A Christmas Story Live ! - Wikipedia A Christmas Story Live ! A Christmas Story Live ! Genre Musical Based on In God We Trust : All Others Pay Cash ( 1966 ) A Christmas Story ( 1983 ) A Christmas Story : The Musical ( 2012 ) Written by Robert Cary Jonathan Tolins Directed by Scott Ellis Alex Rudzinski Starring Fred Armisen Chris Diamantopoulos Ana Gasteyer David Alan Grier Ken Jeong Jane Krakowski Maya Rudolph Andy Walken Narrated by Matthew Broderick Composer ( s ) Pasek & Paul Country of origin United States Production Executive producer ( s ) Marc Platt Adam Siegel Producer ( s ) Robert Cary Jonathan Tolins Location ( s ) Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California Running time 180 minutes ( with commercials ) Production company ( s ) Marc Platt Productions Warner Horizon Television Release Original network Fox Original release December 17, 2017 ( 2017 - 12 - 17 ) External links Official Website A Christmas Story Live ! is a television special that was originally broadcast by Fox on December 17, 2017. It was a live, televised musical remake of the 1983 film A Christmas Story, and incorporated the 2012 stage musical version A Christmas Story : The Musical. The live musical was executive produced by Marc Platt and Adam Siegel, directed by Scott Ellis and Alex Rudzinski, and starred Matthew Broderick, Andy Walken, Maya Rudolph, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Jane Krakowski. Contents 1 Premise 2 Cast and characters 3 Musical numbers 4 Production 5 Reception 5.1 Critical 5.2 Ratings 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Premise A Christmas Story Live ! is based on `` the short stories of humorist Jean Shepherd and is set in 1940s Indiana. It follows 9 - year - old Ralphie Parker and his unrelenting desire to get his hands on a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. '' Cast and characters The Parker Family Andy Walken as Ralphie Parker Matthew Broderick as adult Ralphie / Narrator Maya Rudolph as Mother Chris Diamantopoulos as The Old Man Tyler Wladis as Randy Parker School characters Jane Krakowski as Miss Shields Sammy Ramirez as Schwartz JJ Batteast as Flick Sacha Carlson as Scut Farkus Elie Samouhi as Grover Dill Abigail Dylan Harrison as Louise Artyon Celestine as Richie Hayley Shukiar as Esther Jane Other Ana Gasteyer as Mrs. Schwartz Ken Jeong as Tree Salesman / Restaurant Owner David Alan Grier as Mall Santa Fred Armisen as Mall Elf PRETTYMUCH as Hohman Indiana carolers Musical numbers Two songs were created exclusively for the live broadcast that were not originally present in the original Broadway production including `` Count on Christmas, '' and `` In the Market for a Miracle. '' In addition, three songs from the Broadway production were cut or reworked. `` Overture '' and `` Parker Family Singalong '' were both cut, while `` Act One Finale '' was reworked as `` Ralphie 's Nightmare. '' The song `` Up on Santa 's Lap '' was included in the television broadcast, but not included on the Christmas Story Live ! album. Opening number `` Count on Christmas '' -- Bebe Rexha Act I `` It All Comes Down to Christmas '' -- Ralphie, The Parkers and Ensemble `` Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun '' -- Ralphie and Jean `` The Genius on Cleveland Street '' -- The Old Man and Mother `` When You 're a Wimp '' -- Kids `` Ralphie to the Rescue '' -- Ralphie, Miss Shields, The Parkers and Ensemble `` What a Mother Does '' -- Mother `` A Major Award '' -- The Old Man, Mother and Neighbors `` Ralphie 's Nightmare '' -- The Parkers `` In the Market for a Miracle '' -- Mrs. Schwartz, Ralphie, Schwartz, Ensemble Act 2 `` Sticky Situation '' -- Kids, Ensemble `` You 'll Shoot Your Eye Out '' -- Miss Shields and Kids `` When You 're a Wimp ( reprise ) '' -- Kids `` Just Like That '' -- Mother `` At Higbee 's '' -- Elves `` Up on Santa 's Lap '' -- Santa, Elves, Ralphie, Randy and Kids `` Before the Old Man Comes Home '' -- Ralphie and Randy `` Somewhere Hovering Over Indiana '' -- Ralphie, Randy and Kids `` Red Rider ( reprise # 3 ) '' -- Ralphie and The Old Man Ralphie to the Rescue ( reprise ) '' -- Ralphie and Ensemble `` A Christmas Story '' -- The Parkers and Full Company ^ Jump up to : Song was written specifically for the television production. Production The production was based on A Christmas Story : The Musical, which in turn was based on the 1983 film. Marc Platt reprised his role as co-executive producer from the live television musical ( 2016 ) of Grease : Live, joined by Adam Siegel, and television director Alex Rudzinski and theatrical director Scott Ellis. It was broadcast from the Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California, primarily using outdoor sets. Ellis noted that emphasis on the `` feeling of family '' was an important aspect of the production, as `` it 's not just razzle - dazzle stuff and big musical numbers. Our challenge is to never lose sight of the family aspect. And I think -- I hope -- we 've succeeded in that. '' Songwriting duo Pasek & Paul, who wrote the songs for A Christmas Story : The Musical, wrote three new songs for the production, including `` In the Market for a Miracle '' for Mrs. Schwartz, `` Ralphie 's Nightmare '' for the Parker family, and the opening theme `` Count on Christmas ''. Pasek noted that the team had to try and maintain a balance between preserving the familiar and iconic aspects of the film, while also expanding upon it through its musical format. He explained that `` there are certain moments where we want to stay true to what people remember and then there 's other moments where we have permission to do what only musical theater can do and turn the dad 's fantasy into a tap dancing number. '' Platt remarked that when working on a project such as this, `` you prepare for the unknown. That 's what makes live TV exciting. There are certain things that happen that you ca n't anticipate ''. Unlike previous years, NBC did not broadcast a live musical for the 2017 holiday season ; while it did plan to produce a version of Bye Bye Birdie executive produced by and starring Jennifer Lopez, it was delayed into 2018 to accommodate Lopez 's schedule. The broadcast ultimately competed against ABC 's annual presentation of the film The Sound of Music, as well as NBC 's Sunday Night Football between the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders. During the special, Fox also broadcast a live, 2 - and - a-half - minute commercial for The Greatest Showman, a then - upcoming musical film that also featured songs written by Pasek and Paul. The spot, which was directed by Michael Gracey and Beth McCarthy - Miller, and also simulcast on Facebook, featured a performance of the number `` Come Alive '' with the film 's stars Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Keala Settle, and Zendaya. The presentation was billed as the first live television commercial for a film. Reception Critical A Christmas Story Live ! received mixed to negative reviews, with the general audience reacting more harshly than professional critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the production received a 46 % rating based on 13 critics ' reviews and a very low 14 % based on 44 audience reviews. The show 's three - hour length and musical numbers drew the most negative reactions, as Fox did not promote the program as a musical, and the lavish Broadway musical numbers were perceived to clash with the story 's Midwestern setting. However, most of the individual actors ' performances were positively received, as were the technical aspects of the special ( such as scene and wardrobe changes ). The Los Angeles Times praised the performers : ``... Matthew Broderick, who found his own, gentler way through Shepherd 's pointy prose... Maya Rudolph was affecting as Ralphie 's mother, Chris Diamantopoulos gruff if less than epic as his father, the Old Man... Andy Walken was a good visual match for the movie 's Peter Billingsley,... The whole company of kids, in fact, was energetic and on their marks,... Schwartz 's mother, previously an offended voice on the other end of a phone call, was here gloriously embodied by Ana Gasteyer, who brought in a Hanukkah theme... '' but noted that ``... the virtues that have made the movie a seasonal perennial were somewhat swallowed by the narrative digressions and showstopping gestures of the musical. '' Ratings The overnight Nielsen ratings were a 2.8 rating / 5 share with 4.52 million viewers, as compared to the Fox network live telecast of Grease : Live in January 2016, which earned a 7.4 overnight and 12 million viewers. See also 2017 in American television List of Christmas television specials References Jump up ^ `` Ana Gasteyer will join cast of Fox 's A Christmas Story Live ! ''. BroadwayWorld. October 25, 2017. Retrieved December 2, 2017. Jump up ^ Fierberg, Ruthie ( November 1, 2017 ). `` Watch This First Glimpse of Fox 's A Christmas Story Live ! ''. Playbill. Retrieved November 1, 2017. Jump up ^ Villarreal, Yvonne ( 16 December 2017 ). `` The leg lamp ! The frozen pole ! Fox prepares to bring a holiday classic to life with ' A Christmas Story Live ! ' ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 December 2017. ^ Jump up to : Fierberg, Ruthie. `` Meet the Kid Cast of A Christmas Story Live ! Playbill ''. Playbill. Retrieved 18 December 2017. Jump up ^ Agard, Chancellor ( September 21, 2017 ). `` Matthew Broderick joins Fox 's A Christmas Story Live ! ''. EntertainmentWeekly. Retrieved November 1, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Weigle, Lauren ( 17 December 2017 ). `` ' A Christmas Story Live ' Cast List for FOX 's Musical ''. Heavy.com. Retrieved 18 December 2017. Jump up ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee. `` ' A Christmas Story Live ' : 5 things to look out for during the musical broadcast ''. EW.com. Retrieved 18 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` A Christmas Story Live ! by Various Artists on Apple Music ''. iTunes.Apple.com. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017. ^ Jump up to : Villarreal, Yvonne ( 2017 - 12 - 16 ). `` The leg lamp ! The frozen pole ! Fox prepares to bring a holiday classic to life with ' A Christmas Story Live ! ' ''. Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458 - 3035. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 18. Jump up ^ `` Behold the leg lamp : Fox 's ' A Christmas Story ' offers live - musical take on holiday classic ''. USA Today. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 18. Jump up ^ Patten, Dominic ( 2017 - 12 - 18 ). `` ' Sunday Night Football ' Ratings Up, Low ' Christmas Story Live ! ' Topped By ' Sound Of Music ' Movie Encore In Viewers ''. Deadline. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 18. Jump up ^ Ramos, Dino - Ray ( 2017 - 12 - 18 ). `` ' The Greatest Showman ' Live Movie Trailer Electrifies During ' A Christmas Story Live ' ''. Deadline. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 18. Jump up ^ `` Hugh Jackman 's Live Ad Last Night for The Greatest Showman Was Quite the Circus ''. Adweek. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 18. Jump up ^ Melas, Chloe. `` ' A Christmas Story Live ' did n't bring the holiday cheer ''. CNN. Retrieved 18 December 2017. Jump up ^ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_christmas_story_live/ Jump up ^ A Christmas Story Live viewers confused by musical event : read the reactions. Us Weekly. Retrieved December 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Lloyd, Robert. `` ' A Christmas Story Live ! ' gets merry with Maya Rudolph and a winning Ralphie '' Los Angeles Times, December 17, 2017 Jump up ^ `` TV Ratings Sunday Dec 17, 2017 '' zap2it.com Jump up ^ McPhee, Ryan. `` ' A Christmas Story Live ! ' Ratings : Up Against Football, Fox Faces Numbers Dip Compared to ' Grease ' '' Playbill, December 18, 2017 External links Official website A Christmas Story Live ! on IMDb FOX Live ! musicals Grease : Live ( 2016 ) A Christmas Story Live ! ( 2017 ) Rent Live ! ( 2019 ) A Christmas Story Films A Christmas Story ( 1983 ) Ollie Hopnoodle 's Haven of Bliss ( 1988 ) My Summer Story / It Runs in the Family ( 1994 ) A Christmas Story 2 ( 2012 ) Related works In God We Trust : All Others Pay Cash A Christmas Story : The Musical A Christmas Story Live ! Related articles Jean Shepherd A Christmas Story House Red Ryder BB Gun Christmas portal Musical theatre portal Television in the United States portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Christmas_Story_Live!&oldid=822070146 '' Categories : 2010s American television specials 2017 in American television 2017 television films 2017 television specials Christmas television specials December 2017 events in the United States English - language television programs Films based on musicals based on films Films based on multiple works Films based on works by Jean Shepherd Fox television specials Live television programs Musical television films Musical television specials Films set in Indiana Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano Edit links This page was last edited on 24 January 2018, at 06 : 22. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: who is santa in the christmas story live
Answer: David Alan Grier