Liz Lauren
Alicia Storin, Marcus Truschinski, Kelsey Brennan and Hilary Caldwell (from left) in "The Gift of the Magi," American Players Theatre, 2021.
Every year when I get out the boxes of holiday decorations, I make my way through the garland, tinsel and ornaments my kids made in school to find a pile of Christmas cards collected over the last ten years, neatly tucked away at the very bottom. And every time it is a lovely surprise, looking through greetings from years past, remembering the feelings of excitement and warmth they elicited, and revisiting news from friends as if I was reading them for the first time.
American Players Theatre’s production of The Gift of the Magi is like that. It’s a story I have heard over and over since I was a child. This is the third time this particular adaptation has been part of my holiday entertainment, but on opening night the genuinely moving production felt like a rediscovered treasure — a delightful combination of nostalgia, wonder and affirmation.
Based on the classic short story by O. Henry, this small-scale musical is a collaboration between core acting company member James DeVita and accomplished composer Josh Schmidt. While the other holiday standby, Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, often stuffs dozens of cast members into large party scenes, this Gift of the Magi takes the opposite approach: It brings the slim short story to life with only three actors and two musicians. Just as the plot strips away much of the pageantry of Christmas, this production makes great use of a small, talented cast to embody the tale of Jim and Della — newlyweds in New York in 1908, whose love for each other surpasses any concern for themselves. And though their extravagant presents are mismatched when they finally open them on Christmas Eve, the sentiment behind the entire season is perfectly distilled here.
Clotheslines criss-cross the stage in front of floating windows to represent the crowded New York tenement where Jim (a youthful-looking Marcus Truschinski) and Della (the energetic Kelsey Brennan) live in a third floor flat. The lines are laden with white lacy blouses, bloomers, sheets and socks, waiting to be animated. Similarly when Jim and Della are first introduced, they enter from the back of the house dressed in ensembles completely made of cream and off-white — like an antique textile, or the yellowed envelope found at the bottom of the box — waiting to share the story with us.
As they begin to inhabit the musical holiday tale, spots of color appear: a piece of mistletoe, a green skirt underneath Della’s white apron, a rose-colored vest, and red headband on Jim’s hat. The set pieces also contain touches of red and green, revealed when drop cloths are peeled back from furniture by Brian Mani, as the author O. Henry and the production’s narrator.
Contained on a series of small platforms, the flat is shared with the production’s two musicians — Hilary Caldwell and Alicia Storin — also dressed in period attire. This makes the tiny apartment feel even more claustrophobic. (Elegant costume design by Samantha C. Jones, and spare but romantic scenic design by Madelyn Yee.)
To stretch a short story to a full evening of theater, DeVita and Schmidt spend the beginning of the narrative setting the scene. This gives us a lot of context for the hardscrabble world Jim and Della navigate. They also expand the scenes with shopkeepers, coworkers, and fellow New Yorkers considerably. In addition to commenting on the action, Mani plays various colorful characters, with the simple addition of a hat, coat or glasses and a new voice or accent to match. With each new, charming persona, he draws the audience further into his Christmas tale, like a favorite uncle urging guests to come in and sit by the fire, inviting them to enjoy a cup of holiday cheer.
Core acting company member Kelsey Brennan brings a bright and optimistic sensibility to Della. Her love for Jim may seem girlish, but there’s nothing silly about her thrift with money as she tries desperately to save for Jim's Christmas present, carefully budgeting and rebudgeting, and haggling with shopkeepers over the price for groceries.
Jim, on the other hand, is expecting a large Christmas bonus from one of his tailoring clients to pay for an ornate gift for Della. They are both disappointed at the amount of money they have to spend, but Jim reminds himself to be resilient and have a strict work ethic. He tells himself that he is a very lucky man, even if his wages have been recently slashed and the futures of those around him look grim. These are practical people and extravagant lovers, delighted with each other so much that the rest of the world falls away.
Schmidt’s original songs are beautifully rendered on a cello, violin, piano, and occasionally a ukulele, played onstage as part of the ensemble of storytellers. The musicians perform complicated parts that sound like a much fuller pit orchestra than the one created by their two sets of hands. The sometimes gloomy, lower register accompaniment supports the fine voices of the cast, which are simple, warm and sweet — and suited perfectly to musical theater.
The melodies and lyrics constantly delight with clever, lilting refrains. The high point of the show, musically, features the entire cast harmonizing together, filling the theater with their minute chorus. Another memorably melodic scene is Jim’s interaction with a busker (Caldwell), whose incredibly expressive voice and musical versatility shine as she strums on her ukulele. She sings a folky ballad in angelic tones that's delicious paired with close harmonies from the cast, and a million miles from Christmas cliches.
Malkia Stampley uses a gentle touch to direct the production, bringing the characters from inside their tiny flat, pushing them out into the world of New York City, and then welcoming them back into their little nest as the story unfolds. Jessica Bess Lanius provides the entire cast with simple but effective dance moves that feel like sweethearts swaying to their favorite song.
This iteration of DeVita and Schmidt’s musical feels the most focused out of the three productions I have seen. Presumably the material has tightened during every outing, but there are still two or three songs that, while reminiscent of the time period, do nothing to advance the story and feel like filler.
The final image of the play is Jim and Della in a simple embrace, holding one another as the lights go down. It is a powerful way to sum up this season of love, with a reminder to rejoice in all of our blessings.
APT will be performing The Gift of the Magi through Dec. 19. It is also available as a streaming filmed performance at home, also through Dec. 19.
