The Gateway's "Holiday Spectacular on Ice!" is Festive, Fun, and Family-Friendly

By Cindi Sansone-Braff

Photos: Jeff Bellante

The Gateway’s “Holiday Spectacular on Ice!” is Festive, Fun, and Family-Friendly

If you’re looking for a Christmas miracle to share with your loved ones, take them to The Gateway’s “Holiday Spectacular on Ice!” While watching this joyous show, they will witness a winter wonderland resplendent with snowflakes, an onstage ice rink, Santa Claus arriving by sleigh, and visions of candy canes flying through the air.

Two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan“Holiday Spectacular on Ice!” features one of America’s most recognized sports icons, the two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan, as host and performer. During the opening number, “Where Are You Christmas,” the enthusiastic audience cheered and applauded when Kerrigan skated on stage, graceful and beautiful as ever, to join the talented young figure skater Gabrielle Freeman, a rising superstar.

This show has so many outstanding numbers that I don’t even know where to begin. My favorite was “Run, Run Rudolph,” where the fabulous Female Ensemble Skaters, donning poodle skirts,  skated around Ryan Dunk, whose hip gyrations and funky skating moves stole the show. During “Silent Night,” the Female Ensemble Skaters looked like beautiful snow angels floating among the clouds, and during the upbeat number “Sleigh Ride,” they performed like ice skating Rockettes. The Female Ensemble Skaters, accompanied by The Youth Skaters, delivered an unforgettable performance during the traditional Chanukah song celebrating the Festival of Lights, “Chanukah, O Chanukah!”

Kayleigh Linkous astounded the audience with her aerial acrobatics during “Hangin’ Round the Mistletoe.” When Dayron Tondike joined Linkous, these two athletic performers held the audience spellbound with their gravity-defying antics on the lyra. The best way to describe the showstopping number “Code Name Vivaldi” is to say it was all fire and ice. The multitalented Linkous displayed her breathtaking skating ability while dancing with flaming torches! 

The children in the audience loved the two classic Christmas jingles sung by the Youth Singers, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” with Ariela Masarsky portraying Santa’s most famous reindeer, and “Frosty the Snowman,” which showcased a larger-than-life-Frosty-skating around the stage accompanied by the Female Ensemble Skaters dressed like Santa’s other adorable reindeers.

The featured Skate Pair, Daniela Ivanitskiy and Jonathan Rogers, captivated the audience with their riveting performances of “All I Want for Christmas is You” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home.” At select performances, the other featured Skate Pair are Grace Hanns and Danny Neudecker.

Nancy Kerrigan with EnsembleThe stellar vocalists Jennifer Brett, José  Contreras, Tyler Shore, and Bellport’s own Shannon Gibbons, a Season 18 “American Idol” contestant, added greatly to the overall enjoyment of this production. I particularly loved their group renditions of “I’ve Got Love to Keep Me Warm” and “The Christmas Song.” Gibbons rocked the Jonas Brothers hit, “Like It’s Christmas,” while Nancy Kerrigan figure skated to breathtaking choreography during this upbeat song. Dressed in a sizzling red dress and riding in a sparkling red sleigh, Brett delivered a powerful rendition of “Santa Baby” surrounded by the Male Ensemble Skaters. Contreras and the Youth Singers had the audience singing along to “Feliz Navidad,” and Shore, with his rich and velvety vocals, gave the iconic Burl Ives version of “A Holly Jolly Christmas” a run for its money.

Keith Andrews’s astute direction and Tara Modlin-Maurizi and Andrews’s high-energy, precision-perfect choreography, in conjunction with the breathtaking costume design by Marianne Dominy with additional costumes by Janine Loesch, all deserve special mention. The holiday-themed, versatile set by Brittany Loesch further amplified the celebratory tone of the evening.

The gifted members of the Youth Ensemble are Sonnie Betts, Stefania Conte, Sofia Da Costa-Wilson, Samantha Hayes, Dominick Heilemann, Emily Hershey, Sophie Hughes, Edward Langston, Giada Longo, Julius Lovelace, Brendyn Molnar, Jennifer Morales, Abigail Pirozzi, Ella Roberts, Mia Rofrano, Kyle Walter, Addison Wasylyshyn, and Bree Wilkens.

Nancy Kerrigan and Gabrielle Freeman.The Young Skaters are Conalie Julia King, Gabrielle Freeman, Charlotte Gilroy, and Reese Wustenhoff.

The outstanding Ensemble Skaters are Viktoria Chiappa, Stephanie Chin, Ryan Dunk, Kevin Lee, Kayleigh Linkous, Ariela Masarsky, Madison Patrell, Violet Presley-Wolff, Alain Sandrez, Lacie Tew, Dayron Tondike, and Naomi Wong.

The biggest applause must go to the technical crew for creating and maintaining the ice rink. I stumbled upon a fascinating YouTube video made a few years back by “My Long Island TV” about the making of the staged rink. You might want to click on the link to find out for yourself: How An Ice Rink Is Made on The Gateway Stage.  

This magnificent show runs now through January 1, 2024. For tickets, contact the Box Office at (631) 286-1133 or buy online at https://TheGateway.org/.

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an award-winning playwright. She has a BFA in Theatre from UCONN and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. She is the author of “Grant Me a Higher Love,” “Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships,” and “Confessions of a Reluctant Long Island Psychic.” Her full-length Music Drama, “Beethoven, The Man, The Myth, The Music,” is published by Next Stage Press. www.Grantmeahigherlove.com.

Theatre Review: "A Christmas Carol, The Broadway Musical" At Gateway Theater

Gateway’s “A Christmas Carol, The Broadway Musical” is a Spirited Production for the Whole Family

By Cindi Sansone-Braff 

Photo: The Gateway

Gateway’s magical production at the Patchogue Theater is one of those Christmas miracles we all pray for. The musical adaptation of Dickens’s beloved Christmas story brings a new twist to an old tale. This show has it all: great acting, singing, dancing, a live orchestra, Broadway-quality costumes, spectacular special effects, and a magnificent set designed by the talented Kelly Tighe.

A Christmas Carol, The Broadway Musical was an annual holiday tradition at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden from December 1994 until December 2003. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and book by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens, this show continues to enthrall audiences of all ages, as evidenced by Saturday night’s rousing standing ovation.

One of the underlying themes in Dickens’s 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, the source material for this musical, was the hardships of being a child during the Victorian era. Scrooge’s miserably lonely childhood played a significant role in his grown-up jaded and pessimistic attitude toward the world. The storyline concerning Tiny Tim and the possibility of his early death from a childhood disease mirrors the real fears and harsh realities of life during the 19^th century. With that said, a great deal of the success of this production must be given to the dedication and talent of the cast of children, who are members of The Gateway School for the Performing Arts. A big applause goes out to Logan Baxter, Sonnie Betts, Sage Cotter, Bailey DeLauter, Skylar Greene, David Lafler, Kailyn Marra, Halle Morana, Sienna Reefer, Mia Rofrano, Marty Timlin, Elliot Torbenson, and Addison Wasylyshyn.  

A heartwarming moment in the show takes place at the Cratchit’s house when the entire family sings the upbeat song “Christmas Together.” Bennett Schneider was particularly endearing in the role of Tiny Tim, and he aced his solo. Ben Jacoby was convincing as the ever-optimistic Bob Cratchit, and Jennifer Byrne gave a strong performance as his loving wife.

The full title of Dickens’s novella is A Christmas Carol, In Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. The four ghosts in this production are all eerily unforgettable. Tom Lucca was fantastic as the ghost of Jacob Marley, revealing his powerhouse vocals during the bone-chilling song “Link by Link.” The audience was memorized as Marley flew across the stage, terrifying Scrooge. Gerry McIntrye gave a showstopping performance as The Ghost of Christmas Present, as did Morgan Billings Smith in her role as the Ghost of Christmas Past. As the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Be, Saki Masuda performed one of the most beautifully choreographed dance numbers I have ever seen, thanks to the gifted choreographer Debbie Roshe.

As for the central character, Ebenezer Scrooge, Howard Pinhasik gave an award-worthy performance as the bitter, bah-humbugging curmudgeon who finds redemption. Mr. Pinhasik displayed his strong acting, dancing, and singing skills throughout the show. 

I loved seeing Gateway’s Director of Development, Scot Patrick Allan, in the role of Mr. Smythe. Mr. Allan has a charismatic and engaging stage presence, and I hope to see him in many more productions.

During the festive song and dance number, “Mr. Fezziwig’s Annual Christmas Ball,” Robert Anthony Jones was a standout as the jovial Mr. Fezziwig.  Renee Marie Titus was equally as memorable in the role of his fun-loving, supportive wife, and Ms. Titus and Mr. Jones garnered some of the biggest laughs of the evening.

Under the astute direction of David Ruttura, the entire ensemble was first-rate, and their high energy and immense talent added to the overall success of this production. Ensemble and swing members include Evan Bertram, Steven Gagliano, Cody Gerszewski, Gianna Vasquez Bartolini, Daniel Deist, Fabi Gallmeister, Kaitlyn LaGrega, Whitley Locks, Katie Mattar, Michael Morley, Corrie Newman, Austin Phillips, Grace Sautter, and Brian C. Veith. 

Gateway’s spectacular production of A Christmas Carol, The Broadway Musical, is entertaining and enchanting right up to the exuberant finale when Ebenezer Scrooge rejoices in the true spirit of Christmas. A moment later, snowflakes fell upon the stage, and the children in the audience clapped their hands in delight. 

Running through December 28 at Patchogue Theatre, tickets are on sale starting at $59. Contact the Box Office at (631) 286-1133, or visit their website: Https://TheGateway.org.

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an award-winning playwright. She has a BFA in Theatre from UCONN and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. She is the author of Grant Me a Higher Love, Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships, and Confessions of a Reluctant Long Island Psychic. Two of her monologues from her full-length plays are featured in Smith and Kraus’s The Best Men’s Stage Monologues of 2022 and The Best Women’s Stage Monologues of 2022. www.Grantmeahigherlove.com.