Naughty? A bit, but ‘Spirit’ is nice too

Ah, holiday gift-giving. The fruitcake weighty enough for a doorstop, that plastic singing fish, the Chia Pet, that little treasure at the bottom of the stocking....

Or, the musical equivalent: “Spirit of Christmas,” a touring extravaganza at the Kodak Theatre: sweet, tacky and, occasionally, just what you wished it would be.

First staged in London and aimed at all ages, this variety show, with retro echoes of cheesy 1970s TV specials, falls in the Merry Christmas, not the Happy Holidays, camp. It’s frankly Christian, but with bushels of secular nostalgia and corn.

That means truly lovely choir harmonies in “What Child Is This” and beautiful solos by musical theater veterans David Jennings (“Joy to the World” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?”) and Fran Jaye (“O Holy Night” and, unexpectedly and movingly, John Lennon’s “Imagine”).

It means an overabundance of Christmas lights outlining nearly every bit of decor on the bus-and-truck set, as well as acrobatics and audience warmups with Dizzy the Elf, performers in yellow chicken suits clucking “Jingle Bells” and an excruciatingly fake Santa shimmying to a pop beat -- you may want to cover the kids’ eyes.

It also means soloist Amanda Kerridge heating things up with Jennings in “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” vamping through a sassy “Santa Baby” with an appreciative audience volunteer and leading slinkily clad, white-gloved beauties in “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” -- sung, incongruously, along with finger-snapping Bob Fosse-lite choreography.

Adding to the abundance of female pulchritude on view are the toned derrieres of skirt-flipping dancers in a flirty can-can number.

Such generous visions filled at least one male audience member with the spirit during the show’s opening matinee: He was overheard at intermission hoping to rent opera glasses “to see what the girls look like.”

Not to worry, however: In director Gary Lloyd’s vaguely Vegas-y choreography, the razzle-dazzle song-and-dance numbers are infused with youthful sunniness and never depart from the show’s G-rated, naughty-but-nice territory.

Meanwhile, costume design by Savannah & Snowy offers a welter of feather fans and boas, showgirl headgear and spangly, glittery shirts, tuxes and dresses.

On the downside are goofy animal costumes -- the unsmiling penguins are just a mite freaky -- and a Santa suit that looks like a one-size-fits-all rental.

Lighting designer Boon Casey adds to the spectacle, dressing up each big number with sweeping spotlights and a rainbow palette that softens into blues and violets for soulful mood shifts.

When all is sung and danced, though -- and despite the warm fuzzies imparted by a “White Christmas” sing-along and a snowfall finale -- it’s the musical reflections on the fundamental meaning of the holiday, performed with power and conviction by Jennings, Jaye and the cast in choir guise, that convey the real spirit of the season in this wide-eyed, eager-to-please hodgepodge.

*

‘Spirit of Christmas’

Where: Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

When: 7 p.m. today; 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 10:30 a.m., 2:30 and 7 p.m. Friday; 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Monday and next Tuesday

Price: $25 to $50

Contact: (213) 480-3232 or

www.ticketmaster.com

Running time: 2 hours