'Story' time for Rando

Rando John Rando continues to be drawn on to direct the approaching touring manufacture of the tuner adaptation of "A Christmas Story," changing Warren Carlyle, who initially signed on as helmer-choreographer. Carlyle ("Finian's Rainbow") remains onboard as choreographer. Based on reps, he's bowing from the director role because of the arranging conflict that came about when "Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway" -- that he provides musical staging and choreography -- set an autumn run, with previews beginning March. 25. Rando ("Urinetown," "The Marriage Singer") joins a title that started existence at Might Repetition last year and continued to experience Seattle's fifth Avenue Theater this year. The approaching tour aims to solidify the property's status like a holiday staple, like "Irving Berlin's Whitened Christmas," a stage tuner which has were built with a robust regional existence in addition to a handful of periodic stints around the Primary Stem. The street version, which launches a five-stop tour in Hershey, Pa., on November. 8, will star Clarke Hallum, John Bolton and Matthew Lewis, who all made an appearance within the fifth Avenue staging, together with Gene Weygandt and Rachel Bay Johnson. Musical version from the 1983 MGM pic "Christmas Story" has tunes by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and book by Frederick Robinette, in line with the documents of Jean Shepherd as well as on the film. Peter Billingsley, who starred within the movie, produces the tuner together with a team of business producers which includes Gerald Goehring, Roy Burns and Michael Mitri. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com