THEATER REVIEW : Musical ‘Happy Holidays’ a Pleasant Enough Outing

A minor character in the pleasant but innocuous new musical “Happy Holidays” mentions how scary the movie version of “A Christmas Carol” is.

The Dickens tale is, of course, the holiday show of choice for many theaters. Pasadena Playhouse officials were probably trying to avoid doing the umpteenth “Christmas Carol” when they commissioned a new holiday musical from Bill Castellino.

So it’s a bit surprising that Martin Casella, who wrote “Happy Holidays” from an idea by director-choreographer Castellino, would draw attention to the scary quality of the rival show, for that’s one of the reasons why it’s so popular--and why “Happy Holidays” pales in comparison.

“Happy Holidays” is happy, all right. But forget suspense. With such a happy-face title, ripped from a million greeting cards, you correctly suspect that happy endings are ahead. All of the characters are likable from the start. Although they go through a few changes, these are paltry and prepackaged compared to Scrooge’s.

Music student Thomas Courreconte (Roy Abramsohn), working as a lounge pianist at a Chicago airport on Christmas Eve, narrates. But the central character is his grandmother Theresa “Nanny Boots” Courreconte (Camille Saviola) back home in Pittsburgh.

As the show opens, Theresa is preparing for her annual Christmas Eve gnocchi festival, assisted by her friend Tremeeka Bat-Tomku (Ellia English). They’re anticipating the arrivals of Thomas, his hard-strapped and currently unemployed father Joey (James Naughton), Joey’s Southern-bred ex-wife (Valerie Perri) and her new fiance (unseen), Theresa’s own new boyfriend Eli (S. Marc Jordan), Joey’s daughter Roxanne (Perri again) and Roxanne’s new husband (Zar Acayan).

This isn’t one of those scripts (“Home for the Holidays,” “Happytime Xmas”) about an actual family reunion. Four guests don’t show up. The others can’t stay long. Even Tremeeka is called away by her estranged son (Mike James), a doctor in Botswana who offers to meet her back home in Jamaica.

Finally the hostess herself drives off in a snowstorm to meet her suitor Eli at a cute bed and breakfast, near where his bus has become disabled. The point, in case you’re dramaturgically disabled, is that older people can find new romance.

Another point is that life moves on in other ways--the family’s traditional celebration gives way to smaller, far-flung festivities, in keeping with the changing look of the American family. Thanks to modern technology, however, everyone stays in touch. The last scene is like an ad promoting the use of long distance.

Yet another point is that yes, we can all get along. Besides the Italian American heterosexual core, other characters are Jewish, white Southern, Jamaican American, Filipino American, and gay. Amid the Christmas cheer, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa receive token homage, too. These cultural differences stir up not a whiff of tension.

The list of the show’s composers or lyricists includes 18 names (not counting one whose one song was dropped after the program was printed). The songs include “Joy to the World,” “O Sole Mio,” Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” and “O Holy Night” in addition to freshly minted ditties. Most of the new songs serve the plot without sounding like anything you must hear again, just as the performances are workmanlike without being memorable. Abramsohn doubles as the show’s very capable pianist.

* “Happy Holidays,” Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave. Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 5 and 9 p.m.; Sundays, 2 and 7 p.m. Ends Dec. 17. $11.50-$33.50. (800) 233-3123. Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes.

Conceived, directed and choreographed by Bill Castellino. Written by Martin Casella. Original songs by Michele Brourman & Amanda McBroom, Ann Hampton Callaway, Gilles Chiasson & Linda Coler, James McBride, Gerald Sternbach & Lindy Robbins, David Strickland & Ellen Schwartz, Kirby Tepper. Musical direction and vocal arrangements Gerald Sternbach. Sets by David Potts. Lighting by Paulie Jenkins. Costumes by Diana Eden. Sound by Frederick W. Boot. Production stage manager Christopher Burkhardt.