Santasia
Rudy, the red-nosed mobster had a very short fuse and if you ever crossed him, he’d put out a hit on you. All of the other elves liked to strip and spank around. They even let Santa bounce, bounce and get jiggy with it. Then one Pulpy Christmas show Vincent and Jules came to say, “What does Santa Claus look like? Does he look like a bitch? Then why did you try to fuck him like a bitch?” Then Suzie got her Easy Bake Oven as a penguin learned to fly, Santasia: A Holiday Comedy returns in its hilarious 10-year anniversary.
Part spoof, part sketch comedy and a whole lot of laughs makes this irreverent holiday show a must-see in its longstanding seasonal run at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. The all-male cast pirouette, march and strip down to their Yule logs snuggled inside their spandex stockings in cleverly redone medleys ripped from the stage, screen and popular culture. Incorporating film clips admirably executed by Michael Granberry in association with Red Hatchet Films featuring parodies of: The Matrix: Reloaded, Brokeback Igloo, Indecent Proposal, the hugely popular Pulp Christmas along with some precious stop motion animated shorts, San Andreas Snowman and a sweetly interwoven sight gag, Penguins Don’t Fly!, gives this variety show plenty to cheer about. Between all the good-natured ribbings where nothing is sacred, not even competing wise men or letters to Santa read in the style of Eminem and Dido’s, “Stan,” there are moments of tender recollections of Christmases past delivered by members of the cast in armchair monologues.
Family and togetherness is the hallmark of this show that derives its humour from the ones we love most, even when they yammer to get the lights on the house and viciously debate the best parts in devilled eggs. The message rings as clear as bell even if there aren’t any angels here: Never give switches or toilet paper rolls as presents, everyone should at least one time or another have a Charlie Brown tree, and the real gift of all—hearing the director’s young daughter reciting lines from the show and when you hear it, it is priceless.
Shaun Loeser terrifically directs his band of merry men with bumbling grace and spit-shine polish. Intuitively knowing when to play for laughs, Loeser and the cast go whole hog, seemingly trying to crack each other up without resorting to any grandstanding, this is definitely a collaborative ensemble. While some of the tried and true bits from previous shows are intermixed here, there is plenty of fresh material to keep regular audiences coming back for more, making “Santasia” one of Los Angeles’ staple holiday shows.
Over the last decade, “Santasia” has developed quite a following much like “Bob’s Office Party” and “It’s a Stevie Wonderful Life.” The Loesers’ can count their wildly funny review as being on par with these annual Angelino classics. It may not be “The Glory of Christmas” or “A Christmas Carol,” but then again everyone already knows how those shows are going to end. Unlike these, a wild toboggan ride wonderfully choreographed by Tania L. Pearson-Loeser to the William Tell Overture closes the show. It’s nothing short of whimsical, side-splitting festive fun!
“Santasia: A Holiday Comedy”
Runs through Dec 26
Tues & Wed on 12/22 & 12/23 at 8pm
Thurs, Fri and Sat at 8pm
Sunday, Dec 20th at 3pm
Special shows on Christmas Eve & Day at 8pm
Whitefire Theatre
13500 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
www.santasia.com