A CHRISTMAS WESTSIDE STORY

Falcon Theatre

Reviewed By Robert Axelrod

Well, ‘tis the season, and the Troubadour Theater Company is bringing the Yule in with its robust production of A CHRISTMAS WESTSIDE STORY.  The Troubies trademark is to combine a classic play with a modern theme, thus we get hybrids like this and FLEETWOOD MACBETH and FROSTY THE SNOW MANILOW.  If you’re looking for a plot in this format, you won’t find much of one. What’s presented is just good old Troubie terrifically talented mayhem, laced with clever lyrics and lots of ad libs.

Matt Walker directs and plays the lead, Ralphie.  Ralphie wants to be cool and get a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas.  Will his parents (skillfully played by Leah Sprecher and Rick Batalla) ever believe that A BOY LIKE THAT could handle a gun like that?  Or will Santa use ONE HAND, ONE HEART, to ignore Ralphie and give the gun to MARIA instead?  Thus are these song parodies, along with others like I FEEL PRETTY, JET, TONIGHT, and more woven into the material along with the Troubies top-notch choreography.  The Falcon has a nice wide stage so there’s none of the insufferable cramping I’ve seen in smaller capacity houses attempting to hold large scale musicals with dance numbers.

There are so many awesome numbers assayed by all-awesome talent, that it’s unfair to single out anything and anyone individually, but I’m going to anyway.  When Walker-as-Ralphie pairs with Katherine Malak-as-Red, the stage lights up.  Malak has  an outstanding singing voice and her duet with Walker inspires.  The I FEEL PRETTY number is especially cute, with Monica Schneider playing a black fishnet stocking clad lampshade.  The ensemble vocalizing and high-kickin’ choreography is especially strong in BOY BOY CRAZY BOY, AMERICA, and TONIGHT, with TONIGHT the obvious show stopper.  I could have done without the piggie snot missile at the dinner table bit in Act I, and Twinkies up the butts reference in Act II.  Chalk them up to too much artistic license? 

Others rounding out the cast are Brandon Breault, Kristin D’Andrea Condon, Joseph Keane, Beth Kennedy, Christine Lakin, Suzanne Jolie Narbonne, Robert Petrarca, and Lisa Valenzuela.  All are special, wonderfully manic characters.  The five piece band is superb and the lights, sound, and costumes enhance the production immensely.  So light up your Christmas season and catch the Troubies’ fixin’s at the Falcon.  A CHRISTMAS WESTSIDE STORY runs now through January 15^th, 2012, Wednesday through Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 4 and 8 PM, Sunday at 4 and 7 PM.  Ticket prices vary so call the box office at (818) 955-8101 or visit www.FalconTheatre.com.

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