Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Bill Oglivie is Santa and Janel Parrish is Susie Walker in
the Diamond Head Theatre production of
"Miracle on 34th Street."

So who’s the big guy
in the red suit?

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

ACTOR Bill Ogilvie has portrayed lots of characters: a flamboyant gay man in "La Traviata"; Frederick in "A Little Night Music"; Tyrone in "Evita"; and most recently Junkyard in an upcoming "Baywatch Hawaii" episode.

But this is the first time Ogilvie, 50, has been Kris Kringle, aka Santa Claus, unless a stint at Kahala Mall several holiday seasons ago counts. Now he's a bit more of the real thing, starring as Christmas' favorite tradition in Diamond Head Theatre's "The Miracle on 34th Street. Here's Love" opening tomorrow night at 8 p.m.

ON STAGE What: "The Miracle on 34th Street Musical: Here's Love" When: Dec. 3-19; Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees, 4 p.m. Where: Diamond Head Theatre Cost: $10 to $40 at the DHT box office, and military outlets Call: 734-0274

Written by Meredith Wilson of "Music Man" fame, the musical version pretty much follows the film about a young girl who discovers the power of believing in Santa Claus. When Kris Kringle is hired as a Santa at Macy's department store, he unleashes waves of goodwill and prompts the question: Is he really Santa Claus?

"What's not to like about a role like this in such a well written piece?" Ogilvie asked.

"The story and the character of Kris Kringle says you must believe in the goodness of human nature."

The actor recalls reading a quote from author Kurt Vonnegut who said it's important for a person "to feed your soul" and that's why Ogilvie said he took this role.

"I feel real good about Santa Claus now that I'm in my 50s," he said. "I'm more in touch with the spirit of Christmas. As you get older you have more faith in spite of all your common sense telling you not to."

The musical features several songs, including "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." Ogilvie has six songs of his own in the production.

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
It took a while for Bill Ogilvie to warm up to the role of
Santa, a role he now embraces in Diamond Head Theatre's
production of "Miracle on 34th Street."

"Miracle" also stars Liz Schaller as Doris Walker, a department store executive; Janel Parrish as Susan, her daughter, who definitely believes in Santa Claus; and Jesse Mothershed as Fred Gaily.

Ogilvie, who has been making his living as an actor and teacher for years, remembers an opening night performance of a Shakespearean play some 30 years ago when he walked out on stage and promptly forgot his lines.

"It was a comedy of errors on my part," Ogilvie says laughing. "I stood there on stage not knowing what to say, nothing."

He turned toward the mostly student audience and said he was "terribly sorry but I can't remember what I'm so supposed to say."

"You can't paraphrase Shakespeare very well," Ogilvie said.

Ogilvie walked off stage, took several moments to read the script, then performed the rest of the night without a hitch.

Though Ogilvie believes Santa Claus "exists in everyone's heart," his daughter thought otherwise when at three she caught him dressing in the big guy's red suit for dad's stint at Kahala Mall.

"She had some very, very serious questions about me and the suit," Ogilvie said. "She wanted to know specifically just how I knew Santa and why I had, among other things, his hat.

"Whatever I said she bought it, at least temporarily."

Click for online
calendars and events.