Holiday musical HELD OVER through December 15

Film classic - A Christmas Story - comes to life as A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL, in Stamford. New performance added for Sunday, December 15 at 2pm.

"You'll shoot your eye out kid!" That's likely one of the most widely-recognized lines from filmdom, due in great part to the long-standing marathon TV airing of the classic 1983 movie, A Christmas Story! Now, for the first time in Fairfield County, A Christmas Story, The Musical, will play at Curtain Call, Stamford, December 15.

Written by Oscar and Tony Award winners Justin Paul & Benj Pasek (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land and more) A Christmas Story, The Musical chronicles young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker as he schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams, an official Red Ryder® Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle.

Most performances of this production have been completely SOLD OUT, so Curtain Call has added one final performance for this Sunday, December 15 at 2:00pm. "Once we opened this production, demand for tickets exploded," said Curtain Call executive director, Lou Ursone. "Audiences have loved the music and terrific dancing that this new version adds to the classic film," Ursone noted.

"I loved seeing A Christmas Story, The Musical in New York when it first opened and have been waiting patiently for the rights to become available to us," said Ursone. "It gives you all the warm and fuzzy feelings you expect from a holiday presentation, but it's loaded with laughs and a really terrific score by Pasek and Paul. (Justin Paul often credits his educators from Westport for giving him the foundation upon which his many successes have been built and came to see the show recently with his family.)

One of those educators, Ben Frimmer, speaks highly of Paul and is thrilled to be heading up this Curtain Call production as its director. "As a theatre educator there are few former students I am prouder of than Justin Paul. He's not only an incredible composer and lyricist, he's a terrific person and great friend. What an honor it is to be directing my second Pasek and Paul show," said Frimmer.

Working with Frimmer as music director is Greg Chrzczon, along with choreographer, Caitlin Roberts, costumer, Robin L. Mazzola, lighting designer, Peter Petrino, set designer, Peter Barbieri, Jr., and technical director, Jamie LaJoie. The cast includes: Seth Barkan, Chris Beaurline, Brian Bianco, Matthew Bukzin, Elena Cappella, Jennifer Faccenda, Scott Ferrara, Donna Fox, Ari Frimmer, Robert Geils, Darcy Gonzalez, Cooper Gusick, Griffin Handley, Willow Handley, Rick Harrington, Katie Imholt, Angela Jackson, Gavin Jamali, Kaite Laurie, Emma Listokin, Julie Loyd, Imogen Medoff, Kristin Morrow, Tyler Pascarella, Sarah Peterson, Sydney Sibilia, Olivia Simner, Ari Sklar and Jonathan Wu.

Both Ursone and Frimmer were aglow when speaking of this cast and this production in general. "A Christmas Story is both heartfelt and hilarious. I can't wait for audiences to see this musicalized Christmas classic," said Frimmer. "The show's really not geared toward any one religion. It's a love story to a time gone by when life was simpler and family was at the heart of it all," he added.

Ursone noted that the entire play is a fantastic Christmas memory to share with the entire family. Plan for lots of laughs (Flick does get his tongue stuck to the flagpole), and to enjoy a very talented large cast and crew.

Performances will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30PM and Sunday afternoons at 2:00PM. The Kweskin Theatre is located at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT. Doors open one half hour before show time. Tickets are $35 for adults, $25 for senior citizens and $17.5 for children. Thrifty Thursday tickets are $27.50. Flex Passes offer discounts of 25% and more. Box Office: 203-461-6358 x 36 or on the web at www.curtaincallinc.com.

Curtain Call's 29th season also includes the Fairfield County premieres Something Rotten and Kinky Boots as well as several other plays and musicals, comedy nights, and an interactive murder mystery. Discounted Flex Pass subscriptions offer savings of 25% and more. Additional information is available at www.curtaincallinc.com or by calling 203-329-8207.

Curtain Call is the non-profit community-based theatre company in residence at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue in Stamford. Year-round productions and educational workshops for all ages are presented by and for area residents in The Kweskin Theatre and The Dressing Room Theatre.

Curtain Call was voted Fairfield County's BEST LOCAL THEATRE GROUP ten years running in the Annual Readers' Poll of the Fairfield County Weekly and has received similar BEST OF awards from Stamford Magazine and StamfordPlus magazine for 2008 through 2018. Curtain Call received The Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2011 and the ACE Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture from the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.