There’s an old saying about laughter being the best medicine. Well, laughter can make a pretty good holiday gift, too. That point is made loud and clear by In Tandem Theatre, which has audiences practically rolling in the aisles with its “alternative” Christmas show, Merry Chris-Mess. This year, In Tandem is putting aside some of its popular holiday specials from past years in order to offer a blend of old skits, silly songs, and some new material. It’s not exactly a “mess,” as advertised by the title, but audiences need to be prepared for almost anything. Naturally, the show is kicked off by the Cudahy Carolers (a favorite from past Christmas productions), who add their own lyrics to traditional holiday tunes. Leading the red-robed choir is, of course, Stasch Zielinski (Chris Flieller). He wears a familiar, flap-eared hunting cap—except this one is red and has snowflake embroidery on the brim. “O Come, Ye Old Fish Fry” sings the choir, after opening the show with, “I’m Dreaming of Some Cream Paczkis.” Oh, did this reviewer mention that these choir members are from Milwaukee’s south side? If not, the songs will certainly identify them. Don’t mind their brand of humor—the singing is quite good, and the actors manage to get through their hilarious lyrics without skipping a beat. While the carolers are one of this year’s best elements, there are plenty of zany and unpredictable skits, songs and outdated TV commercials to keep the laughter flowing for the show’s two hours. The only backdrop here is a larger-than-life television set – the kind of set people had when TV was in black-and-white. Credit Jane Flieller’s on-the-money set design for producing an enormous, authentic-looking version of the real thing. The empty TV’s “tube” is large enough for the carolers to stand in (which they do). During other skits, a black scrim covers and uncovers the tube. This device effectively allows actors to quickly enter and exit the stage. After intermission, much of Act II is devoted to a one-act play that’s based on one of December’s most-viewed films, Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In this version, titled, “It’s a Life,” a Jimmy Stewart impersonator (Zach Thomas Woods) takes the lead as George Bailey. When his bank is threatened with foreclosure, George leans over a bridge trestle and thinks that life would have been better had he never been born. As it happens, Clarence, an angel who hasn’t yet earned his wings, is sent to show George what would have happened in Bedford Falls if, indeed, he hadn’t been born. (In one of the funnier bits, Bert the cop and Ernie the cab driver appear as the Muppets version of themselves.) In this twisted version of the popular story, most of the residents of Bedford Falls have better lives without George around.
One caveat: Merry Chris-Mess is definitely not a show for kids. Some of the humor is scatological, while at other times it’s downright vicious. For instance, poor Santa is given a bad rap in one of the early sketches.
But the material is handled here by pros, all of whom deserve to take a bow. In addition to Flieller and Thomas, the ensemble includes Sean Duncan, Anna Otto, Liz Shipe, Gage Patterson, Emmitt Morgans and Jocelyn Ridgely. They provide an evening of entertainment that, according to the program notes, is guaranteed to provide stress-relief for those overwhelmed by the abundant preparations surrounding Christmas. They aren’t kidding.
