Striking the right New Year’s note

In the quest for an ideal holiday entertainment for adults, “Striking 12” strikes gold.

Because the setting is New Year’s Eve, not Christmas, its mid-December arrival at the Old Globe may seem premature. Then again, fretting about what to do on New Year’s Eve begins early for many people -- the morning after, anyone?

“Striking 12” not only addresses that problem but solves it: There will be two performances on New Year’s Eve. Catch this show at the Old Globe’s Cassius Carter Centre Stage on Dec. 31, and you’ll ring in 2004 on a particularly warm note.

That warmth emanates as much from the three magnetic performers as from the show itself. They make up a New York-based ensemble, GrooveLily, that blends elements of musical theater with rock, folk and rap into a savory musical stew.

“Striking 12” is, in the first act, a concert musical. After intermission, GrooveLily performs its own mini-concert minus any narrative trappings. Valerie Vigoda plays electric violin, Brendan Milburn is on keyboards and Gene Lewin is the drummer. All three take turns on lead vocals.

The Cassius Carter -- normally an intimate, arena-style square -- has been reconfigured. GrooveLily occupies the east side, dislodging some of the seating. Six cabaret-style tables, each with seating for four, face the band from what is usually the theater’s stage. The rest of the audience sits in the regular seats on the other three sides.

“Striking 12” begins with a lush violin solo by Vigoda, standing among the theatergoers before she joins her colleagues onstage. Then the focus shifts to Milburn, who plays a wage slave working late on New Year’s Eve, hoping to avoid dreaded social entanglements.

When he gets home, his solitude is interrupted by phone calls and a visit from a young door-to-door saleswoman (Vigoda) who’s pitching full-spectrum light bulbs. She claims their brightness will heal seasonal affective disorder.

She reminds the would-be loner of the Hans Christian Andersen story of the little match girl. He doesn’t buy any of her bulbs, but after she leaves he starts reading the story.

The writers manage to honor the story while also acknowledging modern suspicions of such sentiments -- mostly in the form of sardonic digressions sung by drummer Lewin. He psychoanalyzes Andersen yet concludes that the writer’s personal traumas helped him create his stories.

The show allows theatergoers to enjoy a holiday uplift without asking them to check their grown-up sensibilities at the door. The performers remain emblems of cool sophistication while conveying an old-fashioned message about human contact.

Their lyrics are fresh, clever and evocative. The words also are easy to understand despite the amplified instruments in a small space. Praise be to sound designer Robert J. Killenberger.

One of the story’s main themes is light, and lighting designer Michael Gilliam makes everyone look great -- audience as well as performers. Ted Sperling, who directed “Striking 12” in its original Philadelphia production, reprises his work here.

GrooveLily’s second-act concert is an added treat. Even here, some of the lyrics would work as songs in a narrative. “Sitting on the Fence” is a Sondheimian expression of ambivalence about whether to look for security or freedom.

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‘Striking 12’

Where: The Old Globe, Cassius Carter Centre Stage, Balboa Park, San Diego

When: Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 and 10 p.m.; Sundays,

2 and 7 p.m. Exceptions: Dec. 22,

8 p.m.; Dec. 26, 30 and 31, 7 and

10 p.m.; Dec. 29, 7 p.m. No shows

Dec. 24 or 25.

Ends: Dec. 31

Price: $19-$47

Contact: (619) 23-GLOBE

Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Cast: Valerie Vigoda, Brendan Milburn, Gene Lewin

Written by Brendan Milburn, Rachel Sheinkin and Valerie Vigoda. Directed by Ted Sperling. Set by David Ledsinger. Costumes by Shelly Williams. Lighting by Michael Gilliam. Sound by Robert J. Killenberger. Stage manager Grayson Meritt.