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Christmas As We Grow Older
Devised & Adapted by Terry McCabe
Directed by Terry McCabe
At City Lit Theatre
1020 W. Bryn Mawr
Chicago, IL
Call 773-293-3682, tickets $25
Fridays & Saturdays at 8 PM
Sundays at 3 PM
Running time is 1 hour, 40 minutes with intermission
Through December 24, 2006
“Christmas isn’t a season, it’s a feeling”
Adult Christmas revue a feast for the erudite
City Lit Theatre has a smart new Christmas show running that is intelligent, original and engaging. How nice to see a thinking person’s Christmas show! This is a grownups show, not for the kids. It isn’t naughty nor vulgar, it’s just mature.
Consisting of stories from Mark Twain, Edna Ferber, P.G. Wodehouse, John Collier, James Pierpont and O. Henry, this delightful show is witty and whimsical. It is sprinkled with a dozen songs from the 1620’s through the 1980’s. From the broadside English ballad, “Drive the cold Winter Away” to cast member Kingsley Day’s wonderful “I Remember Christmas, “we relate to this charmingly nostalgic Christmas show.
The some of the stories are heartwarming, some funny and smart; all are appropriate for capturing adult feeling about Christmas. The show answers the question: “What secular value Christmas has for us once we have outgrown the magic we believed in as children.” All pieces from this show contribute to the answer to that question. Christmas is, indeed, enjoyable for adults.
The strong cast deftly delivered the variety of song, comedy and storytelling with articulate warmth and loads of charm. Kingsley Day, Melanie Esplin, Darrelyn Marx and Thomas M. Shea combined to demonstrate their talents. This ensemble piece allowed each to be featured. Terrific work here.
I especially like the Edna Ferber story, “Catching Up With Christmas.” The wacky P.G. Wodehouse piece tells of how we keep recycling unwanted gifts until they come back to haunt us years latter. The radio play, “Suspense”, gives a new twist to “Back for Christmas” while O. Henry’s classic short story, “The Gift of the Magi” reminds us of the true Christmas spirit.
A wonderful variety of songs, some new and funny like “Miss Fogarty’s Christmas Cake” and an old take on “Jingle Bells”—“The One-Horse Open Sleigh” offer cute moments. Jerome Kern’s “A Jazz Christmas Carol,” a ragtime arrangement of “God Rest You Merry, Gentleman” was interesting. But the marvelous “Drive the cold Winter Away” captures the mood of the piece nicely.
Christmas As We Grow Older is an enjoyable show that helps grownups put the holiday into perspective. It does so with intelligence and heart. I liked this show and so will you. Kudos to Terry McCabe for offering something NEW for Christmas.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: December 1, 2006
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