Stage Review - The Christmas Express (Olympia Little Theatre)

Stage Review - The Christmas Express
Presented By: Olympia Little Theatre - Olympia, WA
Show Run: December 05 - December 21, 2025
Date Reviewed: Saturday, December 6, 2025
Run Time: 1 Hour, 40 Minutes (including a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

Olympia Little Theatre’s holiday production of The Christmas Express, running through December 21, captures the charm and nostalgia of small-town December life—a place where routines hold steady, the train station sits mostly empty, and the calendar has crept all the way to December 23 without much sign that anything in town wants to change. The Christmas Express feels like the perfect holiday play for a community theatre to put up. It’s a script that asks the audience to suspend its collective disbelief and to believe—wholeheartedly—in the magic of hope. And while the title may lead one to imagine roaring locomotives or something closer to The Polar Express, the play takes place entirely in the humble Holly Station depot. Instead of a journey across snowy landscapes, the story offers a fresh spin on the old-fashioned trope of a mysterious stranger arriving in a dying rural town from whereabouts unknown, only to be met with suspicion, resistance, and a flurry of accusations born of fear.

Under the co-direction of Jacqueline Collett and Scott Ellgen, the production emphasizes the script’s exploration of shaken complacency and quiet transformation. In a Miracle on 34th Street sort of way—only set far from the bustle of New York—this stranger, Leo Tannenbaum (played with warm sincerity by Chuck Meares), affects nearly everyone he encounters, often in unexpected, gently humorous, or quietly moving ways. His presence becomes a catalyst, encouraging Holly Station’s residents to imagine that life could still hold wonder.

Holly Station itself is introduced as a dying depot, quiet and underused, and that stillness makes the sudden arrival of two strangers all the more striking. All of a sudden, two men enter—one brightly dressed and talking openly about hope, the other quieter, dressed more formally and moving through the space with the air of someone taking inventory. This reserved visitor is Mr. Fairfax (played by Jess Thomas), whose hat, glasses, and trenchcoat obscure much of his face and personality, leaving both the town and the audience guessing at his intentions. Their contrasting energies shift the atmosphere instantly, stirring both curiosity and unease in a community that has grown accustomed to stagnation.

At the center of that everyday sameness is Sam Price’s Satch, a figure who seems to spend his days at the depot observing as much as participating. Satch’s rural, muted costume colors blend easily with the palette of the station, a reliable presence who holds the rhythms of the place together, becoming the grounding pulse of the production.

Andrea Gordon’s Hilda, the station manager, provides the perfect counterweight. Cynical, dry, and deeply rooted in the rhythms of the town’s disappointments, she delivers her lines with sharp comedic timing and the weary authority of someone who’s seen one too many promises go unkept.

Additional personalities fill out the town’s quiet corners—each poised to be reshaped, in some way, by Leo’s influence. Elizabeth Rozka’s Maggie, the local mail carrier, brings an earnest practicality to her scenes, while city hall secretary Myrna, played by Ilee Morgan, shows a kind of hopeful fatigue that fits right into the play’s themes. Jacqueline Collett appears onstage as well as the haggard woman, Deborah, another character whose life sits squarely in the path of the mysterious stranger’s ripple effect. Jean Kivi-Thomas’s Penelope, the reporter, adds bright warmth and curiosity to the heart of the show.

The story itself embraces a whimsical, magical tone, though the production sometimes struggles with maintaining energy. Much of Act 1 moves at a steady, restrained pace, allowing the play’s sentimental qualities to carry the narrative but occasionally at the expense of momentum. However, the standout exception arrives in Act 2, during the re-enactment of an argument between newlyweds Donna Fay and Jerry Cummings, played by Alex Greene and Rainier Ottavelli. The scene is uproariously funny and easily the highlight of the evening—sharp, quick, and performed with exactly the kind of crackling energy that would have elevated the entire production had it been present throughout. It becomes the benchmark for what the show can achieve when its humor and pacing ignite.

The creative team supports the tone of the piece with cohesive design choices. Cathy McCanse’s set captures the rustic textures and worn-in details of a depot that once mattered more than it does now. Lighting by Scott Ellgen and sound by Jess Thomas help transition the space from ordinary to quietly magical, deepening moments of hope without overwhelming the story. Costumes by Allison Gerst reinforce the rural sensibilities of the Holly Station regulars, but also highlight the contrasting presence of Leo—bright, white, and sparkling with an angelic hue that stands out against the earthier tones of the townsfolk. It’s a visual cue that amplifies the sense that he arrives with something extraordinary in tow.

What stands out most in Olympia Little Theatre’s production of The Christmas Express is the show’s commitment to the idea that hope doesn’t need to arrive with spectacle. Sometimes it comes in a bright outfit. Sometimes in a quiet coat. Sometimes in the mirror of a young couple replaying their worst moment with comic clarity. And sometimes, it comes through the small, slow rediscovery of belief in a place that has nearly forgotten how to hope. The Christmas Express celebrates these gentle transformations, offering audiences a holiday story centered not on grandeur, but on the steady thaw of possibility.

The Christmas Express runs on stage in Olympia at Olympia Little Theatre through December 21. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://olympialittletheater.org/.

Photo credit: Scott Ellgen