By Marilyn Lester****Christmas in Hell is, well, as cute as hell. The music is delightful and the cast a wonderful dispenser of screwball antics. For those looking for a good time, the show is a kind of dark Disney diversion—a mash-up of Greek mythology, Dante’s Inferno and Harry Potter—delivering a fun bauble of seasonal entertainment.
Setting the stage for the comic chaos and madness to come is the catchy opening number, “Fruitcake Canticle,” sung by the ensemble of eight eager and energetic actors. Lo, it’s the not the butler who did it, but that much maligned holiday object of no one’s desire—the fruitcake—that sets in motion the infernally zany comedy. Told mostly in flashback, we learn the devlish fate of the heretofore, angelic eight-year old Davin, played with delightful good-kid, bad-kid charm by Elijah Rayman. The endearing little tyke, after wreaking havoc at school, is taken down to Hell, where he spends Christmas with Lucifer. It’s up to single parent, Richard (the terrifically appealing Scott Ahearn) to find him and set things right. Inevitably, this odyssey brings Richard face-to-face in a showdown with the Lord of the Underworld himself. As the devil, Brandon Williams is… divine. Williams so completely inhabits the role, it’s a sure bet he’s having the time of his life playing the devil incarnate. He’s a joy to watch, prancing in leathers like the cool rock star of Hades that he is.
On the journey to Hell, Richard encounters a bevy of characters mortal and otherwise. Chief among the former is the investigating Detective Zanderhoff, played with clueless seriousness by Dathan B. Williams. It’s among the latter that the cast, who largely play an assortmen
t of roles, shines most brightly. Zak Risinger as the Bogeyman, Carl, brings a touching sensitivity and empathy to his role. Lori Hammel as Galiana chews the scenery in a most delightful way as the mysterious wizardess, while Donna English is a very chic CEO of a God, and Ron Wisniski adds a touch of buffoonery to his Dark Priest (as well as a stage-Irish Father McDuffy). Director-choreographer Bill Castellino has done a splendid job keeping the pace dynamic and the many moving parts of the production smart and sharp.
But while, on the surface, Christmas in Hell is swell, it isn’t all it could be. Author Gary Apple (music/lyrics/book) has conjured up the ingredients of what could be a truly masterful work. The songs “I Wish That I Believed” and “You’re God,” for example, are beautifully conceived and offer a depth that’s fairly obscured by the disconnected plot elements. But the powerful themes and ideas—meditations on the nature of life, including parenthood, love, belief, loyalty, friendship and more—are hobbled by a lack of focus, which prevent them from coming together in a rich, cohesive whole, particularly in the weaker first act.
Apple, however well-intentioned, succumbed to that dreadful practice of creating a stage work by committee (Christmas in Hell began as a festival piece and workshopped its way to the York Theatre stage). Apple has good instincts. With a tighter script (patching up some plot holes and inconsistencies), more satire and less juvenile humor, Christmas in Hell has the potential to be a truly funny work with something important to say. The finale of Christmas in Hell is a microcosm of what the entire show could be. It’s funny, positive and meaningful. The closing number, “Everyday Is Christmas in Hell” is the cherry on the sundae—bright and bouncy and oh, so full of wisdom.
Backing the cast musically is a very fine band led by conductor and keyboardist Logan Medland (Music Direction, Music Supervision and Arrangements), with violinist Tomoko Akaboshi, drummer Mark Papazian and Darren Lucas on electric and acoustic guitars. Scenic design is by the versatile and gifted James Morgan, with an array of gorgeous costumes designed by Tyler M. Holland. Lighting design is by Yael Lubetzky, sound design by Julian Evans and hair and wigs by Kenneth Griffin
All photos are by Carol Rosegg
Christmas in Hell plays at the York Theatre (in Saint Peter’s, Lexington Avenue at 54th Street) through December 30. For more information and tickets, click here.
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