Rating: 🎄🎄🎄
Premiere Date: November 28, 2025
Description: Isaiah Heyward last appeared on Broadway almost 10 years ago. Since then, getting back on Broadway has been a challenge. To escape the grind of the city and re-evaluate his life, Isaiah visits his sister, Jess, and teenage niece, Aurora, in upstate New York for the holidays. But his yuletide respite is interrupted when he learns Aurora’s high school may have to cancel their annual Christmas musical because they can’t find a director. With a nudge from Aurora and the school’s guidance counselor, Lilly-Anne Brigente, Isaiah decides to save the Christmas show and jumps in as director. Isaiah’s situation gets a little more complicated when he learns that an influential Broadway producer’s daughter is in the school production, so Isaiah decides to cast himself as the lead in order to land a part in an upcoming Broadway show. But while the curtain rises on rehearsals and the Christmas Eve opening night fast approaches, Isaiah finds some Christmas surprises of his own, as he stumbles upon an unexpected romance with Lilly-Anne, creates an unanticipated bond with his students, reassesses his priorities and ultimately discovers that the greatest holiday gift is found when love, family, and friendship take centerstage. Starring Heather Hemmens and Corey Cott.
Chemistry: The leads had good chemistry and the cast was a bright spot overall. That said, I could have used just a bit more build up of their relationship to get me to the end.
Plot: The story is engaging, though Corey Cott leans a little too hard into the “washed-up but entitled Broadway star” energy in the beginning.
Design: The sets and Christmas decorations were very well done. Everything felt legitimate. I did chuckle at the Frost/Nixon reference at the beginning with his one man show. That was clever.
Overall: If half-trees were allowed, this would land at 3.5. It’s a perfectly decent watch—not riveting, but comfortably enjoyable.
Best Enjoyed With: A peppermint mocha and a plastic bin full of your high school memories that your parents refuse to store any longer.
Holiday Movie Wrap 