BWW Reviews: Short North Stage's SONGS OF THE SEASON Pays Homage to Columbus' Christmas Traditions

From its founding in 1851 to its closing in 2005, Columbus' Lazarus Department Store brought the spirit of the holidays to Ohio's capital city with a multitude of festive traditions--from animated window displays to shimmering strings of lights and talking evergreen trees.

Now, almost a decade since the store closed its doors for the last time, the magic of Christmas at Lazarus comes alive once more in Short North Stage's second annual holiday production, "Songs of the Season."

In this nostalgic and humorous retrospective tale, writers Edward Carignan, Peter Yockel, JJ Parkey and Rick Gore infuse a witty and thoughtful Christmas story into a fitting tribute to Lazurus' legacy.

Presented in the historic Garden Theater's intimate Green Room venue, "Songs of the Season" transports audiences back in time to 1972 Columbus.

The show begins in the Lazarus Department Store storage room, where a retail associate named Trudy (Linda Kinnison Roth) is busy preparing for the store's annual Christmas show. The small stage, which is only a few feet from the Green Room's front row of cocktail tables, is strewn with brown boxes overflowing with tinsel, ornaments and wrapping paper.

It is in this post-Thanksgiving/pre-Christmas setting, in a room located somewhere deep in the bowels of Lazarus' massive downtown headquarters, that we meet Mr. Lazarus himself (David Fawcett). In this opening scene, Lazarus discusses some of the store's most memorable traditions with Trudy before introducing Simon (Ryan Stem), a grumpy man from finance who has been assigned to assist Trudy as Christmas show co-director.

From the start, both Trudy and Simon are at odds with Mr. Lazarus' decision. Trudy, a Christmas-loving, second-generation Lazarus employee with a sick child in the hospital, is disappointed with Simon's determined hatred of the store's holiday traditions.

Nevertheless, the initial banter between these two lead characters provides many laughs, especially when it is revealed that Simon is somewhat of an amateur thespian, having "reinvented" in the role of Guildenstern in his university's production of "Hamlet."

The first act is almost entirely devoted to the audition process for the Christmas show, which presents the audience with a constantly rotating cast of characters, each bringing their own quirky personality to their audition numbers.

As the first act comes to a close, Simon's deceptive nature is further revealed when he shares with the audience his sinister desire to derail the Christmas pageant on live television.

During the show's 15-minute intermission between acts, the entire atmosphere of the Green Room changes--almost as if by magic. Dark sheets draped over the stage and wrapped around poles are whisked away, revealing red and green candy cane stripes and glittery white snow.

The second act is set on-stage at the Lazarus employee Christmas show. Simon appears in a ridiculous maroon jacket decorated with miniature Christmas tree ornaments and a fluffy hat complete with elf ears. His underlying deception fuels his desire to carry out his absurd plan of ruining the Christmas show.

Most of the second act is devoted to the development of Simon's plan; however, the pageant-like setting allows the actors to showcase their own unique versions of classic holiday tunes.

What stood out most from this production is Short North Stage's dedication to details. From the impressive recreation of "Mr. Tree" in the lobby to the brief mentions of the department store's Buckeye Room, "Songs of the Season" takes great care to preserve the memory of Lazarus as a unique Columbus institution.

The play includes many references to the heyday of the Lazarus Department Store, so the production likely has the most profound impact on people who have actually visited the store. However, as someone who has no recollection of visiting Lazarus--I am currently 19 years old and am not sure if I ever had the chance to experience anything like this during my childhood--I still found the story understandable and thoroughly enjoyable.

"Songs of the Season" is a one-of-a-kind holiday story that celebrates an important piece of Columbus history.

"Songs of the Season" is set to run through Dec. 21.

Tickets are available on the Short North Stage website.

The Garden Theater is located at 1187 N. High St.

Photo credit: Short North Stage

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