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Sugar Factory Playhouse to perform classic production of ‘Miracle on 34th Street’

Dec 11, 2019 03:12PM ● By Jordan Hafford

The cast of Sugar Factory Playhouse’s 2019 production of “Miracle on 34th Street” (Travis Green/Sugar Factory Playhouse)

By Jordan Hafford | [email protected]

“Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind … and that’s what’s been changing. That’s why I’m glad I’m here, maybe I can do something about it.” 

If you’re a fan of feel-good holiday films, you have no doubt heard this quote from the beloved Christmas classic “Miracle on 34th Street” from 1947. 

Kris Kringle, the magical embodiment of Christmas spirit, will once again enchant children and people of all ages this season, not only from 34th Street but from the stage of Sugar House Factory Playhouse.  

“I love bringing a paper script to life,” said the play’s artistic director, Pat Oliver. “And our cast has some beginner talent, as well as our leads which come from Hale Centre Theatre.”

The annual Christmas special that Sugar Factory puts on since 2002 is one of four annual performances they put on per year, and this is only the second this play has been there, the last occasion being in 2009.

A full list of their productions, past and present, can be found at sugarfactoryplayhouse.com/productions.

The 33-person cast includes talented actors ranging from age 4 all the way to 72. 

Although it is not a musical, this production includes classic Christmas carols sung by the cast to add that extra dose of Christmas spirit to an already heartwarming story. 

The story that has been viewed and heard through many renditions is that of Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home that lands a gig working as Santa for Macy’s department store. Kris sends waves of goodwill to the store customers and the commercial world of New York City by referring parents to other stores to find the exact toy or object that the child most desires. 

He eventually befriends a young girl named Susan, daughter of a workaholic mother, who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus. 

Kris ends up in a court competency hearing to prove not only that he is mentally competent, but that there is, indeed, a Santa Claus. 

Sugar Factory Playhouse, as well as the other arts organizations that comprise the Cultural Arts Society of West Jordan, are eagerly awaiting the construction of a West Jordan arts center. 

Ground was broken for the building in 2017, but construction was delayed and eventually the site was abandoned. A new site that lies between the rodeo grounds and outdoor swimming pool is now being considered, and the West Jordan City Council continues to discuss the space and specifics of the building. 

Until then, Sugar Factory Playhouse and the other organizations in the Society must continue to find storage space, rehearsal space and performance venues where they can, sometimes having to venture outside of West Jordan, which is what put the performance of “Miracle on 34th Street” in Midvale this year. 

“I love doing this on every level,” Oliver said. “We’ve been through a lot of fun but also frustration with the theatre situation. We’re unsinkable Molly Browns, and we keep carrying on because our public really enjoys what we do.”

Performances will be De. 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Midvale Performing Arts Center (695 West Center Street). Tickets may be purchased in advance online at BuyYourTix.com or at the door.