Seen "The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged)"? Like it? Love it?
Well, fugeddaboutit! That show's got nothin' on it's frenetic holiday
doppelganger, "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!)" now
playing at Inland Stage in San Jacinto. Imagine Robin Williams was
cloned twice, all three went off their Ritalin, then their legion of
personalities went on a crack-fueled mimic-a-thon of beloved holiday
characters (B.H.C.'s), and you're half way there.
Frosty, Rudolph, Macy's, Dickens, Tchaikovsky, the Grinch, Charlie
Brown, random audience members whisked on stage -- no one's safe in this
hilariously irreverent torrent-of-haphazard-consciousness. A sugar plum
rave, if you will. Nimbly directed by Marcy Wright, actors John Wesley
Leon, Kristofer James and Gabriel Diaz are your madcap guides through
this winter whirl-land. With on point impressions, impeccable timing,
and absurdly stoic dance routines the trio are sure to leave your voice
hoarse, smiling cheeks numb, and mascara running from irrepressible
laughter.
Still hankerin' for your annual doses of "Christmas Carol" and "It's a
Wonderful Life"? No, worries. Act Two fuses their best moments into a
whole that's greater than it's individual parts: "It's a Wonderful
Carol," complete with George and Scrooge, Clarence and the Ghosts, Zuzu
and Tiny Tim. And at a brisk 20 minutes it's certainly the funniest, and
most bearable version of the traditional tedium that you'll ever see.
Whether you're suffering from the sniffles, theatrical deprivation or
general holiday Scrooginess, laughter of course is the best medicine. So
ask your doctor about a weekend prescription for "Every Christmas Story
Ever Told (and Then Some!)," the cure for the common Christmas play.
(Not recommended for very pregnant women or people with severe heart
conditions.)
LA theater reviews by LA Theater Critic.
