Gerald Sternbach, Jay Brian Winnick, Tonoccus McClain, Yamuna Meleth, Kelley Dorney (Photo by Margie Barron, courtesy of El Portal Theater)
Reviewed by Madison Mellon
El Portal Theatre
Thru Dec. 23
RECOMMENDED
OY! To the World – Christmas With a Twist is a delightful tour of Christmas songs written by Jewish songwriters. The play, with a book by Gregory Thirloway and Maurice Godin celebrates holiday traditions from Hanukkah to Christmas to Diwali, and is a warm and heartfelt show for audiences of all ages. While it lacks overall structure in certain areas, I did leave with a smile on my face and Christmas music reverberating in my head.
The story follows Shelly Abrams (Jay Brian Winnick), who has inherited a lodge from his grandparents. He decides to celebrate their memory by gathering three of his actor friends to put on a holiday show in the lodge. Each of the friends share their own culture and unique connection to the holiday season.
The small cast (four actors and a pianist) does an excellent job with the material. As Shelly, Winnick perfectly captures the vaudevillian style of comedy that the show demands. Yamuna Meleth, as Becky, gets to shine with a Bollywood-inspired rendition of “My Favorite Things.” Kelley Dorney as Joy shows off her lovely soprano voice with “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and Tonoccus McClain as Marcus delivers a touching performance of “O Holy Night” with his crystal-clear falsetto.
My one gripe with the presentation of the songs is that the sound is often uneven, with some voices struggling to be heard while others dominate. Also, while the corny humor is mostly charming, the jokes do sometimes drag on a bit too long.
The concept of highlighting Christmas music written by Jewish songwriters is quite an effective twist. However, the writers do miss an opportunity to delve further into the history behind the music. For instance, the play mentions that many of these songwriters changed their names to conceal their Jewish roots, but never goes into any detail about the history or implications of their need to assimilate. While I certainly don’t expect a lighthearted show like this one to tackle such issues in depth, I would have appreciated a bit more insight into the lives of these songwriters, instead of just brief asides and one-liners.
Still, having each of the main characters discuss their background and connection to the holidays through monologue was quite poignant and affecting. The show might have been strengthened if the relationships and dynamics between the characters continued to develop after that point. As it is now, it struggles to keep up momentum towards the end. The play works best when it foregrounds each of the characters’ unique cultures and identities, which it does well through some clever re-imaginings of familiar songs (such as the aforementioned Bollywood number).
While OY! To the World doesn’t fully rise to the potential of its clever premise, there is still plenty to enjoy. It is a joyful celebration of both cultural diversity and togetherness, with much to appreciate for those looking for an entertaining evening of some of the best Christmas songs ever written.
El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Wed, 2 pm & 7 pm, Thurs-Fri, 7 pm, Sat, 3 pm; thru Dec. 23. https://elportaltheatre.com. Running time 90 minutes with no intermission .
