What others had to say*

• Displaying 1-3 of 3

A Christmas Survival Guide
Marie Caputi, Wednesday, November 30th, 2005
After seeing the show for again, I found it even more enjoyable the second time around. The talent is great, especially my beautiful daughter, Michele Roberts! The rest of the cast is equally talented. Thanks for a memorable evening. Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Survival Guide
Jay & Anne Diggins, Thursday, November 17th, 2005
Another great show!! witty and entertaining, just what we have come to expect from your fine and talented team. Thanks for all your GOOD work. See you in January

A quick review
Mary Loftus, Sunday, November 13th, 2005
OK. As many of you may realize, Christmas is NOT the best time of the year for all of us. Many of us have issues. I am not going to discuss them here because you know what they are. So, with some trepidation, I went to MusicalFare's CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL GUIDE last night and found, to my … more delight, that there are other shlubs out there who are not having a wonderful time during THE season. ACT ONE is a veritable feast of all the things that may plague us during the increasingly early and sometimes onerous festive time. All of which are delightfully set to music by the marvelous Philip Farugia and his group consisting of very accomplished musicians, Dave Siegfried on Bass; Jeff Cooke on Percussion; Larry Albert on Guitar and Jim Runfola on his great sax and flute. Imagine! A live band on stage! Lisa Ludwig directed this melodious show; Kathy Weese choreographed it; set was designed by Chris Schenk; lighting and sound by (Oh, guess!) Chris Cavanagh; costumes by Olivia Ebsary (nothing here is overdone). And everyone worked pretty hard to make this go. The very sorry bunch of floundering Christmas revelers are Louis Colaiacovo; Bethany Moore; Michele Marie Roberts; Elizabeth Urbanczyk; and everyone's favorite flounderer, Norman Sham. (Hi Cuz!) If ever there was a group of people who needed a survival guide through the holidays, it is this riotous group. They sort of sing and dance their way through a collection of Christmas standards (with apologies to the composers) with a panache that makes you forget what a shlub you are, because you could not possibly be as forsaken and out-of-square as they are as they poke fun at the required and forced gaity and shopping. If you don't recognize some small particle of yourself in their characterizations, you are too perfect to live. Lou as Santa Claus is just the Santa I would expect to come down my chimney. And the concluding number by Norm Sham brought the house down. I will tell you no more about that. Act Two arrives with more of the same (Michele's 12 Steps of Christmas is NOT to be missed! Nor is the Old Fashioned Sleigh Ride with Norm, Bethany & Elizabeth, which I can only give thanks that I am NOT on!). But the show settles down to show a more traditional side with a smattering of real Christmas carols. One unusual and truly touching song - Little Girl Blue, changed on this occasion to Little Boy Blue, as plaintively sung by Lou. There have been times in my life when I claimed that song as my anthem. Happily, not any more. But it reached deep inside of me to remind me that I, too, have been a shlub on many occasions (and often still am) and felt alone. Somehow it helps to know that others have gone through it. If it sounds like this show might bring you down - nothing could be further from the truth. It is splightly (don't you love that word? Summons up visions of elves dancing, doesn't it?), full of cheer, great dancing, great singing, and does not overwhelm you with the usual cloying CHRISTMAS wrappings. Should you see this? Absolutely! There is no irreverence, so don't worry on that score. It is just a very funny look at Christmas from the bottom side up and you couldn't hope for better performances anywhere at anytime. AND, as noted above, you will be hearing about Norm's closing number in Act One and be kicking yourself forever if you miss it. Thanks guys for a truthful look at the Season and all the fun.

• Displaying 1-3 of 3

Add a comment

Your Name

Your Email

Subject

Your Comment

Security Code

*MusicalFare Theatre welcomes your comments and/or questions about our productions, whether positive or negative.

However, please note that all comments or questions are subject to review by MusicalFare’s staff before appearing on our website. As this is not a blog about the company itself, we ask that comments or questions be used to express your overall, general feelings about the production and the performances, therein. Keeping that in mind, please understand that comments that directly insult or demean any individual involved in the production will not be posted.

Any comments or questions about MusicalFare in general should be emailed to the appropriate staff member. See the contact page for a list of applicable addresses.