Santa stand-ins

With a hearty “Ho, Ho, Ho!” and a curly beard to boot, a bespectacled Daniel Connelly fits the Santa stereotype to a T.

And that suits the aspiring 27-year-old actor just fine, thank you very much.

Donning the iconic scarlet outfit, thick black belt and dangling cap, Connelly spends several evenings a week during the holiday season lighting up the faces of young and old alike at the “North Pole.” But only when the real guy can’t make it, of course.

Situated on an elaborately decorated dock floating somewhere on the northern shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene, Connelly is one of 12 Santas who stand in for the real Mr. Claus, and thrill adventurers on the Journey to the North Pole cruises put on annually by The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

It’s a role Connelly cherishes: The thrill that comes with portraying the jolly man with a twinkle in his eye and a booming voice that turns heads and ignites smiles.

“I’ve done a lot of acting ever since I was a teenager—and that stage experience has helped me play Santa,” he said. “As Santa, being in front of a captivated audience really brings joy to my heart.”

Every evening through the holiday season, hundreds of revelers board The Resort cruise boats bound for Santa’s waterfront stomping grounds to hear St. Nick call out the names of all the children who made the Nice List.

“There’s just something really special about hearing the kids say, ‘Look, there’s Santa Claus!’ and then reading out their names,” said Connelly, adding there’s more to brightening young faces than slipping on a suit.

“You need to understand how the typical person sees Santa—how they envision his voice, the movements and his mannerisms,” he said. “Then I think of all the different Christmas movies and songs and piece it all together to create my own idea of what is a stereotypical Santa through kids’ eyes.”

While he’s comfortable in his Santa boots, Connelly got his start with The Resort playing Captain Calico Jack, an English pirate captain operating in the Bahamas during the early 18th century.

“For three summers, I sailed the high seas on Lake Coeur d’Alene as a pirate,” said Connelly, who has been involved with the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theater for several years.

So when The Resort contacted the local theater group looking for Santas, it seemed a natural fit, he said. Connelly applied and landed the gig.

Another theater advocate, 33-year-old Kelly Hauenstein, said he revels in playing Santa along the North Pole waterfront, flanked on the dock by dancing elves, prancing reindeer and thousands of colorful lights.

Hauenstein said he also heard about the opportunity to play St. Nick through his involvement with the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theater. And he got more than he bargained for.

“I figured it would be kind of fun and interesting, but I was not expecting to play Santa Claus; I was thinking something a little lower key like the Grinch,” he mused.

While Hauenstein admits he wouldn’t put his Santa duties on an acting resume, the experience has been highly rewarding.

“I didn’t anticipate how much it could make a kid’s night to hear their name on the Nice List,” he said. “Seeing their reaction and that wonder of Christmas and Santa Claus in their eyes is just so rewarding,” he said.