"Gift of the Magi" Previews

Lovely preview pieces by Lindsay Christians of 77 Square and Terry Rindfleish of The LaCrosse Tribune Click here to go to the article on Madison.com Magical 'Magi': American Players stages first holiday musical By Lindsay Christians, 77 Square The classic 1910 Christmas tale 'The Gift of the Magi' is little more than two pages long. But it is this simple story that American Players Theatre has chosen to stage as a full-length musical, the first winter show in the company's indoor Touchstone Theatre. 'There's lots of great holiday shows out there, but what was ... something that would fit our theater and our community?' said James DeVita, an APT company member and author who has adapted more than a dozen plays for young audiences. ''The 'Magi,' the simplicity of it, just really struck us all,' DeVita said. 'It's the kind of story that deserves to be told once a year.' DeVita began working on a new adaptation of 'The Gift of the Magi' about two years ago, with a three-person cast and a new score by Josh Schmidt. The musical's official opening in Spring Green is Sunday, Nov. 28, at 6 p.m. 'The Gift of the Magi' was published by O. Henry (the pen name of American writer William Sydney Porter) in 1910. DeVita set the play in New York City on Christmas Eve, 1908. It's the story of a young couple who are so poor they cannot afford to buy one another Christmas gifts, and the sacrifices they make to show their love. DeVita strove to create a historical context to make Jim and Della's story feel real, opening with details about the average work week during that era (60 hours) and Teddy Roosevelt's refusal to have a Christmas tree in the White House. The score, accompanied by cello and viola, includes 18 songs written by Schmidt, who most recently composed music for 'Long Day's Journey Into Night,' 'Henry V,' and 'Widowers' Houses,' all at APT. 'Josh and I both have really strong opinions,' DeVita said. 'But he's really good at letting stuff go if it doesn't work. And I don't feel attachment to a line - I want the story to be the best it can, so I want to know what doesn't work.' The actors, too, are striving for emotional depth. Della, the young wife, could be portrayed as impetuous and flighty - she's impulsive, weeping with self-pity when she realizes she doesn't have the money for a decent gift. Tracy Michelle Arnold, who is playing a woman probably 20 years her junior, said she had to 'access the youthful part of myself that believes the best.' 'There was an adventurous spirit that made this country, and I think (Della) is one of those adventurous people,' Arnold said. 'She believes that other people will act from their heart like she acts from her heart.' Marcus Truschinski, who is married to Arnold, also plays her husband in the musical. In O. Henry's story, Jim is absent for most of the narrative, returning for the end of the story. In the play, DeVita has created a job for him - he's a tailor, 'an artist' - and characters for him to interact with, a boss, a customer and a street busker, all played by Brian Mani. In one scene, Jim leaves his apartment and notices the city's poverty with a shudder. He sings, 'Around every corner, I see the faces of folks who once had little and now have none.' 'There are a lot of dark things that happen, especially in the story that he's written for me,' Truschinski said. 'We have this cozy, beautiful home where we're happy in our small little flat. I leave that flat and I walk to work, and I see all these things happening - and I think, that could have been me. 'Stories are retold every year because they have these dark elements that scare us, that we have to overcome.' Like 'A Christmas Carol' and 'It's A Wonderful Life,' versions of which are scheduled for Madison stages this holiday, 'The Gift of the Magi' must walk a fine line between sentimentality and true emotion. 'There's been criticism that it's just sentimental,' DeVita said. 'It's not sentimental, it's just true. We all have those moments, in private, like 'Oh my god, I'm so lucky.' Or when we're sick and then we're better. It's putting that onstage.' Click here to go to the article on The LaCrosse Tribune website. Gift of the Magi is holiday love story By Terry Rindfleisch SPRING GREEN, Wis - The American Players Theatre hasn't packed up for the winter. For the first time in its 31-year history, APT is staging a Christmas show in its indoor Touchstone Theatre. James DeVita, a popular core company member, decided to write a musical version of O. Henry's classic of love and generosity, 'The Gift of the Magi,' with Josh Schmidt, who wrote original music. DeVita also directed the play. 'Josh and I were searching for a project to work on together,' DeVita said. 'The Gift of the Magi' has 26 performances in the 200-seat theater starting in previews Nov. 26. 'When we got our new indoor space, we wanted to do a couple more shows a year, but we wanted to grow slowly and be smart about it,' DeVita said. 'So we thought we would be able to do a holiday show this year.' The show features APT veteran actors Tracy Michelle Arnold as Della and Brian Mani as O. Henry, and Marcus Truschinski (Arnold's real-life husband) as Della's husband, Jim. The story centers on Jim and Della, who are very much in love but can barely afford their one-room apartment due to a recent decrease in Jim's salary. As a Christmas gift, Della scrapes together pennies to buy Jim a fob for his prized pocket watch given to him by his grandfather. When her savings doesn't cover the cost of the fob, she cuts off and sells her long, beautiful hair to make up the extra. Meanwhile, Jim decides to sell his watch to buy Della a beautiful set of tortoiseshell combs for her hair. DeVita said the couple realizes that their love for each other is the most important thing in life. 'It's just a wonderful story about the simple things in life, which are really important,' DeVita said. 'We all know that, but I think it is worthy reminding ourselves of that again and again. It's something that gets lost in our busy daily lives. 'It's a great theme for a holiday story and works wonderfully well in our space,' he said. 'We have great actors who also have beautiful voices.' Mani as O. Henry and two musicians, a cellist and violist, facilitate the story with the couple bringing the story to life, DeVita said. 'I think this play reminds us how lucky we are and how we need to forget about all the petty things and how hard things are, and rely on our love for each other,' DeVita said. Related Productions: The Gift of the Magi