When a play is described as a whacky Christmas spoof, the modern public may suspect something irreverent. But "Christmas Belles," running at UAA's Mainstage Theatre, has fun with holiday traditions without excoriating them in the name of social commentary or mere snark.
It also has a real play set within the seasonal backdrop, with a real message of reconciliation and giving others a second chance.
But mostly it's a silly triple romantic comedy with a lot of laughs.
The core characters are the Futrelle sisters of a small Texan community. Honey Rae (Karina Becker), the former town tart, hopes to redeem her reputation by directing the annual church Christmas Pageant. Sister Frankie (Reagan James) finds herself in late, late middle age, very pregnant with twins. Little sister Twink (Ivory Bodnar) is doing time for setting fire to the NASCAR memorabilia belonging to the man who jilted her -- and inadvertently burning several neighbors out of their double-wide trailers.
Frankie's adult daughter, Gina Jo (Elizabeth Daniel) is being wooed by the young preacher (Daniel Alvarez-Lemp), who has a part-time seasonal job with her father, Dub (Joshua Kovach); he's the reindeer sidekick to Dub's Santa at a local store, a gig compromised by the fact that Dub is suffering from an onslaught of kidney stones.
Honey Rae has plans to make the pageant something spectacular, with a flying angel and an Elvis impersonator crooning for the Baby Jesus. But she has serious distractions. The lawman she's been dating (Eric Holzschuh) also seems to have the hots for Twink, whom he arrested. Her sister is befriending a newcomer to town (Kalli Randall) who seems to take an interest in the family that goes beyond merely friendly.
Worst of all, her "Bethlehem-a-palooza" is jeopardized by interference from the former director of 20-some years (Alex Craft), a contemptuous rich woman who has bought her way into reading the Nativity narrative from the Gospel of St. Luke (Kate Williams), animosity between the drummer boy and the sheep, and an outbreak of food poisoning that wipes out almost the entire cast except for one mentally challenged fellow (Jaron Carlson).
The above merely describes the set-up of Act One. Act Two brings a series of disasters, squabbles and screwball incidents that keep the audience laughing while building sympathy for each character -- or most of them. Director Jessica Jacob has the announcement of each new predicament dramatically made by a character who bursts through double doors in the middle of the stage. A nice touch is the use of a live chorus that sings snippets of Christmas songs during the scene changes, sometimes using songs that comment on what we're seeing.
By the end of the play, the members of this dysfunctional family have learned something about trust, love, hope and charity. No wonder this extended live-action sitcom, receiving its Anchorage debut in this show, is becoming a big Christmas hit in the Lower 48.
Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.
By MIKE DUNHAM
mdunham@adn.com