Broadway collides with Hallmark in new holiday film
BROADWAY TALENT STARS IN UPCOMING HALLMARK MOVIE SET IN THE NUTMEG STATE
Hallmark movie fans know that in the Hallmark universe, the holiday season starts early — on Halloween. And, this year, one of the first new holiday movies to air was filmed in Connecticut, and set in the fictional town of Kentsbury, Conn.
“One Royal Holiday,” premiered on the Hallmark Channel on Oct. 31, was filmed in Woodstock, Putnam and Hartford this past summer. It’s just the latest Hallmark movie to be filmed in the Nutmeg State; four others were filmed in the area in recent years as well.
“Connecticut provides a beautiful look for our films and we have had amazing experiences in the past,” said Michelle Vicary, the EVP of Programming & Network Program Publicity for Hallmark Channel.
Also, Hallmark likes to tap into Broadway talent for its movies, and Connecticut provides a nearby location to do so. But this year was different than others because of Broadway’s shutdown due to the pandemic.
“This movie is special because of an unforeseen confluence of circumstances. ... In a show of solidarity, we intentionally reached out to some of the Great White Way’s most talented performers, and ended up casting Broadway stars Laura Osnes, Aaron Tveit, Victoria Clark, Krystal Joy Brown and Tom McGowan,” said Vicary.
The plot of “One Royal Holiday” does not stray from the situational rom-com formula of Hallmark movies past. A young prince and his mother, the queen, find themselves stranded in a blizzard with a young woman. “Anna shows the Prince how they do Christmas in her hometown, encouraging him to open his heart and be true to himself,” according to the description.
The film also features original music performed by the Broadway stars. “The original script didn’t include a song or musical performance until Laura and Aaron offered their talents and recorded the song ‘Winter Wonderland,’ which is now part of the opening of the movie,” said Vicary.