‘Grace and The Hanukkah Miracle’ Is A Holiday Treat (Review)

Normally, the holiday season isn’t complete without the accusation from someone of my being a “Scrooge.” Sure, I happily find myself “humbug”-ing at extravagant holiday decorations put up prematurely in mid-November and annoyed at a shopping season that spans four months now, with every day seemingly having the “best deal” possible for shoppers. But it’s the for-a-limited-time-only kindness and cheer that I can’t stand. (Why can’t we be kind to everyone year-round?) A meaningful act of kindness is the most powerful gift one can provide, a gift that transcends the time of year. It’s this heartwarming belief that fuels Chicago Immersive’s Grace and The Hanukkah Miracle, a new show celebrating the real meaning of the holidays.

The sky is solid gray in every direction, drizzling enough rain to warrant boots, and the suburban streets in Evanston are quiet as I arrive at Grace Lutheran Church in the early afternoon. The church’s limestone exterior and linoleum flooring screams 1950's, with a well-cared for retro style present throughout the church. Checking in, I’m asked to wait in a small room where (while there might have been other songs playing) Wham!’s Last Christmas is seemingly on repeat. There are intriguingly placed family photos around the room, but the centerpiece is the coloring station where plenty of menorah sheets await decoration. When it becomes clear that the children in attendance have no interest, I take a knee, coloring in a menorah (and staying within the lines, of course).

Suddenly, the door swings open with Irving (Anderson Lawfer) and Cyrus (Julian Stroop) rushing in. With Irving dressed as an Old West sheriff and Cyrus as a knight from the Middle Ages, their revelation of being time travelers is met with awe from the children. While providing the rules of play, they offer to take the audience time-traveling if we can help find the family missing menorah; it’s been lost over the years and belongs to Irving’s wife Grace (Nicole Bloomsmith). There will be clues telling us where the menorah can be found, but they’ll be locked in boxes, hidden throughout the locations in time we’ll be visiting. This puzzle element is a clever addition to The Hanukkah Miracle, a way to keep the kids focused (as I’ve seen too many family-friendly shows derailed when the children become bored).

Our time traveling adventure follows a structure of multiple scenes, each one consisting of an activity and character interaction which touches upon a message of family and togetherness, peppered with clues on how to unlock that time period’s box, before time-traveling to the next destination. While simple in nature, the structure of The Hanukkah Miracle allows for great variety, with each time period feeling unique and providing something relatable and meaningful about the holidays.

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While several of the chosen time periods seem more light-hearted in nature, one time period finds the audience in the late 1930s, helping Grace’s great-great grandparents pack quietly in the dead of the night, while avoiding Nazi street patrols, as they prepare to escape to the United States. I struggle to get everything near me into a suitcase, making split-second decisions on what’s important to take and what to leave behind. I find myself choking back tears, with the emotional tension of this experience weighing on me. It’s a deeply moving, humbling reminder of what’s important during the holidays.

The scene is expertly done, with the children personally experiencing a moment in history and the adults understanding its deeper meaning and message.

Additionally, there are several other well executed setups and payoffs throughout The Hanukkah Miracle. Something learned or earned through a character interaction in one time period finds itself useful in another, weaving the family’s history tightly together. As these moments arrive, the children happily blurt out the required information, sharing it as soon as they figure out what’s going on, usually before the performer is even halfway through their prompt. The children’s energy is infectious, having everyone smiling, even the performers. And while the clues to unlock the boxes are obvious to any adult casually paying attention, the children clearly feel like geniuses when cracking the puzzles. I’m envious of these kids, wishing that I had this kind of holiday show to see when I was young, rather than seeing a stuffy performance of A Christmas Carol for the umpteenth time.

While the search for the menorah proves to be a fruitful, engaging time, once it comes to an end, The Hanukkah Miracle does falter slightly. With the climax of the story, the performers thank us for coming and are happy to chat in the room where we started. We all slowly head back in a quiet, elongated line, the action simply petering out, a graceful resolution lost without an activity or interaction to anchor it. And within the final moments before leaving, there is a passing reference that dramatically alters Irving’s involvement in The Hanukkah Miracle, raising huge questions on what’s transpired in time-traveling with Cyrus. I found myself attempting to unpack what it meant, finally deciding, for better or worse, that when a holiday miracle happens in a children’s show, it’s best not to overthink it.

Even with the questions I had about the ending, the time-traveling journey to find the menorah in Grace and The Hanukkah Miracle is delightful reminder of what’s truly important during the holiday season. Whether if you’re eight or 80, there’s something in Chicago Immersive’s debut experience for the whole family to enjoy, even the Scrooge-iest of them like me.

Grace and the Hanukkah Miracle runs through January 5, 2020 in Evanston, IL. Tickets are $25.

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