CHICAGO—Christmas trees have become such an iconic symbol for the holidays that now many non-Christians and even nonbelievers display and festoon a specimen with lights and ornaments. Thus, it’s fascinating to see a piece of history that helped this beloved symbol achieve its status.
The Christmas Schooner: A Musical, based on a true story, has been remounted at the Mercury Theater Chicago. It tells how the captain and crew of a schooner risked their lives to bring Christmas trees across the treacherous winter waters of Lake Michigan to German immigrants homesick for Christmases of the old country.
The lovely story is simple. It pits the altruistic wish of Captain Peter Stossel (Stef Tovar) to bring Christmas joy to Chicago against the need of his wife, Alma (Brianna Borger), to protect her husband by keeping him from the foolhardy journey.
