For the first time ever, the Lewiston and Clarkston high school drama programs came together to perform a joint production, Dec. 1-10, in the CHS auditorium. The holiday show called It’s a Wonderful White Christmas Story left audience members feeling “sparklejollytwinklejingly,” in the words of the show.
Bringing the show to production were writer Ethan Smith, who graduated from CHS in Spring 2016, with Lewiston Civic Theatre choreographer Becci Tank, and directors Mel Syverson and Larry Goodwin, who run the drama clubs at LHS and CHS, respectively.
The show took Smith all summer to write and his passion was obvious in the hilarious, witty and heartfelt script.
“I knew it needed to be just as great as a full-blown musical, which they achieved,” said Smith. “We wanted a full storyline, and [we] had the basic idea to model the storylines off White Christmas (saving the vacation lodge) and A Christmas Story (the little kid hoping for a Red Ryder gun).
“After we all discussed this basic story, I began to write the dialogue, trying to draw as many ties as I could to well-known Christmas stories while still keeping an original script,” Smith explained.
The heartwarming message came beautifully to life in expertly-constructed musical numbers accompanied by intense and awe-inspiring dance routines. The show provided a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season, giving insight regarding how Christmas is viewed versus how it should be celebrated.
The cast and creators of the show appeared passionate and proud of the production and potentially new tradition they started. The actors all seemed comfortable in their roles, which made the show even more enjoyable.
The enjoyment of the cast could have been partially due to the weight of what a joint show means to the community.
“In such a divided world right now, these kids knew they were creating something that everyone could love, and not worry about their differences,” Smith said. “I never imagined this production going where it has. I wrote the script but these kids really created this story. And that’s all it is, a story of love. So I really hope it becomes a tradition because it represents so many good things.”
The beautifully chaotic show represented everything good about the holiday season, earning 10/10.