'Burgh Vivant

By: Joseph Szalinski

The 80s were simpler times. Hair was big, greed was good, and movies were original. After a rocky start, our economy boomed, as did our space shuttles. Video games brought people together, and sometimes out of the house, instead of being used by the CIA to radicalize lonely and impressionable kids online. Long before people parroted “Yo Mama” jokes on XBOX Live, they left inappropriate three-letter initials across arcade scoreboards. That retro spirit is being revived, with a family-friendly spin, in Hobnob Theatre Co’s latest holiday production, The Nutcracker: New Game, directed by Ken Smith, now running at Butler County Community College’s Succop Theater.

Clara (Cassidy Spirk) is a Dreamcast, I mean, an outcast. She’s a girl who loves to code and spend time on “the interwebz” instead of hanging out with people she isn’t related to. Following a lovely, yet slightly cringy, evening of Christmas Eve carols and games, she finds herself the center of ridicule from the other girls at the party. This is her genesis for tinkering with a video game gifted by her Uncle Harry (Cory J. Pfahl), which pulls a Tron and transports her into a world of glitchy graphics and embattled foes. Written by Deanna Sparrow and Ken Smith, this story is chock-full of heart and humor. Replete with witty references, memorable characters, and yuletide cheer, audiences of all ages are sure to enjoy and relate to this show.

Featuring a rather expansive cast, most of whom pull double duty with roles, this show is teeming with talent.

Cassidy Spirk phenomenally leads the charge as Clara, the hero of this dope production.

Sarah Dailey is tremendous as the cattie Sammie/The Rat Queen, expertly ensuring her villainous turn as the latter isn’t cheesy.

Cory J. Pfahl rocks as Uncle Harry Drosselmeyer/The Nutcracker, the former being a generous musician/inventor, while the other is a Vanilla Ice-inspired tree nut connoisseur.

Casey Hoolahan adds plenty of warmth with her dual roles as the Mom/Fairy. Grant Kingston gives a heartwarming performance as Clara’s brother Fitz, while Conleth McVeigh is wonderfully corny as Clara’s holiday-obsessed father.

David McGrogan plumbs the depths of his characters, Gino/Enzo, cooking up humorous performances as the pair of them. Craig Adams delights as Grandpa/Famous 80s Video Game Character, which allows him to “waka waka” the walk and talk the talk, delivering cantankerous one-liners and the occasional jab.

Ellie Jedrzejewski skillfully alludes to the show’s source material as a featured dancer and doll. Rounding out the cast are all the young performers who give terrific performances: Willow Calvert, Carly Cousins, Corbin Federkeil, Hayden Federkeil, Reignah Federkeil, Palmer Gifford, Flora Grace, Katelyn Hankey, Lillian Moreland, Lilliana Morgan, Leilani Stagnaro, and Natalie Weyandt.

The Nutcracker wouldn’t be complete without music. Forgoing the orchestral fare used in other versions, this production blends original songs, holiday favorites, and 8-bit reworkings of famous scores. To accomplish this, the incredible musicians Jessica Sanzotti (bandleader), Eddie Trizzino, Karen O’Donnell, and Ken Smith are enlisted. The audience even has a chance to lend their skills to the mix with a sing-along at the end.

In addition to dancing, this iteration of The Nutcracker boasts moments of Taekwondo. The last time I was so enthralled by a marriage of martial arts and eighties sensibilities, I was watching Kung Fury at a sketchy apartment in Slippery Rock. Engage Martial Arts, a local school/studio, is brought in to demonstrate impressive physical feats. Owner Leeann Cramer, program director Valerie Farester, and head instructor Evan Hartshone have devised a demonstration of astonishing athleticism that displays the skills of their young martial artists: Ryer Brennen, Ellie Feicht, Isaac Hoffman, Abigail McGrath, Lydia McGrath, Lilliana Milligan, Eloise Roman, Waylon Stewart, Wednesday Wagner, Kylee Windon, Sierra Viehmann, Aria Yost, and Georgia Yough. With nunchucks, staffs, board breaking, and everything in between, this is one of the most exciting shows you’ll see. Very reminiscent of Street Fighter and Double Dragon.

Assisting in the immersion of the onstage world are a slew of technical elements. Set and props by Ken Smith, Danyle Verzinskie, and Katie Moore transform the boards into a wholesome holiday home and, later, into a digital realm infested with rats and vaguely familiar faces who fight them. The cabinet of the arcade nutcracker game is incredibly realistic and begs onlookers to try their hand at besting the Rat Queen.  Costumes by Katie Moore bring fashion and flair into the mix, decorating each character in an ensemble that evokes nostalgia. Choreographers Deanna Sparrow and Ellie Jedrzejewski have concocted dazzling routines that are so fun to perform, even inanimate characters have a go at busting a move.

Hobnob Theatre Co. once again demonstrates why it is an invaluable staple of the local scene and community. Not only have they crafted an evening of entertainment that everyone can enjoy, but they also do so while providing a tremendous opportunity for kids who are just beginning their theatrical journeys. Not to mention helping to highlight the excellent work other local businesses can do. They are a fantastic organization that puts on wonderful workshops and productions throughout the year, but really shine around Christmastime.

Succop Theater is a fantastic venue for such a production. Situated on Butler County Community College’s campus, the building is impressive, and the theater itself is even more so. Inside is a large stage that can host whatever thespians can conjure, along with plenty of seats for awed audiences to enjoy the performances.

-JS

The Nutcracker: New Game runs at Butler County Community College’s Succop Theater December 19, 20 and 21. 

by Michael Buzzelli

The game is afoot again when Mark Shanahan’s holiday mashup, “A Sherlock Carol,” returns, this time at the Carnegie Stage.

Plagued by the death of his archnemesis, Professor James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes (David Whalen in his elementary role) returns from Reichenbach Falls a despondent, inconsolable shell of his former self, unable to find the joy of Christmas. He spurns his only friend, Dr. John Watson (Simon Bradbury, in multiple roles), and refuses to take any new cases for Scotland Yard.

Emma Wiggins (Mackenzie Heidenreich, in various roles) begs Holmes to investigate a robbery, but he refuses. Then, he meets Dr. Timothy Cratchit (Joseph McGranaghan), who asks him to investigate a murder.

Cratchit begs the great detective to help him solve the locked-room mystery of his benefactor, Ebeneezer Scrooge (James FitzGerald, also in multiple roles), who has been murdered.

Scrooge’s housekeeper, Mrs. Dilber (Susan McGregor-Laine), takes Sherlock on a tour of Scrooge’s study. Reluctantly, our stalwart Sherlock takes the case.

The mystery leads him on a circuitous path, where he encounters strangers and friends, as well as a woman from his past (Erica Cuenca, filling in for Caroline Nicolian), and a flock of dead geese (no, seriously).

Note: We’re keeping our mysterious woman’s identity under wraps, but she’s using the alias of the Countess of Morcar; intrepid Baker Street Irregulars will know the answer.

“A Sherlock Carol” is a blended version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.”

Most of the cast are reprising their roles from last year’s production, with a few exceptions (McGregor-Laine did a partial run the previous year, and Cuenca is replacing Nicolian, while Mackenzie Heidenreich is the only true new member of the ensemble). It’s an excellent cast (why mess with a good thing?).

Whalen is Pittsburgh’s Sherlock Holmes. He excels as Sherlock. He has magnetism, boldness, arrogance, and intelligence. Whalen has created a fully realized version of the character.

Simon Bradbury plays Watson, Inspector Lestrade (the bumbling Scotland Yard detective), and Joe Brackenridge. He makes each character distinct with voice and mannerisms unique to each.

FitzGerald continues to bring charm to his various roles.  A million actors have played Scrooge. FitzGerald captures his Ebeneezer-y essence. It’s a big, blustery performance delivered with panache and pizzaz.

Douglas Levine, accompanied by violinist Cara Garofalo, provide the music, including a jaunty version of “I Saw Three Ships.”

A short scene in which the Countess of Morcar sings the “Twelve Nights of Christmas” was cut because the last-minute switch from Nicolian to Cuenca actually tightens the play.

The sketch set by Johnmichael Bohach features a black-and-white pulp comic book, or a Betty Boop cartoon. The stage is reminiscent of the 80s music video “Take On Me” by A-ha. Here in the relocated, smaller venue, the set looms large.

There are excellent costume designs by Kimberly Brown. The dapper detective’s final scene remains iconic.

Andrew Paul kept much of the direction the same from the previous year (and the chorus repeats: Why mess with a good thing?). The production moved from the Henry Heymann Theatre last year to the smaller space at the Carnegie Stage, yet the show retained the same frenetic energy. The space is more intimate. The audience is closer to the action. The action felt heightened, intense.

Note: If you sit in the first row, keep your legs tucked in. At one point, Whalen squats down in the aisle in despair.

“A Sherlock Carol” has all the best parts of “A Christmas Carol” with added humor and mystery, and every bad pun about geese that you can imagine.

Kinetic is creating a new holiday tradition.

Holmesians (die-hard Sherlock fans) can even purchase some Christmas merch. Nothing says Christmas more than an oven mitt with Sherlock’s face on it.

-MB

“A Sherlock Carol” runs until December 21 at the Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main Street, Carnegie, PA 15106. For tickets and additional information, click here.

by Michael Buzzelli

It’s December 1963, and “Queen of the Blues” Dinah Washington (Delana Flowers), affectionately nicknamed Miss D, is appearing at a club in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, in a time when the historic hill was populated by the hippest jazz clubs this side of Harlem. This particular club is run by Jimmy Hyde (James Howard). Jimmy and the club have seen better days. He’s in debt and called on his friend from the old days, Dinah Washington, to help him out of his financial difficulty.

Miss D plans on swooping into the ‘burgh and saving Hyde’s hide. She brings her closest confidant, LaRue (Krystal Waller), and her band (Dwayne Fulton, Tony Campbell, Dwayne Dolphin, and Jason Washington, Jr.) to the Steel City.

She calls a friend to help, Brook Benton (Les Howard), and hires two local backup singers, Rachel (Destiny Nwafor) and Lu (Marissa Lily), to assist. 

But that’s not all! There are several other cast members. There’s even a videogram from Dick “Night Train” Lane (Sam Lothard). There were a few tech issues with his recorded message (his lips didn’t move with his mouth), but he was still engaging on the screen in his brief cameo.

In the story, we get flashes of Dinah Washington’s famous – or infamous – perfection. Luckily, we don’t get any signs of her addiction (a good thing to leave out of a Christmas show), even though the show is set days before her overdose (she died December 14, 1963).

There’s a plot, written by Ernest McCarty. It’s simple, but it doesn’t matter. The singing is the reason to see this show.

Flowers is captivating when she’s singing, whether it’s Washington’s standards or traditional Christmas songs; it’s glorious.

Nwafor and Lily get a brief time in the spotlight, and it’s joyful and triumphant!

Waller also gets to sing with Flowers, and it’s just as delightful.

Howard gives Brook Benton dashing swagger. His voice, on the December 11th show, sounded a little gravelly, raspier than usual.

Personal note: There were some Ricola lozenges on our table (courtesy of another local critic), and I wanted to lob them into Howard’s mouth.

Howard powered through with a beautiful duet of “White Christmas” with Flowers.

The band was sensational, with Tony Campbell’s shimmering saxophone. Campbell’s sax solo was worth the price of admission.

The band, under Fulton’s musical direction,  does a version of the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Christmastime is here,” made famous by “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and it’s spectacular. Visions of Peanuts will dance in your head.

Co-director Mark Clayton Southers even designed the set. It’s a hip joint, and the whole room gives off a swinging ’60s jazz club vibe.

There are a lot of entertainment choices this holiday season, but if you want to hear some good old-fashioned Christmas music, with a little bit of Jazz and the Blues wedged in, then the “Dinah Washington Christmas” is for you.

-MB

“Dinah Washington Christmas” runs until December 22 at the Madison Arts and Entertainment Center, 3401 Milwaukee Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. For tickets and additional information, click here. 

By Michael Buzzelli

Tired of traditional Christmas events with happy, sappy songs and goofy holiday cheer? Then you’re ready for Vigilance Theater Group’s Spooky Holiday, which is more kooky than spooky, but a guaranteed good time.

It’s in the least likely venue for a holiday party, Grim Wizard Coffee in the heart of Allentown.  The coffee shop is laden with quirky knick-knacks that look like they were curated by Gomez and Morticia Addams, with weird and wonderful art inspired by Hieronymus Bosch.

Creative Director and Emcee Sean Collier welcomes an assortment of unusual performances to the stage in an evening that promises comedy, burlesque, music, and seasonal hijinks.

Collier, a writer and stand-up comedian, has an easy charm on stage, and even when he stumbles or stammers, he’s enjoyable to watch.

Seasonal hijinks include a strange array of Christmas folx. There was Buttons the Elf (Isaac Miller, last seen in “Enron”), a chimney sweep (Allie Lampman-Simms, last seen in “Campfire Stories from Camp Guyasuta”), and Santa Claus (there’s only one Santa Claus).

Eden Ivy and Amoxie Villain, most likely to be on Santa’s naughty list, performed sexy burlesque numbers (hotter than the coffee in the aforementioned coffee shop).

Stand-up comedy, Kimberly Bennett regaled the audience with a plethora of jokes, some naughty, some nice, all funny.

Bevin Baker, who sang two incredible songs: the Counting Crows’ “Long December” and Tori Amos’s “Icicle,” was an incredible moment on stage. It was worth the price of admission.

Buy a wrapped Christmas gift and discover a surprise, or play it safe and get a trio of homemade cookies.

Even though Santa makes an appearance, it’s best to leave the little ones at home, or you’ll get coal in your stockings.

Its a weird, wonderful and very different Christmas show.

-MB

There are a few tickets left for Vigilance Theater Group’s Spooky Holiday, which runs one more night on Wednesday, December 10, at Wizard Coffee, 1206 Arlington Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15210. For tickets and additional information, click here. 

By Lonnie the Theater Lady

The nuns of Saint Helen’s Convent and School in Hoboken are going live with their first cable-access television Christmas special. What could go wrong? Nearly everything! A steady stream of comical mishaps rains down on the hapless nuns and their students. The very loose plot of “Nuncrackers” provides a satirical backdrop for the cleverly written, witty songs, double entendres, and visual humor in the show.

Meghan Child plays Sister Mary Regina, the Reverend Mother. Her strong melodic voice dazzles every one of her numbers. She’s particularly amusing when she sings “Carnival Christmas.” This song is a perfect example of the play’s irreverent yet never offensive tone.

In a touching moment, John Herrmann’s Father Virgil Manly Trott stands out as he sings “The Christmas Box” to comfort an upset child. Herrmann’s hilarious cooking demonstration scene as Sister Julia Child is over-the-top comical. His Julia Child impersonation rivals Dan Ackroyd’s SNL skit!

Joyce Miller’s mostly good-natured Sister Mary Hubert delights with her delivery of some humorous (out of character) streetwise comments. Her unmistakable, winsome vocals charm in every musical number.

Krista Strosnider is beyond amusing as her character sings, “All I Want for Christmas” is a one-night stand. However, it’s not what you think!

Sandy Boggs skillfully plays the comical Sister Mary Paul (Amnesia). Although she’s hilarious, she can’t be credited with providing comic relief, since the show is consistently funny throughout!

Six children play the students at Mt. Saint Helen’s School. Every one of them is absolutely adorable. They all sing well and look totally natural and relaxed on stage. Their “Santa’s Little Teapot” number touchingly reminds the audience of the beauty and purity of young children.

All the musical numbers are original and loaded with unexpected, sometimes surprising, witty lyrics. The parody of The Village People’s popular “In the Navy” is reimagined as “In the Convent.” A real riot!

Mount Saint Helen’s version of “The Nutcracker” ballet is not to be missed. It’s guaranteed to leave you in stitches.

Briana Ryan (costumer) and her assistant, Cindy Berg, hit the right note with whimsical touches to all costumes.

The live music provides lovely, not too loud, accompaniment and enhances the vocals.

“Nuncrackers” is a riotously funny, feel-good, tiny bit naughty, yet heartwarming show. Treat yourself to an early holiday gift — take the time to relax and laugh with this charming holiday treat!

-LtTL

“Nuncrackers” runs through December 14, Old Schoolhouse Players, Hickory, PA. For tickets and additional information, click here. 

By Claire DeMarco

It’s Christmas Eve in Bedford Falls, and George Bailey (Mike Goffus) feels his life is useless.  He faces financial disaster and is close to committing suicide.

Enter Angel Second Class Clarence Odbody (Stuart McNiell), who tries to help Bailey over this crisis.  As part of that remedy, Odbody encourages Bailey to look back on his life and reflect on how the decisions and choices he made were valuable not only to him but also to those who knew him.

Bailey’s thoughts of his past begin.

Bailey had high expectations for the path his life would take.  He wanted to attend college and travel.  These plans were short-circuited when his father, the owner of a building and loan company, died suddenly.

Bailey stayed in Bedford Falls, married his sweetheart Mary Hatch (Leah Grimm), had a family, and took over his father’s business.

Uncle Billy (John Henry Steelman) was part of that business.

Nemesis Henry F. Potter (Kevin B. McGuire) owns everything in the town except Bailey’s company.  Potter was devious, constantly trying to gain control of the one thing in the city he didn’t own – Bailey’s building and loan business.

An unfortunate loss of company funds puts Bailey on the defensive, both personally and legally, and brings us back to his meeting with Odbody.  It’s time to decide – face the consequences or end his life.

Bailey chooses what his action will be.

Goffus is superb as Bailey.  What a powerful emotional range! He transitions from a buoyant, excited husband, family man, and well-liked member of the community to an almost deranged human, angry at the entire world.

Angel 2^nd class Odbody, McNiell, attempts to have a positive influence on Bailey. Since he’s aiming for a promotion, he is proactive in his approach to Bailey. At the same time, his vulnerability comes through as he occasionally seeks support and guidance from an unseen angel.

Grimm is great as the ever-supporting, loving wife.  She is the steadfast equalizer in George’s life, without the fanfare.

Steelman’s portrayal of Uncle Billy is spot on.  He is Bailey’s loyal supporter, but it’s apparent he has no business sense and, at times, is a bit befuddled and distracted.

McGuire wonderfully plays our bad guy in this production.  He is verbally vindictive, conniving, and smug.

Excellent direction by Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre.

Two notes:

• • • I mentioned this in a previous review, but, amazingly, such detailed, well-executed multiple-set scenes are accomplished in a small space.
    • Depending on the performance date, many of the actors’ roles are performed by other members of the cast.

A nicely done production of a yearly Christmas favorite!

-CED

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a production of The Pittsburgh Savoyards.  Performances run from December 5^th to December 20^th at the Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center, 523 Lincoln Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202. For tickets and additional information, click here. 

By Michael Buzzelli

Clark (Patrick Jordan), Ellen (Tami Dixon), and their kids, Rusty (Jason McCune) and Audrey (Jamie Slavinsky), are planning the perfect holiday in “Midnight Radio Lampoons Christmas Vaca-Yinz,” a Midnight Radio parody of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

The family – and we won’t spoil their crude last name, but it’s not exactly spelled Griswold in this adaptation –  is joined by a slew of relatives (all played by Dave Masueto and the aforementioned actors above – only Jordan has a solo role, which he does with aplomb).

All the film’s best sequences are here: the oversized Christmas tree, the super slick sled ride, the….deposits from Cousin Eddie’s RV, the world’s driest turkey, the moose cups, the fricasseed pussy cat, the squirrel, and more.

There’s even a parody version of “Holiday Road,” which is delightful. Music Director Camille Rolla beautifully and hilariously renders this version.

How do you lampoon the National Lampoon? Easy call Tami Dixon to get the job done. The actor also adapted the film into a Midnight Radio show with a decidedly Yinzer flair.

Note: Midnight Radio is not shown at midnight, nor is it on the radio, but it has become a holiday tradition (Midnight Radio has skewered other Christmas cinematic favorites such as “Die Hard,” “A Christmas Carol,” and “A Christmas Story”).

The evening is clearly suited for people familiar with the film, but it’s easy to follow along. Audiences who have never seen the movie might miss one or two of the jokes (because the previous visual components are missing), but there are plenty of laughs that don’t require homework.

Jordan’s rant as Clark in the final act is off the chain. He embellishes the rant with a list of hilarious epithets; a string of nonsense words that – when joined together – surpass anything that Chevy Chase could have ever concocted, let alone said aloud. It contains all the usual hits, such as “cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit, ” and builds from there.

Dixon is marvelous, especially as Aunt Bethany, playing sweet, vulnerable, and clearly cuckoo!

Slavinsky goes full Yinzer in several parts of the performance, and it’s magnificent n’nat.

McCune and Masueto garner plenty of laughs as well.

All of the actors double as foley artists, creating raucous, rollicking special effects with the help of sound engineer Brendan Kepple.

Lighting designer Forrest Trimble keeps everything festive. He, literally and figuratively, shines when Clark plugs in the extension cord.

Director Jeffrey Carpenter leans into his cast’s natural talents. Letting Jordan be Jordan and giving the cast the freedom to go as wild as they want. The result is uproarious.

There’s a lot of crude and scatological humor, but if you’ve seen the original movie, you’re most likely aware that it’s coming. See: Cousin Eddie’s most famous line is a prime example.

Instead of watching the same old movies on TV, come out and see one of those Christmas perennials live and in person, or see the film and the Midnight Radio show.

Signing off in 3…2….1.

-MB

“Midnight Radio’s Christmas Vaca-Yinz” runs until December 21 on the Bingo O’Malley Stage at barebones productions, 1211 Braddock Avenue, Braddock, PA 15104. For tickets and additional information, click here.

By Claire DeMarco

“Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge” takes the classic Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and turns it upside down.

It starts with the traditional characters of the Ghost (Chelsea Davis) attempting to convince Ebenezer Scrooge (Tony Bingham) that goodness is a virtue and one he should embrace. He’s not convinced.

We’re introduced to some of those characters we’re familiar with from Dickens’ classic.  Bob Cratchit (Michael McBurney) is kind, poor, and family-oriented. Tiny Tim’s (Sami Sollon) upbeat personality prevails, and Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig (Gordon Robertson and Candice Fisher) are as charming as ever.

And then we meet Mrs. Bob Cratchit (Tonilyn Jackson), who is no longer the long-suffering, kind character we remember. She is miserable, mean, and constantly complains.  Now burdened with twenty children, she tends to indulge in a drink or two (or more) and continually threatens to throw herself off London Bridge.

Ghost attempts to redeem Scrooge, constantly zapping him with her ever-present wand as she takes him back to the past and into the future. Her strategy to see goodness often goes awry as her wand-driving inadvertently carries both timelines out of step with the story.

This hilarious parody takes on the components of the original classic, elevating it to a new height of absurdity.

Note: And that is the beauty and complete comedy of this production. If you think you hear references to a multitude of other Christmas-themed works, you are right!  Flashes from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Oliver Twist,” and many more are inserted subtly into the script.

If you’re wondering how this parody ends, I’m not telling.  My lips are sealed!

Davis delivers as the Ghost, balancing humor, determination, and constant pressure as she attempts to convince Scrooge to see the light.  She effectively manages a multitude of emotions.  She is witty, sassy, engaging, and sometimes perplexed.

Bingham is excellent as the grouchy Scrooge.  His facial expressions, gymnastics, and bent-over posture enhance his characterization of the “mean old man”.  His reaction and antics to children singing “Silent Night” are classic.

As Mrs. Cratchit’s husband, McBurney, constantly sees the positive side of his situation, which is bleak, but he’s too nice to see it. He is always happy and never stands up for himself.

Many of Jackson’s lines are sarcastic and mostly mean.  She delivers them with relish, often with a larger-than-life grin on her face. Her performance as a “meanie” is convincing.

There’s never been a Little Nell quite like Gallagher.  With long blonde braids and a large dress, and a straight face, he is side-splittingly funny.

Nackman plays Angel Clarence, a character not in Dickens’ original classic. Never smiling and with an enormous set of wings attached to his back, he is not angelic, but his comedy comes from his deadpan expressions, movements, and remarks.

Although appearing briefly, Robertson and Fisher sing a funny duet as one of the few genuinely happy people in the play.  Balancing their flamboyant wigs (almost a foot high) while cavorting around the stage is itself an accomplishment.

Sollon’s kind, gentle nature comes through as Tiny Tim.

“Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge” was written by Christopher Durang. with terrific costume design by Alex Righetti, and excellent direction by Nathan Walter.

-CED

“Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge” runs from December 4^th to December 21^st at Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg, PA. For tickets and additional information, click here. 

By Michael Buzzelli

Richard Marsh is quite a bard; he’s written and performed a rhyming “Die Hard.”  You don’t need a formal invitation to his one-person show; know that, to the Greer, is the place you must go.  Most holiday tales are jolly and gay, but not the tale he’s calling, “Yippee Ki Yay.” 

This version of Gruber’s diabolical crime is told completely in meticulous rhyme.

Marsh is on stage alone; no one else has to get ready. It’s just Marsh, and a bear – a bear he calls Teddy.  The bear is a stand-in for a terrorist thug, but, honestly, you’ll just want to give it a hug.

It’s all quite insane, he plays all of the parts, including McClane.

“Die Hard” is an action flick and it gets pretty gory. Marsh also slides in a personal story. He spins a tale about his girlfriend-turned-wife. It starts out sweet, but it’s a tale full of strife. The two stories come together, they weave, in a way that you would have to see to believe.

It’s a sweet story of two toothsome lovebirds, they consider each other brilliant film nerds. The two meet and bond over the flick. There chemistry is good, they really click. In a year,  the couple’s love grows, soon he summons the strength to propose.

Between his story and “Die Hard” does our actor switch. Its quite a feat for the performer named Rich.

Fans all know what happens on the big screen, McClane’s a hero and  Hans Gruber is mean.  Meanwhile, if you want some new drama, wait till Rich’s wife becomes a mama.

The show’s got quite a kick, man. I loved his impression of Alan Rickman.

The show is amusing, but somewhat confusing. There’s ninety minutes of rhyme, but it goes by quick, a very fun time.

Another Christmas, another year, another rhyming show fills the Greer.

Robbie Butler’s lighting design, is terrific, definitely better than fine.

Voice and accent coach Alice White, keeps Rich’s American accent extremely tight. Marsh does his level best, though he has to explain the word ‘vest.’ Frankly, I hate the word American’s use for said sleeveless shirt. Hearing ‘wifebeater’ makes my heart hurt.

The team also has Hudson and Adams, both men named Ben. Hudson’s the composer and I’d score him ten out of ten. Ben Adams is the manager of the stage, he deserves a mention on this very page.

Who’s the director of this show you might ask? It’s Hal Chambers and he keeps Marsh on his task.

Another Christmas, another year, another rhyming show fills the Greer.

Marsh is terrific, you might even say groovy, but he confirms once and for all  that “Die Hard” is…a Christmas movie!

-MB

“Yippie Ki Yay (a parody of Die Hard) runs until December 21 at the Greer Cabaret Theater, 622 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For tickets and more information, click here.