By Gerard Falco.
The Christmas Voyager, a Christmas holiday musical, is currently running at the Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford, N.Y. through Saturday December 23rd. The production is based on a book written by Robert Fitzsimmons and Kathy Wheeler. The theme revolves around the intergalactic journey of “Starman” (Zach Trimmer), who travels through time trying to find his way home by searching for the alignment of the three stars that come together on Christmas Eve. As you probably already surmised and without giving too much away, his time travels bring him to the origins of some of our best known Christmas traditions. The theme is a bit simplistic, but then again, it is really intended as wholesome family fare.
Most of the songs rely upon the collective voices of the company. Their individual voices are delightful as is their resulting harmony. During the first act one got the feeling there was much more under the hood of this musical vehicle and in the second act those voices came to life. The voice of Zach Trimmer is strong and powerful as is the fantastic operatic voice of Bonnie Fraser.
The play is nicely directed by Richard Stafford, and the costumes by Claudia Stephany are varied and fun. The stage settings and the initial mood of the play start slowly. The play builds momentum before the second half and ends on a very nice note. The players’ voices were sometimes difficult to understand. The choreography is creative without being too complex. There is even some tap dancing and a sing-along at the end of the production.
Overall, the theatre projects into the theatre space and is quite comfortable with a clear view of the stage. The served dinner is satisfying. The Christmas Voyager is an enjoyable and entertaining holiday event for the entire family!
Running Time: Approximately 2 1/2 hours with one 30 minute intermission. (For the evening performances, the meal begins being served at 6:15 and the production begins at 8 pm.)
The Christmas Voyager is playing at The Westchester Broadway Theatre until December 23rd, 2017. The theater is located at One Broadway Plaza, Elmsford NY. For tickets contact the box office at (914) 592-2222 or click here.