Review: MATT ROGERS: HAVE YOU HEARD OF CHRISTMAS?, Soho Theatre

“Tonight, it is Christmas. I hope we’re all on board.”

Christmas has taken over the Soho Theatre with Matt Rogers’s show, Have You Heard of Christmas?. Walking into the theatre, you are greeted by a shining Christmas tree, a piano decorated with a garland and Christmas music blasting. The show, a musical comedy, is the chance for Rogers, accompanied by pianist Eric Gersen, to sing songs from his new Christmas album live to an audience. 

Rogers is an incredibly talented showman, immediately drawing your attention with his bright and shiny silver suit. The self-proclaimed “Prince of Christmas” doesn’t only have good holiday fashion taste - he’s a truly magical singer with a voice that easily fills the theatre. Rogers reminds me a bit of Adam Lambert with his powerful belting and flirty stage presence, winking at the audience and making innuendos throughout. 

I will not go into all of the songs, as some of them you should simply experience for yourself, but I will mention some of the highlights. One of my favourites is “Hottest Female up in Whoville,” a song sung from the perspective of Martha May Whovier, the only single female Who in Whoville in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Rogers, who has previously expressed an interest in writing from the perspective of female characters as a gay man, claims that the song itself was written by Mariah Carey, who had written “Where Are You Christmas” for another character in the movie, little Cindy Lou Who. Some other fun numbers include “(Also) It’s Christmas,” “Rockafella Centa,” and the title number, “Have You Heard of Christmas.” 

For one song, “I'ma Have Your Back (This Christmas)," Rogers brought on a guest artist, Alexis Sakellaris, and the pair sang about going home for the holidays and just how far friends will go for one another, including a surprisingly informative bit about how to get away with arson. Sakellaris, a staff member at Soho Theatre, has a lovely voice that blended incredibly well with Rogers, making for a delightful duet. 

After a surprisingly heartfelt song with lyrics like, “I don’t care if it’s Christmas / With you it’s always Christmas,” the show ends with an audience singalong to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” a lovely way to make the audience feel the Christmas spirit and have some fun before heading back out into the rainy November weather. 

Ultimately, Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? is a delightful and hilarious hour of musical comedy that will truly have you believing that it is already Christmas. The combination of musical talent that is Rogers and Gersen will have you humming the songs to yourself long after you have left the theatre.

Matt Rogers: Have You Heard of Christmas? runs until 18 November at Soho Theatre 

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