Sydney Richardson in Who's Holiday
Kitty: At Circa’s Speakeasy, they’ve got quite a play.
It’s Matthew Lombardo’s Who’s Holiday!
Brad Hauskins directs with a wink and a cheer,
And Sydney – no – Cindy Lou Who will appear.
She’s middle-aged now, that Cindy Lou Who.
And she wants to tell you what life put her through.
She moved outside Whoville; she lives in a trailer.
And this grown-up Who has a mouth like a sailor.
The rhymes are amusing; the costume’s a sight;
This parody sparkles with holiday light.
So come to the Speakeasy, settle right in.
A wild winter tale is about to begin.
Mischa: Okay, that’s enough.
K: Yeah, there’s no way we can keep this up, huh?
M: Can we just do this in prose? Please?
K: The Circa '21 Speakeasy opened Who’s Holiday this weekend, a one-woman show featuring none other than everyone’s favorite Grinch whisperer, Cindy Lou Who, played by Sydney (née Dexter) Richardson. We attended the opening-night performance on Thursday, December 4.
M: And it was an energetic, engaging performance. As a show for adults that revisits and re-envisions a family classic, it offers both a guaranteed nostalgia factor and a steady stream of laughs based on the central shtick: turning an innocent character from childhood into a far-from-innocent adult.
K: So I’ll be honest: I was nervous about this show.
M: Yes.
K: Listen, I’m a woman of the world. I’ve seen almost an entire episode of The Boys. But when I read this show’s premise, I was worried that the humor was going to lean entirely on shock value and boundary-pushing for its own sake. And without the right actress, the material might not have risen beyond that. But honestly, Richardson brought real dimension to the role. She found the natural moments of humor instead of reaching for the obvious laugh or a dirty joke. I was prepared for The Hangover and ended up with Bridesmaids, which was a nice treat.
M: Absolutely. It was an unmitigated pleasure to watch Richardson portray this part. She exuded the perfect mix of Midwestern charm and knowing experience to make it really come to life. I especially appreciated the way she worked with the sometimes clunkily written rhyming text to make it seem entirely natural, with well-chosen pauses and changes of pace.
K: Oh, absolutely. This show’s brisk run time of just over an hour could easily feel much longer if the script slipped into a singsong lull. But Richardson handles the verse like a pro. Her delivery feels effortless, never leaning too hard on the meter, but she knows exactly when to play up a rhyme for a well-timed laugh. I also really enjoyed her crowd work. Some audience interaction is built into the script, but Richardson definitely has a knack for reading her audience, because her one-liners and occasional improvisations always landed.
M: In a one-person show, a lot can ride on a performer’s versatility, and Richardson did not disappoint – besides what we’ve already mentioned, she nailed a couple of highly contrasting musical numbers, as well. This Cindy Lou has rap skills like no one else in Whoville, and can also sing her heart out in an earnest country ballad.
K: Oh, yeah, and speaking of dropping sick rap beats, we need to shout out Krianna Walljasper, who not only played Cindy Lou’s DJ but also served as the show’s “technical assistant,” which mostly meant appearing as a floating pair of gloved hands offering snacks, holding out the ringing telephone, and doubling as a coat rack as needed. It reminded me of that Bobby’s World episode with Kathy the hand model.
M: Walljasper’s silent support helped make efficient use of the Speakeasy’s intimate space, avoiding clutter by bringing on objects and taking them off again. The stage was nicely tricked out by scenic artist Becky Meissen (with scenic concept by Heather Hauskins) to show the interior outline of Cindy Lou’s trailer – its tiny kitchen and tiny living room – with assorted items on display such as a Wicked playbill and a diploma from DeVry University, both of which are used cleverly in the show.
K: DeVry: It’s accredited! And we can’t talk about the distinctive visual look of the show without mentioning the incomparable Bradley Robert Jensen and his Seussational costumes. Cindy’s look was accomplished with an elaborately whimsical blonde wig and a festively flamboyant outfit that screamed “Christmas spirit.” There was even a fun costume change at one point.
M: One thing that surprised me about the show was that amidst all the humor, a somewhat serious drama was also unfolding, relating to Cindy’s relationship (yes, I do mean that kind of relationship) with the Grinch. This added a bit of real heart as the story reached its conclusion. I’m not sure how many sizes of heart growth we’re talking about – the scenario was a little contrived. But it tied things together well.
K: A satisfying ending. Makes for a good Christmas date night!
M: Yes … but don’t take the kids to see it.
Who's Holiday runs at the Circa '21 Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue, Rock island IL) through December 19, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 and visiting TheCirca21Speakeasy.com.
