Mrs. Santa Claus
| Mrs. Santa Claus | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Terry Hughes |
| Produced by | David Shaw |
| Written by | Mark Saltzman |
| Starring |
Angela Lansbury Michael Jeter Terrence Mann Lynsey Bartilson Bryan Murray David Norona Debra Wiseman |
| Music by | Jerry Herman |
| Cinematography | Stephen M. Katz |
| Edited by | Stan Cole |
| Distributed by | Hallmark Entertainment & Corymore Productions |
Release dates | December 8, 1996 |
Running time | -90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Mrs. Santa Claus is a 1996 television musical starring Angela Lansbury as the wife of Santa Claus. The musical score for Mrs. Santa Claus was written by Jerry Herman, the composer of such hit Broadway musicals as Hello, Dolly! and La Cage aux Folles.
Synopsis
The movie is set in December, 1910. Mrs. Santa Claus is trying to convince her husband, Santa Claus, to take a new route, but he is preoccupied with the Christmas rush and won't listen. Disgruntled, she takes the sleigh out herself, but is forced to land in New York City, where she is stranded when one of the reindeer (Cupid) becomes injured. As "Mrs. North", she takes up board with a family of Jewish immigrants, who don't celebrate Christmas. She befriends many of the local children and women, and becomes involved with political issues of the period such as child labor and women's suffrage.
Cast
- Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Anna Claus
- Charles Durning as Nicholas Claus, Santa
- Michael Jeter as Arvo, Santa's Head Elf
- Lynsey Bartilson as Nora Kilkenny, an Irish immigrant in New York
- Debra Wiseman as Sadie Lowenstein, a Jewish immigrant girl who fights for women's rights
- Rosalind Harris as Mrs. Lowenstein, Sadie's mother, a Jewish immigrant who runs a boarding house
- David Norona as Marcello Damoroco, an Italian immigrant in New York, who is in love with Sadie
- Bryan Murray as Police Officer Doyle, an Irish immigrant in New York
- Terrence Mann as Augustus P. Tavish (Augie Tavish), owner of Tavish Toys
Background & Production
The movie first was broadcast on CBS on December 8, 1996. Directed by Terry Hughes, the costume designer was Bob Mackie, with choreography by Rob Marshall. The executive producer, David Shaw, is the stepson of Angela Lansbury. Screenwriter Mark Saltzman based some of the script on family stories of the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Musical Score
The score was written by Jerry Herman.
- Seven Days 'Til Christmas - Michael Jeter/Kristi Lynes/Jamie Torcellini/Angela Lansbury
- Mrs. Santa Claus - Angela Lansbury
- Avenue A - David Norona/Grace Keagy/Linda Kerns/Ensemble
- Avenue A (Reprise) - Angela Lansbury
- A Tavish Toy - Terrence Mann/The Kids
- Almost Young - Angela Lansbury
- Almost Young (Reprise) - The Kids/Angela Lansbury
- Suffragette March - Linda Kerns/Grace Keagy/Debra Wiseman/Angela Lansbury/The Women
- We Don't Go Together At All - Debra Wiseman/David Norona
- Whistle - Angela Lansbury/Lynsey Bartilson
- Dear Mrs. Santa Claus - Charles Durning
- Whistle (Reprise) - Angela Lansbury/Lynsey Bartilson
- He Needs Me - Angela Lansbury
- The Best Christmas Of All - Charles Durning/Angela Lansbury/Ensemble
Awards & Nominations
| Awards and Nominations | Nominated / Won |
|---|---|
| Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or a Special | Nominated |
| Emmy for Outstanding Choreography | Nominated |
| Emmy for Outstanding Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special | Nominated |
| Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics (for the song "Mrs. Santa Claus") | Nominated |
| Emmy for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Special | Won |
| Excellence in Production Design Award: Television | Nominated |
External links
- New York Times review, December 6, 1996
- Playbill news article, July 29, 2005
- Mrs. Santa Claus at the Internet Movie Database
- Mrs. Santa Claus at AllMovie