Review: CHRISTMAS AT THE LOCAL at Theater Latté Da

It is the most wonderful time of the year and as Minnesotans await the arrival of snow, Theater Latté Da is ready to put you in the holiday spirit. Once again, they have brought their heartwarming and melodic Christmas at the Local to the stage.

Gathering for what seems to be an after hours holiday celebration, a group of musicians gather in their local pub to tell stories, sing songs, and share their hope of peace for our world, with one another (and us).

As a way to bring the audience into their world, the musicians treat us as a group of patrons of the pub, who have joined the music makers to listen and sometimes participate in the merriment that is happening around us. It provides an engaging atmosphere but perhaps to a fault. As the lights are not fully dimmed for a good part of the show, it seemed to give some patrons the idea that they could chat and sing along to a majority of the songs performed in the first half of the production.

As the music fades, along with the lights, the audience is treated to a story of a young child’s recollection of how they perceived the joy, wonder, and sometimes confusion of their Christmas Day in a retelling of, A Child’s Christmas in Wales.

While the story is enchanting to hear, it seemed to come out of nowhere thus confusing some of the audience about how it fit into the show. Perhaps due to the lack of dialogue between the artists, it didn’t feel like a natural progression. It could be helpful, in future productions, to add some dialogue to establish the story as a more natural segue into that portion of the show.

As the show nears its finale, the audience is provided a dramatic recitation of The Longing For Amazing Grace by the great poet Maya Angelou. This stirring poem ties the whole show together, reminding us that at the end of the day, we may all come from different places and have different beliefs but we should all strive to reach that one goal, peace in our world. As the lights dim, the audience is allowed to soak in that thought and, hopefully, feel a sense of peace while sitting in the quiet with only a few strings of Christmas lights illuminating the stage.

Christmas at the Local is a warm hug on a chilly winter’s night filled with light and heavenly music. The show’s strengths lie in the various musical interludes that fill it, allowing the audience to revel in the incredible talents of the cast’s ability to play a variety of instruments. From the violin to the piano to the accordion, the music is the true star of the show and definitely shines brightest when the theater is filled with the gorgeous sounds of pubs from Ireland and Wales. So if you are looking for a holiday show to enjoy with your family: pull up a seat, settle in, and prepare for a 75 minute visit to The Local, where music and storytelling meet to enjoy a pint.

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