Before every home had a television set, radio was king. Families would sit around their fireplace and box radios to listen to these stories brought to life through sound.

Admittedly, I’m a sucker for Christmas stories. One of my favorite podcasts to listen to around this time of year is “Christmas Old Time Radio,” which audibly brings to life stories of faith, hope and love, all themes of the Christmas (or Advent, or even pre-Thanksgiving) season.

What makes the Phoenix Theatre Company’s version of “Miracle on 34th Street” unique is that rather than providing the visuals of a typical stage play, the characters are actually actors performing in old-timey radio broadcasts. Each actor represents a specific trope from classic radio shows.

London Cairney takes the stage as Gracie DeMarco, a child actress previously known for a space adventure “show.” If there’s a child’s role to be had in the teleplay, DeMarco does the voice work. Of course, Cairney hams it up as an overacting child actress of yester-year. Meanwhile, Scott Davidson takes on the role of Kristofer van Lisberg, a “radio detective” embodying the “one and only” Santa Claus.

Sound effects play an important role in radio shows, as they provide a sense of movement or action that cannot be seen. While today radio producers press buttons to produce effects, “Miracle on 34th Street” provides a behind-the-scenes look at how these effects were done nearly 70 years ago. Steve Hildebrand, the radio announcer — and also the actual music director for the play — opens and closes a small door and shakes bells to mimic a doorbell or sleigh bells outside.

Because it is meant to be a radio play, the actor-characters take on multiple parts simultaneously that do not require the scene change expected of a traditional play. Matravius Avent, for example, as suave radio star Grady Williams, seamlessly has a conversation with himself, changing his voice to play the role of love interest attorney Fred Gailey and Santa’s elf Alfred.

Not forgetting that old radio shows were still recorded in front of a live audience, the “actors” do not simply speak their lines into the microphones, but rather engage the audience by their hand motions and facial expressions. Michael Kary as character actor Wallace Ainsley channels his best Groucho Marx impression, fake cigar and all, when voicing the character of Macy’s competitor Mr. Gimbel. Meanwhile Amy Jo Halliday as radio comedienne Olivia Glatt makes a comical Carol Burnet face while playing administrative assistant Miss Prong.

Musically, the play rearranges some traditional Christmas carols to obtain that jazzy 40s feel, while also creating new songs to go with the story as if it were actually heard while sitting around the fireplace. Krista Monaghan as leading lady Cordelia Ragsdale joins Halliday in harmonizing like the Andrews Sisters. Keeping with the theme of when actors would read aloud advertisements, the “actors” make sure to pay the piper by promoting “Lux Soap,” the “brand” sponsoring the play.

All within this is the actual story of the Miracle that happened on 34th street. The “actors” truthfully bring the story of the Macy’s Store Santa to life, with Kris Kringle giving the audience permission to have an imagination and believe in miracles. While Halliday’s Glatt as Doris Walker argues for skepticism and sense, it’s Avent’s Williams’ Gailey who responds that “Faith is believing something when common sense tells you not to.”

At a time when cynicism rules the day, and people cannot look at each other beyond political affiliations, stories like this take us to a place where we can be reminded that every person has some good, that miracles do happen, and that yes, there is a Santa Claus.

“Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Show” runs at the Phoenix Theatre Company’s Judith Hardes Theatre through Dec. 28. Learn more information here: https://phoenixtheatre.com/events/miracle/