Photo courtesy of First Stage
The COVID-19 pandemic poses countless challenges to local theater. Online solutions for connecting audiences with local theatre have had mixed success. This holiday season, First Stage offers a fun alternative to a live year-end show with Christmastown Comes to First Stage. Written by José Casas, Jeff Frank and Samantha Montgomery, the presentation is a charming, little half-hour of adorable comedy aimed at younger kids and parents. Artistic Director Jeff Frank appears onscreen as himself in a mockumentary-style story about a group of Rankin/Bass Rudolph characters coming to help the company through a particularly difficult holiday season. Elves from the North Pole, various denizens from the Island of Misfit Toys and at least one Bumble all try their best to help out around the office.
Puppets of various sizes manage to emotionally engage on a number of different levels from the earnest warmth of the little Misfit Toy Doll who has difficulty with office equipment to a group of bunnies who seem to be manically crunching random numbers in accounting. Frank tries to bring them all together for a musical number with the aid of the Boss Elf, played with heart and charisma by Robby McGhee. The program is hosted by Zach Woods as Sam the Snowman. Woods also sharply conjures the strikingly familiar voice of the original Charlie in the Box in a number of scenes. Reese Bell makes a notable appearance as Misfit Toy Doll who has difficulty with office equipment. Bell manages a lovely solo near the end of the show.
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The adult actors are joined by a large cast of kids playing both elves and First Stage students. The brief love letter to Milwaukee children’s. theatre may not be able to perfectly capture the energy of a live children’s show, but it does bring the stage a bit closer to its audience for the holiday season.
Christmastown Comes to First Stage is streaming now through Jan. 2 on First Stage’s YouTube page. For more information, visit firststage.org.
