Tyler Henning, Jacqueline Isaacson, Taylor Lynn, Roger Pavey Jr., Kira Rangel, and Kirsten V. Myers Sr. in The Ho Ho Ho Show
One last Christmas show for the season: The Black Box Theatre’s newest production, director Andrea Moore's The Ho Ho Ho Show, is a pleasant, quick evening out for those looking for a pleasant, quick Christmas fix.
When you take your seat, you’re greeted by a mostly bare stage. Designed by Lora Adams, the set is simple, featuring some wooden Christmas-tree silhouettes and a hanging garland with lights. There are a couple stools, and a few additional set pieces that are rolled out throughout the performance, but that’s it. After the pre-show speech ends, the actors enter and the show begins. There’s no setup or premise beyond that.
The Ho Ho Ho Show's six performers, mostly acting as themselves, are here to put on a Christmas revue, and you’re going to sit there and enjoy it. They perform a series of songs that pay homage to, and poke fun of, typical Christmas fare. There are some speeches and voice-overs to help cover transitions while actors change costume pieces, but there really isn’t much beyond the music. With lyrics by Cheryl Coons and music by Eric Lane Barnes, Michael Duff, Beckie Menzie, and Tom Sivak, the piece's general tone reminds me of something that David Sedaris would write – sans any of the wit.
This sounds harsh. though I really don’t intend it to be. Things here are more often funny than not, thanks in large part to the energy brought by the performers. The cast is composed of six talents: Tyler Henning, Jacqueline Isaacson, Taylor Lynn, Kirsten V. Myers Sr., fellow Reader reviewer Roger Pavey Jr., and Kira Rangel. Everyone looks like they’re having a blast, which goes a long way toward bolstering the spirit of the event.
Some of the Ho Ho Ho songs are variations on classics, while others are original tunes crafted for the show. Those in the latter category tend to be more miss than hit, as jokes are often established in the first few bars and then rarely iterated further than that. But the songs that pull from classics have stronger foundations and manage to inspire more laughs. One of my favorites was “Carol of the Bells,” in which the rest of the cast sang through while Pavey read a statement from the American Choral Association warning that “'Carol’ kills more people every year from oxygen deprivation than any other assorted holiday-themed activities” while the choir behind him struggled for breath.
Other highlights included “Chia Pet,” performed by Rangel (and featuring a costume that I can confidently say I’ve never seen elsewhere); Lynn's beautifully sung “First Christmas”; and “The Mistle Toad,” with Pavey, when dancing, demonstrating an uncanny ability to become more limb than man. It's all frequently funny, though Friday's Ho Ho Ho Show performance often suggested that the comedic highs didn’t reach their full potential.
Even though a few numbers did fall flat, that felt more like the book's fault than any actor's. Still, on opening night, there was evident hesitancy in some of the numbers regarding when ensemble members were supposed come in on certain phrases, a few forgotten lyrics here and there, and one conspicuously long scene change. The evening's energy, however, carried the performance and didn’t get in the way of my overall enjoyment. Plus, with its breezy 75-minute runtime, the production definitely didn't overstay its welcome. I’m sure that with a few more performances under their belt, Moore's ensemble will be rocking out by the time the second weekend rolls around.
The material isn’t the best in The Ho Ho Ho Show, but when performers are having this much fun, it’s hard not to smile. If you’re looking for some inoffensive Christmas spirit, look no further than the Black Box.
The Ho Ho Ho Show runs at the Black Box Theatre (1623 Fifth Avenue, Moline IL) through December 17, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)284-2350 and visiting TheBlackBoxTheatre.com.
