A Christmas Story Live!

I don't understand the huge amount of negativity in all these reviews. The only thing I didn't like was the musical numbers. They were kind of corny and not part of the original but as an avid fan of the movie I enjoyed this production. I thought the actors did a great Job with very minimal mistakes considering it was live, I noticed Maybe 2 or 3 miscues. The political correctness is silly too but that the world we live in today so get used to it. All in all I enjoyed it.

Now age 75 , I can related to this story and best evaluate its merits versus all 4 prior medium versions, down to the fact that TV did not exist at the time of the story or in my house either but bith hosuies had coal fired heating and I really wanted that RR BB gun, Yes, every adult told me " YOU WILL SHOT YOUR EYE OUT" In life that RR BB gun was the only thing I really wanted that I never obtained, but I always loved and respected my parent anyhow. I I Enjoyed this 5th level version and saved it on tape to share some ( but not all ) with my grandchildren who always ask about the "Leg " nitelite in my home. Down to the playground "monkey bars" the stage set were as valid as the songs were bad and rushed. The openning jazz seen was unnecessary but the coming attractions( live or made to appear live -fooled me ) was awesome. However, I am one of the few peopel who can say that i heard the original the first time told ny the "Shep' on NYC WOR radio on Christmas eve 1959 ( or so) and then read the book ( In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash" --like JamesBond- first published in Playboy Magazine ), long before the movie . Two years ago I saw the PLAY off-broadway. Only true Jean Shepherd fans/followers realized how much is lost at evey new levelwhile perhaps adding something new-- like music ,or as in this live TV production some political correct stuff. Hiowever, while I can't remember 1959 so well ( it was 250,000 miles of air travel ago ) Schwartz was in fact a Jewish family so those new additiions may well be more valid than the movie. It is hard to please the young today or capture their attention , but I do hope i will not live to see" A Christmas Story- the Video Game".

First then good. The actors for the father and teacher did quite a good job and obviously have had extensive stage experience. The costumes were accurate and some of the characters looked very much like the original movie.

The bad. The rest of the cast would appear to have never seen a musical let alone sing in one. I have been to a lot of musicals and often there is a guest star who does a passable job in a role while the rest of the cast is superb. This was quite the opposite. There were new scenes and almost unrecognizable old ones, but the worst was the butchering of the funniest scene in the movie just to make the restaurant scene politically correct.

This will not become a classic like the original movie. Will have to watch the movie to erase the thoughts of this one.

If I had never seen the original movie version of "A Christmas Story", with the incomparable Darren McGavin as "Old Man Parker"; Melinda Dillon, the perfect compliment, as his spouse, "Mother Parker"; Peter Billingsley as "Ralphie" like no one else could have ever portrayed him; and the cohesive sound of Mr. Jean Shepherd, whose artistic voice acted as a brush painting the masterpiece narration along the way and who also wrote the novel which this wonderful tribute to the holiday season is based on, however as I began to say, if I had never seen the original, I still would have felt that the attempt by FOX this evening was a failure in its interpretation of the source, its delivery of the interpretation and its emphasis being placed more on political correctness vice talent and ability regarding its casting of the parts.

But I have seen the original, more times than I can count. The original is a modern holiday classic in much the same way that "Miracle on 34th Street (1947)", "It's A Wonderful LIfe (1946)" and "A Christmas Carol (1938)" are holiday classics from the golden age.

I don't know what FOX was attempting to accomplish with this production besides showing that anything can be remade with heavy handed subjective political correctness, but whatever else was their goal, maybe others will feel they were successful in their mission. Just don't count me among them.

Anyone writing anything positive about this is writing on behalf of the production team or the pr people. Even the scenes are set wrong. Go back to basic remake 101. You don't make a classic better you enhance what it was / update it. Should of kept it close to the original as possible. Worst show I've ever seen do not recommend it even if your deaf and blind.