Film & TV NewsA Christmas Story Live! Airs on Fox December 17The three-hour musical event features a score by Tony and Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
By
Andrew Gans
December 17, 2017
Clockwise from top: Chris Diamantopoulos, Maya Rudolph, Andy Walken, and Tyler Wladis
Tommy Garcia / FOX
A Christmas Story Live!, inspired by the classic holiday film and the Tony-nominated Broadway musical, airs December 17 on Fox beginning at 7 PM ET.
Tony winner Matthew Broderick, as the grown-up Ralphie, serves as narrator for the three-hour event, and 11-year-old newcomer Andy Walken plays the central role of Ralphie. Tony winner Jane Krakowski is Ralphie’s teacher Miss Shields, with Waitress alum Chris Diamantopoulos and SNL veteran Maya Rudolph as Ralphie’s parents. Wicked and SNL alum Ana Gasteyer plays Mrs. Schwartz, the mother of one of Ralphie’s friends.
The cast also includes multiple Tony nominee David Alan Grier as Santa Claus, TV and film star Ken Jeong as a Christmas tree salesman and a restaurant owner, and the a cappella PRETTYMUCH as the Hohman Indiana carolers.
Singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha will open the live presentation with a performance of the new song “Count on Christmas,” written specifically for the live musical event by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Tony Award winners for Dear Evan Hansen.
TV watchers should also expect a live commercial with Hugh Jackman and the stars of the forthcoming movie musical The Greatest Showman, also featuring songs by Pasek and Paul, sometime during the telecast.
A Christmas Story Live!, which blends the score Pasek and Paul penned for the Broadway musical adaption with new material, is produced by Warner Horizon Unscripted and Alternative Television. Marc Platt and Adam Siegel executive produce, with Jonathan Tolins and Robert Cary serving as co-executive producers and writers.
Scott Ellis is an executive producer and the director overseeing the stage direction; Alex Rudzinski is an executive producer and the live television director.
The new Arts Music division of Warner Music Group will release the Original Soundtrack Recording of A Christmas Story Live! December 18. It will be available in all digital and streaming formats following the three-hour television event.
Fox also has a live adaptation of Jonathan Larson's Tony- and Pulitzer-winning Rent in the pipeline; the musical is set to air in early 2019.
Filmed in 2023, the one-night-only event featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Peter Friedman, and more from the Ahrens and Flaherty musical's original cast.
