Review: Gold Dust Orphans Sprinkle Holiday Fun with SWEENEY CLAUS: THE DEMON FATHER OF SLEET STREET

For years now, Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans have made sure that their holiday productions are anything but traditional, and instead are bawdy, outrageous, racy, and laugh-out-loud fun.

This year is no different, with the company setting up shop – and serving up its unique brand of meat pies – in its adults-only “Sweeney Claus: The Demon Father of Sleet Street,” at the Iron Wolf Theatre at the South Boston Lithuanian Citizens Association, through December 21.

Landry’s story – hung on the frame of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – opens when Dasher the reindeer (a dashing Thain Bertin) arrives home from work to find his wife and daughter missing. Fearing that his dear deer family has been abducted by nefarious elves and perhaps skinned for their pelts, Dasher assumes his new identity as Sweeney and takes off to the scarily cold North Pole in search of his family.

Dazed and confused by the snow-covered abyss, he himself ends up being abducted by elfin guards and tossed into an insane asylum, where he has his antlers forcibly removed. No longer able to fly, and believing that his family may still be alive somewhere in New England, he sets sail on a ship headed to the seaside town of Scituate, Massachusetts.

Sweeney arrives bent on revenge, disguised as a barber and with his sights set on taking down Santa Claus (Tim Lawton). While he preps his plan, Sweeney meets and quickly becomes entangled with meat-pie baker Mrs. Leaveit (the always spot-on Landry, looking here like character actress Barbara Cason from “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show”).

Bertin, in his Gold Dust Orphans debut, could easily be cast as a mainstream Sweeney Todd, but here proves himself game for the hijinks needed to hold the stage with the estimable Landry. Indeed, the pair may partner in making some questionably savory pies but they are otherwise deliciously unsavory as they plot to murder the sinister St. Nick, who has made Sweeney’s missing daughter Johanna (a comely Mary Mahoney) his ward and future wife.

Under the quick-footed direction of Kiki Samko, who also plays the Beggar Woman, and spirited choreography by Hallie Nowicki, the action moves along briskly in the hands of a terrific cast including Tad McKitterick as Meryl the Lady Pirate; Lizette Morris and Dominka Zawada as the Scituate Sisters; Nowicki, James Brooks, Jr., Simon Huynh, and Marilyn Wilson as the Little Dickens Dancers: T Perry as Semen the Sailor; Sarah Jones as the Beadle, Ringo; Gina Carmela as Toby the clerk; and Scott Martino as rival hairdresser Donatella Versace. Ensemble players Phaedra Ferrini and Lara Williams also contribute to the musical merriment.

As asylum owner Mr. Bonkers and others, Joey C. Pelletier is a scene-enhancer who provides the proceedings with an ample serving of eye candy.

Gold Dust Orphans co-founder Martino once again does exemplary work on costumes and sets, which add to the frivolity and fill every inch of the Iron Wolf Stage. McKitterick also does double, or perhaps triple, duty as music director and arranger and, with Landry, sound co-director.

Lynn residents who live under the shadow of the oft-repeated poem “Lynn, Lynn, city of Sin, you never come out the way you went in…” are probably delighted that Landry’s satiric skewering is South Shore-based, with sharp focus on Scituate, and bon mot mentions of Braintree and Brookline. 

Fans of Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans, and they are legion, will be happy just to sit back and let the devilish troupe’s latest offering wash over them. Occupants of seats in the first three or so rows beware, however, some of this year’s fun literally washes over the audience.