It’s holiday fun and ‘Nunsense’
The Little Sisters of Hoboken are in the basement, taping their very first public access TV Christmas special. What can possibly go wrong?
Luckily, in Valley Musical Theatre’s laugh-out-loud production of “Nuncrackers, the Nunsense Christmas Musical,” pretty much everything.
This ingratiating seasonal installment of Dan Goggin’s comic “Nunsense” franchise find the convent’s Christmas pageant choreographer and Sugar Plum Fairy sidelined by a broken leg. Enter the Rev. Mother (Sally Struthers) and Father Virgil (the latter memorably aided and abetted by costume designer Thomas G. Marquez’s oversized pink tutu).
Sister Julia, who accidentally poisoned 52 sisters a while back, is talking to the cops again and now it’s up to Father Virgil (Adrian Zmed) to take over the TV show’s fruitcake-making segment -- in nunly drag and with a bottle of rum regrettably close at hand.
Sister Amnesia’s Christmas carol visual aids, meanwhile, lose something in the translation (waffles and leopards for “wassail” and “shepherds”); and an anarchic puppet named Sister Annette grabs the spotlight to slander Santa and the elves in her R-rated “Twelve Days Prior to Christmas” number.
With an onstage combo (violin, keyboards, percussion and piano led by music director Steven Applegate) nicely integrated into set designer Brett Banakis’ deliberately downscale holiday decor, director and choreographer Kay Cole keeps the able cast stepping lively.
The fizzy frolic conveniently absorbs unintentional hitches too, such as opening night’s microphone pops and fade-outs and Struthers’ apparent allergy woes.
Even when coping with streaming eyes and sniffles, Struthers delivers the goods, salty and wickedly wide-eyed, yet ably layering bittersweet nostalgia into the Rev. Mother’s solo, “A Carnival Christmas.”
The other cast members supply their own shine to the gleefully calamitous proceedings. Annalisa Erickson as brisk Sister Hubert rocks the house with jaw-dropping gospel vocals in “It’s Better to Give.”
Shanon Mari Mills gives Amnesia a deft mix of perky and sweet; and Heidi Godt deepens streetwise Sister Robert Anne in her poignant musical reminiscence, “Jesus Was Born in Brooklyn.”
And while the show’s ribald revelry is aimed at adults, notable contributions are made by four talented kids -- BJ Wallace, Lindsey Jordan, Scott Rain and adorable scene-stealing moppet Anza Seller. You don’t have to be Catholic to savor this frothy cup of holiday cheer.
*
Nuncrackers, the Nunsense Christmas Musical
Where: El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood
When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays, except 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 3
Ends: Dec. 3
Price: $32.50 to $45
Contact: (818) 508-4200, www.elportaltheatre.com
Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
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