Loh-Ho-Ho - Sugar Plum Fairy LA Review

Ah, Christmas time in Los Angeles. It's that time of the year when the mercury dips into the fifties (well, at least overnight), and the holiday shoppers, filled with holiday joy, will give anything short of their first born to secure a parking spot at any number of the fashionable shopping malls.

Perhaps the perfect antidote to these circumstances is "Sugar Plum Fairy," a one-woman show (well, with the help of some surly elves) written and performed by Sandra Tsing Loh, fabled Southern California commentator (NPR's The Loh Life) and author. With her observant and often hilarious take on the holidays, Ms. Loh's very Southern California sensibilities create a wondrous 75-minute show, now playing through December 21^st at the Geffen Theatre in Westwood.

Just walking into the famed Geffen Theatre puts you in the proper holiday mood, with the walls, stage, and curtain all decked out for the holidays with sparkling garland, multi-colored lights and plenty of plastic reindeer and, as befits Los Angeles, fake snow.

Your heart is further warmed when Loh appears before your very eyes, wittily disguised as a Christmas tree. As she dances around the stage in her full fir tree regalia, you cannot help but feel festive. Well, that is until she quickly declares, "I hate Christmas."

The juxtaposition of the images and her bold utterance draws a quick laugh, and quickly sends the evening into a fun-filled ride down memory lane, as Loh recalls the time she was twelve, and all she wanted to do that holiday season was be Clara in her local production of "The Nutcracker." And barring the lead, she would settle for the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy (she didn't want to be to greedy, despite her knowing she could make a kick-ass Clara). Unfortunately, tipping the scales at 140 lbs, the dream of Clara begins to slip away, and even the Sugar Plum Fairy role seems out of reach. On top of that, a bit of sibling rivalry and jealousy rears it head, when her older sister wows the Russian director of the piece in her audition and lands the 'Plum' role.

Miss Loh's ability to jump back and forth between narrator of the story, and the embodiment of her 12 year old self is a marvel to watch. As she prances around, manically channeling her younger self, reminiscent of Gilda Radner's Roseanne Rosannadana, you cannot help but feel privilege and joy at being a fly on the wall of her inner psyche. 

"Sugar Plum Fairy" is a great treat for the whole family, and a perfect gift to the city of Los Angeles. With its subversive "anti-holiday" stance, you take guilty pleasure in facing the fact that, while we all like to romanticize the holidays, more often then not, it is filled with stress, arguments, and usually ends with a hearty plea to end as soon as possible. Ms. Loh's writing, while coming from a very distinct point of view as the daughter of immigrants, is universal in its themes and anyone sitting in the audience can easily relate to all the joys and disappointments presented throughout this clever and droll evening.

"Sugar Plum Fairy," now through December 21, 2003 at the Geffen Playhouse (10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA90024). For tickets call (310) 208-5454, or visit www.geffenplayhouse.com.

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