'A Christmas Story,' the musical

The video: Since its release in 1983, Bob Clark's A Christmas Story has slowly gained a reputation as "one of the most widely adored holiday movies." Now often mentioned in the same breath as It's a Wonderful Life and other enduring classics, the film tells the story of Ralphie, a 1940's-era Indiana boy who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas, even though his mother warns, "You'll shoot your eye out." Now, Peter Billingsley, the actor who played Ralphie, is producing a musical version of the movie, which was based on the works of wry short-story writer Jean Shepherd. The cast has already begun previews in Seattle, with ambitions to come to New York in 2011. (Watch a clip from the new musical below)

The reaction: "Oh nostalgia, I love it when you sneak up on me," says Eric Sunderman at Hollywood.com . Nothing says Christmas like "sitting in front of a fire... drinking way too much Eggnog, and watching A Christmas Story on repeat." "We couldn't be more thrilled," says Terri Schwartz at MTV. And "we're hoping that if the musical is a success... it may pave the way for some other '80s classics to hit the stage," like The Breakfast Club or Back to the Future. Watch a clip:

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