BWW Reviews: JESUS CHRIST, IT'S CHRISTMAS!

Jesus Christ, It's Christmas!

Ryan Landry - Writer, Producer/Director; James P. Byrne - Director/Lighting Design; Scott Martino, Costume Design; Windsor Newton, Scenic Design; Christine Gray, Scenic Artist; Roger Moore, Sound Design; Julia Deegler, Choreographer; Tim Lawton, Music Director; Samantha MacArthur, Stage Manager; Tori Dowd, Assistant Stage Manager; Jennifer Provoost, Spot Light Operator

CAST: Ryan Landry, Darcie Champagne, Paul V. Melendy, Casey Preston, Larry Coen, Gene Dante, Liza Lott, Scott Martino, Qya Marie, Sam Richert; Ensemble: Tim Lawton, Julia Deegler, Briana Scafidi, Chris McVein, Brad Jensen, Katie Kasper, Rhoda the Dog

Performances through December 21 by the Gold Dust Orphans at Machine, 1254 Boylston Street, Boston, MA; Tickets @ www.brownpapertickets.com/event/920424

Ho, ho, ho and Hallelujah! The Gold Dust Orphans are back in Boston with an all-new holiday joyride, exclaiming Jesus Christ, It's Christmas! Based on the 1947 classic film The Bishop's Wife, the romantic comedy gets the musical treatment from Ryan Landry, who uses his dramatic license to insert more than a few characters culled from other sources. Choreographer Julia Deegler fills the stage with dancing Black Friday shoppers, gargoyles, Victorian carolers, and a team of white horses, while Music Director Tim Lawton lends his powerful voice to the resounding chorus of the ensemble.

Paul V. Melendy, who channeled James Stewart in last year's It's a Horrible Life, plays Henry, the Bishop who is desperately trying to raise money to build a big cathedral. In exchange for providing major funding, Whitney Houston (she starred in the 1996 film remake The Preacher's Wife) wants a prominent location for the Bobby Brown Memorial Wedding Chapel. According to Houston's (Qya Marie) hard-nosed manager Miss Tinsel (Landry), it is only a matter of time before Brown will be dead. Having difficulty dealing with their demands, Henry prays for guidance, resulting in a visit from Jesus Christ (Casey Preston) because the angels are all too busy at this time of year.

With his rock-star persona, six-pack abs, and long, flowing blond hair, JC attracts a lot of attention. To Henry's chagrin, his wife Julia (Darcie Champagne) falls under JC's spell and their scenes together are both sweet and steamy. They canoodle over lunch at Liberace's Café where Lee himself (Gene Dante, with a hint of Paul Lynde) is the floor show ("Go Into Your Dance"), and perform a romantic ice skating pas de deux (how did they do that?) to "Looking Through the Eyes of Love." It may seem sacrilegious for Jesus to be "the other man," but it's all part of the eternal plan to assure that everything turns out right.

In Gold Dust terms, everything turns out right when the talent onstage includes: a musical theater trouper like Champagne; a crackerjack straight (and straight) man like Melendy; the sly, comic versatility of Larry Coen; Sam Richert reaping yucks as Henry's very pregnant secretary Miss Gootch; Scott Martino's sassy, drunken maid; Liza Lott doing a spot on double turn as both Liza and Judy; and the sentimental favorite, Rhoda the Dog in a cameo role. Martino continues to amaze with his costume designs, with highlights being Liberace's glitzy outfits, a couple of tear-away costumes, and the white gowns with wings for a choir of angels. Windsor Newton (scenic design) and Christine Gray (scenic artist) go big for the sets for the Black Friday shops, Henry's office, and Lee's club, and create the expected miniature set with dolls skating on a tabletop. James P. Byrne handles the challenge of lighting each of the areas of the stage and directs the whole megillah with a keen sense of comedic timing. The music comes across loud and (usually) clear thanks to Roger Moore's sound design.

Landry's sendup is overflowing with winking biblical references and he mines musical theater, Christmas carols, and the pop charts for song selections. My personal favorites are Champagne's heartfelt rendition of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and the dance music from A Charlie Brown Christmas, but all of the musical numbers are a treat. As a matter of fact, I wish there were more. I'll just have to wait for the next production - Thoroughly Muslim Millie.

Photo credit: Michael von Redlich (Casey Preston, Darcie Champagne)

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