There’s something ruefully contagious about the garishness of the Holiday season… contagious like a bad stomach flu. However, it also results in some twisted productions by the Los Angeles theatre community.
After the jump is a grab bag of the following egg nog infused selections:
- Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer
- Bob’s Holiday Office Party
- Holiday Fever!
- Pageant of the Seasons, a a 99¢ Only Modern Something!
- A Mulholland Christmas Carol
- A Ray Bradbury Christmas
Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer is an original holiday musical with “gay elves, an evil Santa, an alcoholic Mrs. Claus and the Abominable Drag Beast.” (source: Sha In LA)
The Elephant Theatre, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd.
The Zephyr Theatre is hosting two Holiday traditions: Bob’s Holiday Office Party, now in its 11th year, and Holiday Fever!, in its third. LA Weekly described Bob’s, a comedic play, as “a drunken alternative to Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life.” Holiday Fever! is an old time (think 70s era Donny and Marie) variety show.
Nov. 30th thru Dec. 17th
and Holiday Fever!
Tuesday and Wednesdays at 8pm, Dec. 5th thru Dec. 20th
Zephyr Theater, 7456 Melrose Ave.
I’m sure there isn’t a producer out there who wouldn’t be motivated that there’s one show that has succeeded year after year using sets and costumes built entirely out of products from the 99¬¢ store. For 2006, its called Pageant of the 4 Seasons, a 99¬¢ Only Modern Something! An early cast/crew call the producers described it as “an ensemble dance piece. Operatic, BollyWood, Avante Garde, all in an acid trip.”
Bootleg Theatre, 2220 Beverly Blvd. (213) 389-3856
The only of this set that I can attest to, is the impressive A Mulholland Christmas Carol, that mashes up the Dicken’s tale with a history lesson about the St. Francis Dam disaster, all as a musical. It sounds wacky, but this is worthy of comparison to the most pro of any off-Broadway show, featuring a reenactment of the flood that destroyed Santa Paula.
Sacred Fools Theater, 660 N. Heliotrope Dr., Hollywood (310) 281-8337
A Ray Bradbury Christmas is an adaptation of The End of the Beginning/The Messiah, about an astronaut from Earth who lands on a planet where he finds himself the competition for their messiah. The Man of the Millennium himself (Bradbury) will also deliver a speech during each show. (source: Georgan’s MySpace)
Fremont Center Theatre, 1000 Fremont Ave., South Pasadena (323) 960-4451
(additional sourcing via LA Weekly)
Don’t forget The Troubie’s JACKson FROST at the Falcon Theatre in Los Angeles Adjacent (Burbank)!
you scooped me. i was gonna do a very similar post about the same subject. sadly because i’m doing “Rudolph”, i can’t go see “.99¬¢” or “bob’s”
very bummed about that. gotta love the twisted holiday theatre productions.
happy ho-ho
Oh, Markland! You got me again!
I’ve had a Bob’s Office Party post in the hopper for days now, waiting to go live with it until shortly before it opens for those among us with short-term memory loss….
Crap!
Well, do me a favor and pretend it’s all fresh and new next week when you see my post, will you?