Synopsis: Miracle on 34th Street is a classic Christmas story about a department store Santa Claus (Patrick Parks) who insists he is the real Kris Kringle, leading to a court case to determine his sanity and the public's belief in him. The production follows a no-nonsense department store executive, her daughter, and a lawyer who must navigate the legal and emotional implications of this man's claims.

Stage & Set Design: There are so many different scenes and locales within this production that it must have been quite a chore to organize and prepare all of them. Scenes take place in the street during a parade. In a department store, in an apartment, in an office building, in a dream sequence, in a pharmacy, in a court room, in a separate apartment, in a mental health facility, and possibly others that I may be spacing. All the scenes put together were able to give the viewer the feel of where they were supposed to be. My only questionable one was the mental health facility. It is a very short scene where Santa is wondering how he is going to get out of the situation that he is currently in, and he is talking to an orderly. It felt like a gym scene to me. Nothing except the story told me he was being held anywhere. Santa looked like he was just sitting on a gym bench, and someone brought him a change of clothes. The background was completely black with no props to help paint the picture. Maybe a small table off to the side with a couple of others playing chess in white or grey sweatpants and matching T-shirts. That was the only scene that took me out of the story a bit due to trying to process where we were. I loved in the very beginning during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, how the cast looked beyond the audience as if the actual parade was behind us. The focused-on characters as well as the background characters did great. Everyone stayed in character, and it definitely took me back, as if I was there.

Stephanie McCoy (Doris Walker) was on top of her game in this production. I have seen this actress in many aspects of the West End Theatre, but NEVER have I seen her perform in the way I saw in this show. She took this role and ran with it. I instantly believed she was a 40’s era workaholic, strong female who measured success in pride. As the lead protagonist, she shined most when she sang. Her rendition of “You Don’t Know” would have made the late Maureen O’Hara proud. Her multitude of costume changes had to have been quite difficult to organize in the back. The whole cast had many costume changes in this production, but Stephanie had to have been one of the performers with the most. I am looking forward to anything else she decides to be in.

Chase Ramirez (Fred Gailey) was a new face that to the theatre that I didn’t recognize. After this show, I will recognize him from now on. Chase seemed, I wouldn’t say “nervous” at first when the play began, I’d say unsure of what was to come. It felt like he held back at the start. That did not last long at all though. By the time he began to sing “Here’s Love”, he was putting it all out there on the stage. He always had a very keen knowledge of his stage presence. I feel his biggest strength was his comedic facial expressions. I am not saying I don’t feel he would do well in a 100% serious production, I am saying his mannerisms are perfect for comedy, and I hope to see more of him soon. After talking to him after the show I was even more shocked to hear that this is his first performance since high school, and even then he was only in one play in school as well. Bravo.

Patrick Parks (Kris Kringle) is a long-time veteran at the West End Theatre. It felt like it had been a while since I saw him in a production. But in true Patrick form he came back with a top tier performance as the man himself, Santa Clause.  I have dressed as Santa myself many times in my life. Both on stage and just greeting children in real life. Patrick WAS Santa last night. He wasn’t portraying him, when those lights hit him, he was Santa. I’m a 43-year-old adult male and last night I believed in Santa once again in my life. I have heard Patrick sing in previous productions as well. He was the lead as Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof, so I know he had a voice. But last night was different. In those other performances his character had rougher voices. This was my first time hearing him sing so softly, with a loving and comforting voice that Santa would speak to others. He never ceases to amaze me.

Aiyla Lunder (Susan Walker) … where did this girl come from? We may have found Shirley Temple 2.0. She must have had theatre instilled in her since birth. Even in scenes where she was in the background and not the focus of the moment, she stayed in character and reacted so well with what was happening on stage. Her ability to show her emotions and relay them to the crowd so well with just her face is something that many Hollywood “stars” of today still haven’t done. Did I mention she can sing as well? In just the third scene of the show, when she sang “Arm in Arm” with Stephanie, my jaw dropped. Both were on point. Her duet with Patrick was so well done and she followed the choreography so well. I will truly be saddened if she isn’t in more performances. She has a bright future in the arts if she so chooses.

Will Coelho (Marvin Shellhammer) has become a staple at the West End Theatre. His love for the stage and the art of performance is motivating. Seeing these young adults coming into the family at the West End Theatre is really uplifting and makes me know that there is a group of people coming that are ready to take the torch and run with it. Will has been in many shows where he has been able to show his complete range. As I said with Chase though, I feel comedy is where he shines. The Shellhammer character was perfect for Will. His comedic take on the timid, but eager-to-help-and-please, junior executive at Macy’s was a very fun ride all night. The audience really loved when Will and the Macy’s Clerks sang and performed “Plastic Alligators”. I think it got the most talking out of any scene within the crowd. Random people behind me and even on the other side of the theatre could be heard. “Yup, that’s corporate America.” “I’d buy one.” “I want an alligator!” That kind of engagement is something you hope for as an actor and Will’s, as well as the Clerk’s performances delivered that.

This cast was large… THIRTY cast members in this small theatre on this small stage, yet they made it feel like I was at Ford’s Theatre. I may not be able to mention every cast member and go into depth on their performances but just know that even the smallest ensemble part in the show last night had an effect on me. The whole cast worked so well together. Here a few key moments I didn’t want to forget to mention.

-Before the play even started, the director Danielle Wagner Plocki, came out in front of the curtain and welcomed the crowd to the theatre. At the end of her speech, they had one of the young child actresses come out from behind the curtain in full 1940’s garb, holding balloons, and rush Danielle to the back to get ready for “The Parade”. It set up the intro to the play so well and was such a smart decision to get everyone ready.

-At one point I counted 20 dancers and singers on stage at the same time. This is not a huge stage by any means. Having all those people on it at once and moving around with no mistakes noticed was something that really was fun to watch. It made me want to watch everyone.

-Many scenes have many people in them. The directing crew did well to remind the cast to always be in character in the background. That is usually a flaw in many productions. This one only had a couple of hiccups with that. Mainly in the courtroom scenes. I watched the background actors a lot in this one and although in most of the play they are on top of it I saw a couple of performers staring off into space. A couple were playing with their costumes. At this point in the play I could see they may have been tired. It happens. But if someone is watching them, they could be taken out of the scene a little by seeing that. Like I said, for the most part, the background acting was a strength in this production.

-The scenic artist, Tina Thorman, once again did some masterful painting for props and backdrops. The one that entranced me the most was the New York Skyline painting. I painted the skyline of Gotham City on a wall in my house, and now I want to take notes from her work here for mine at home. Keep it up Tina. Your art is so eye-catching.

-Claire McCoy (Henrika) had only some small parts in this play but her work as the Dutch child who didn’t speak English was soooo good. She sang a song called “Bugles” with Patrick and it was tremendous. I don’t know if she actually knew Dutch or learned it just for this play. Or even just learned these foreign lines just for this play. In any case, she owned the stage for that time.

-The Toy Ballet scene was magical. Everyone got a chance to be up front and show what they had. It wasn’t just one person owning the scene. It was a group effort that once again made the eye wander to see how everything came to life.

-You need a good laugh? Just wait for the office scene with Mikayla Eager (Dr. Sawyer), Alicia Hinojosa (Miss Crookshank) and Patrick Parks (Kris Kringle). The facial features of these three in this scene made me laugh the hardest. I love it when a performer can make someone laugh just using their face. It is a talent not all have. Three excellent people who have this talent all made it to the same scene and it was something that you can only hope for as a director.

Final Review: I had never watched this movie before. Last night was my first time ever hearing this story. This morning, I watched it as I began typing this review. Watching the movie this morning only confirmed what I suspected last night, this cast didn’t just perform Miracle on 34th Street; they sneakily made their version the one I’ll think of first from now on. They didn’t copy the film, they didn’t imitate the legends, they politely took the classic, patted it on the head, and said, “Don’t worry, we’ve got it from here.” And honestly? They did. With charm, humor, and more genuine heart than should legally fit on that stage, they turned a story I’d never experienced into one I now weirdly feel nostalgic for. If believing is the whole point of this show, then congratulations to the entire cast and crew, because by the final bow, even a 43-year-old who dressed as Santa on stage in the past was fully convinced the magic was real.