Family tradition continues: Montclair’s daughter is “the heroic child” for Polar Express
By ERIN ROLL
For the Montclair local
Taking a ride on the Polar Express has become a vacation tradition for many New Jersey families. For the Bergstrom-Shaw family of Montclair, it has become a tradition for a very special reason.
This year, Katia Bergstrom-Shaw was selected to be one of the children playing the role of the child hero – the child who asks for a magical sleigh bell as their first Christmas present – on the train ride.
Two years ago, his older brother Adrian played this role.
“It’s just a really fun experience,” said Katia. She remembered seeing her brother play on the train for the first time and decided she wanted to be on it too.
Visit MontclairLocal.news/donations to make your tax-deductible contribution today, to keep Montclair Local strong, and to help us do even more to serve the incredible community of Montclair.
The Polar Express Train Ride is based on the book of the same name, Caldecott Medal winner, by Chris Van Allsburg, published in 1985. The book was adapted into a stop-motion animated film, with Tom Hanks as conductor orchestra, in 2004.
The book tells the story of a young boy who finds himself whisked away on a magical train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
Katia, 11, is a sixth grade student at Glenfield Middle School. His brother is there in eighth. The eldest of the family, Annika, is in second year at Montclair High School.
All of Bergstrom-Shaw’s children have performed on stage and in front of the camera. The three are all represented by the same agent in New York City, and Katia’s other acting credits include public service announcements and commercials.
The Polar Express train ride, presented by Rail Events Productions and Morristown and Erie Railway, is a two-hour train ride from Whippany Station. During the journey, the train’s interpreters interpret the story.
“It’s almost like a Broadway show on wheels,” said Gina Shaw, Katia and Adrian’s mother. “It’s really beautiful, it’s really intense.”
In previous years, only boys played the role of the child hero, but now the role is played by girls as well. The production has a body of six boys and six girls who play the role of the child hero, as well as a cast of adult ensemble cast.
The train ride was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Adrian and some of the other Hero Children were too old to reprise the role, Shaw said. The producers therefore asked the families of the young actors if there were any younger siblings ready to step in.
Most of the rehearsals took place outside of school hours and on weekends, but there were a few rehearsals that forced Katia to leave school early. It helps, Shaw said, that Glenfield is the Magnetic School of the Performing Arts in Montclair, so the school is used to welcoming students who perform in theatrical productions.
The first rehearsals were held at Ripley-Grier Studios in New York City, a rehearsal location for many Broadway shows.
Katia recalled that she and the other cast members received their scripts in late October, which meant there was little time to learn all the lines before the rides began in November.
“I think it was memorizing the lines while walking,” said Katia, when asked what the biggest challenge was. It was also a challenge as the rehearsals moved from the rehearsal studio to the actual wagons, she recalls.
In the book, the young boy asks for a bell from the reindeer harness. Only someone who believes in Santa Claus and the magic of Christmas is able to hear the bell. The book says that as children grow up and become adults, they become unable to hear the bell.
Hot chocolate and shortbread are served on the ride. And each rider receives a souvenir sleigh bell during the trip.
Katia said her favorite moment on the ride comes when she finds out the Hero Child has just lost her bell. For sure, young children in the audience will immediately offer their own replacement bells.
“I hope they will remember how magical it is,” said Katia, when asked what she hopes families will take away from the experience.
Want to go?
- Visit the Polar Express Train Ride website, whippanythepolarexpressride.com.
- The station is located at 1 Railroad Plaza, Whippany. Parking is available at 9 Troy Hills Road, Whippany.
- Coach class tickets start at $ 48 for adults and $ 42 for children 2-11 years old. First-class tickets start at $ 70 for adults and $ 65 for children 2-11 years old.
- All passengers aged 2 and over must wear a face cover on the train at all times, except when eating or drinking.