Theatre Cedar Rapids planning a merry little Christmas with ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’

CEDAR RAPIDS — “Saint Louie” or “Saint Louis” — how do you pronounce the title of Theatre Cedar Rapids’ holiday musical?

“Well, the song is definitely ‘Saint Louie,’ but as the youngest character tells us, ‘It's pronounced ‘Saint Louis,’ Mr. Postman,’ ” director Lisa Kelly said. So the dialogue will use “St. Louis,” while the iconic song lyrics to the show’s title song will remain “St. Louie” for the show playing on the TCR stage from Nov. 18 to Dec. 18.

With 34 people in the cast, Theatre Cedar Rapids is pulling out all the stops visually as well as with the story and music, adding a youth ensemble to this tale of love and family.

If you go

What: “Meet Me in St. Louis”

Where: Theatre Cedar Rapids, 102 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids

When: Nov. 18 to Dec. 18; 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10; no show on Thanksgiving

Tickets: $18 to $48 plus fees; TCR Box Office, (319) 366-8591 or theatrecr.org/event/meet-me-in-st-louis/2022-11-18/

Set at the turn of the 20th century, it covers a year in the life of the Smith family, moving from season to season as they face decisions about romance and what it would mean to pull up stakes and move to New York City.

While the yuletide holidays are a large part of the show, with the classic tune “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” other familiar melodies include “The Trolley Song” and the title song, tucked into life lessons that continue to resonate.

“It’s kind of timeless,” Kelly said. “ … Ultimately, it’s about young people falling in love. It’s about parents loving their children, loving each other. It’s about kids making decisions and growing up and finding that first love — and we get to watch that happen — and the kind of crazy antics that happen with young people.

“This is exactly what happens today, just with slightly different song lyrics,” she said. "It’s about people just enjoying life. One of the things we’ve done is, the ensemble comes in and they do scenes or dances through every transition, so you get to see an arc of townspeople living their lives, too.

“It’s very optimistic,” she added, “and also nostalgic. It’s exactly what you think about (with a) holiday show — just come, relax and de-stress. You’re going to walk out humming songs that are ear worms, and I hope that you’re going to leave feeling really happy and really in the spirit of the holidays — which is that sort of joyful hopefulness.”

Even though Norman Rockwell came to prominence in the next decade and beyond, Kelly sees his style of capturing everyday life, running through this show.

“I see a lot of these things like snapshots of a bygone era — beautiful costumes, beautiful dancing,” she said.

Now 20 and a student at the University of Iowa, the first show Karissa Burkhardt saw at Theatre Cedar Rapids was the 2012 production of “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

“And then I saw it in St. Louis shortly after that,” Burkhardt said. “They were both such great productions that it really stood out in my memory because I love the show.”

The dream swirling for a decade is finally coming true, as she’s stepping into Judy Garland’s famous shoes — not the red sparkly ones — in the role of Esther Smith, the 17-year-old who is falling for the boy next door.

She grew up in a musical family in Iowa City, and is happy to be sharing the stage with her brother, Brandon Burkhardt, who plays her brother, Lon, in the show. The Smith siblings onstage have a good relationship that mirrors the Burkhardts’ real-life experiences.

“He's like my best friend,” Karissa said of Brandon. “I love that I’m able to do this with him, too.”

Both are studying performing arts at the UI. Brandon has had recent star turns at TCR as Cinderella’s charming prince in 2021, and as Rolf in “The Sound of Music” this past spring, and Karissa has been in the ensembles of “Cinderella” and “Mamma Mia!” at TCR.

She is beyond thrilled to be cast in this “St. Louis” leading role.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “This has always been a role that I’ve wanted to do. It’s always been a dream of mine. I still can’t believe that I’m actually doing it now.”

Her character, Esther Smith, has a lot of growing up to do during the course of the show.

“She’s kind of bold, but she definitely knows what she wants and how to get it, but (she’s) very much family-oriented, too, (and) just very loving,” Burkhardt said.

“She starts off with all eyes on this boy. The second song of the entire show is ‘The Boy Next Door.’ So that’s kind of her main goal. But in the end, what really matters to her is family. She would do anything for her family.

“It’s about her finding that balance between finding her love, but also her love for her family.”

However, Burkhardt said that when friends ask her about the show, they don’t say, “Oh, you’re Esther.” They say, “Oh, you’re Judy Garland.” So she’s striving to find her own interpretation of Esther.

“It’s definitely finding the balance,” she said. “Obviously, (Garland) was amazing. She made the character so special, but there’s also so much depth to the character, and finding a new take on it. There are just such high emotions — she’s a teenage girl — so that’s very accurate for most, and relatable for many.

“And I think that’s a lot of what the appeal of the show is — is that it’s a family, and it has its struggles, but in the end, it’s all about just love. And I feel like most people can relate to that.”

Greg Smith, 53, of Marion, is returning to the role of Alonso Smith, father of the Smith clan. He was fairly new to the local theater scene when he played that part at TCR in 2012. He has since established himself in many leading roles, most recently as Captain Smith in Revival Theatre’s September production of “Titanic.”

“You’d think it’s a common name or something,” Smith said with a laugh.

Like the Captain, this Smith character also is shouldering a lot of responsibility. A lawyer in St. Louis, he becomes a junior partner, which means he’ll be taking over the office in New York. His family, however, balks at the thought of leaving the city and friends they’ve known all their lives.

As a result, he’s struggling with his need to provide for his family. His son is at Princeton, and he wants to send his daughters to college, too, so making a good income is paramount to that progressive goal, at a time when most young women didn’t go to college.

“I think that he’s a loving father — he wants to be a loving father,” Smith said, as well as a good provider, adding that he’s “not quite sure why the family is all upset” about the proposed move.

“He’s kind of clueless when it comes to why nobody would want to follow him to New York,” Smith added.

And even though he’s played this role before, he said this production feels new to him.

“It’s my first reprised role,” he said, “so that’s kind of fun. And it has a different feel. The lines did come a bit easier, to be fair. But it completely feels different than the last time. The use of the kids’ choir is completely different. And then of course, I have a completely different family, and even though they say the same things, they’re saying it in completely different ways.

“So to me, it’s a real fresh experience and something that I’m really happy to do again.”

Cast member David Gates, who plays the grandpa, played that role in Vinton in 2021.

Having two actors reprising earlier roles means “having a little grace when they might go the wrong way,” director Kelly said, when “muscle memory takes over.”

“I really spent some time with all the characters, talking about who they were and how they interacted with each other and working out those relationships in rehearsal, so it feels authentic for who they are right now,” she said. “And challenging them a little bit to make different choices, perhaps, than they made the first time — and it makes sense that they would, because it’s different people they’re reacting to.

“So I think as long as they’re open to the people sitting around the table with them at times, it just kind of naturally works out that it feels like they’re in our show.”

It only took a couple of weeks for Smith to shake off the ghost of the Christmas show past.

“Once I realized that the show is so much more a function of the actors than it really is of the script, I realized, OK, this is going a completely different direction,” Smith said. “So now, it’s about making those connections.

“This is the first time I’ve ever worked with Rosemary (Gast) as my stage wife, so I’m trying to make sure that we have a good connection, we feel safe, we feel like we’re doing what we need to do — and trying to still find the connection with the kids. Probably the biggest thing I’m trying to do is get those connections, make sure that story is going to be told well when I’m on stage, and then just supporting wherever I can.”

Gast sent shivers throughout audiences when she sang “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” in “The Sound of Music” at TCR.

“She has pipes,” Smith said. “She’s fantastic and I’m hanging on as much as I can to sing along with her. That by far is the coolest part about this whole theater — is really working with these amazing people. … I’ve been far too fortunate to work with the people I’ve been working with.

“And that’s just so much fun,” he said, “because you’ve really got to make that connection with that person. Mr. and Mrs. Smith really have to love each other up there on that stage, that’s just a great connection that just keeps drawing me back to this place.”

Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com