TONIGHT: Kris Kringle comes to the radio in WIZM “Miracle on 34th Street”

Get ready for a ‘miracle’ this weekend in La Crosse: a radio version of the Christmas movie ‘Miracle on 34th Street.’ 

Local actors recently recorded the show at the La Crosse Community Theatre, and it will air on WIZM on Saturday night at 6 p.m. It will also be available online here or download the WIZM App.

Even though the original movie dates back to the 1940s, post World War II, local cast member Todd Olson says the story is timeless and hopeful.

“It is really an optimist piece, and in this day and age, where there’s so much cynicism, it’s really a breath of fresh air,” Olson said.

Each member of the small cast will play multiple characters.

Olson’s roles include Kris Kringle himself, and the role of the judge who’s asked to decide whether Kris is the real Santa Claus.

A special sound-effects crew will accompany the actors.

WIZM and the theatre have gotten together for radio shows many times since October of 2000, performing stories such as “The Invisible Man,” “War of the Worlds” and “Dracula.”

This is their first combined Christmas production.