Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)
Reviewed by Nikki Munoz
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Through December 29
Directed and choreographed by Gary Lamb, Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) begins with the opening lines of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol before the ensemble quickly backtracks to declare that his famous tale has been “done to death.”
Written by Michael Carleton, Jim Fitzgerald and John K. Alvarez, with music by Will Knapp, the show chronicles famous holiday stories in a comedic, lighthearted way. Akin to a sketch comedy, it allows room for the actors (Garrett Botts, Philip Rossi and Dale Sandlin, each playing versions of themselves) to recruit the audience for improvisational interludes. While sometimes over-the-top, the production mostly succeeds in presenting a fun night of family-oriented comedy.
While the humor is mostly on target, it occasionally falters when the jokes rely too heavily on repetitive stereotypes. For example, Philip is depicted as consistently dumb, while Dale is presented as the ensemble’s own Scrooge, who pushes back against the others when they try to make the show more interesting than traditional. These moments feel limp and irrelevant, as the piece clearly is more about the various stories than the actors telling them. For the most part, however, the chemistry between Rossi and Sadlin and the teamwork among the three players proves sufficient for them to make the most out of each scene.
Moreover, under Lamb’s direction, the show maintains a fast pace, one key to holding audience members’ attention and garnering their amusement. Lamb also keeps most of the comedy from becoming too broad so that the few moments which are played larger — such as the sped-up retelling of The Nutcracker (additional choreography by Cate Caplin) — garner some of the night’s biggest laughs.
In general, the songs (musical direction by Sean Paxton) are one of the production’s most compelling aspects. Paxton’s rendering of the familiar tune preceding The Twilight Zone begets an ominous tone that hilariously segues into a discussion of the mystery of fruit cake. It is clever moments like this one that contribute most significantly to making Every Christmas Story Ever Told as charming as it is.
Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 2:30 p.m.; through Dec. 29. https://www.sierramadreplayhouse.org/. Running time: approximately one hour and 45 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
