kris Kringle.