By LeAnna Hamblin
Five Carols for Christmas, book and lyrics by Jim Christian, music by Kenneth Plain, presented at the Leishman Performance Hall at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre in Centerville is a picturesque look into 1950s perfection of the holiday season. Together, five friends all named “Carol” have perfectly planned their annual Christmas show to be presented at a local school. This year’s show is bigger and better than ever and the five friends are thrilled to show off their talent. After meeting at Carol Ann’s (Stephanie Pugh) house for one last quick rehearsal, the five “Carols” are temporarily set back when they briefly lose power. As they all rush out the door, grabbing costumes, props, and the all-important, Popcorn Palace, they inadvertently leave one very important item behind. Will this be the demise of their precisely planned performance?
Even before the show begins, the audience gets a gaze of the quaint set, designed by writer and director Christian and Brian Hahn. The intimate stage of Leishman Hall is perfect for the feeling of this show. As the ladies are introduced one at a time the audience gets a feeling of their close friendship and very distinct personalities. As Carol Ann welcomes each one into her home, we learn that Queryl Pomerantz, or as her friends call her, Miss Q, played by Liz Corona, is independent and keeps her friends grounded. Karil Kitteridge, more commonly known as Kitty, played by Mickey Larson, is more of a people pleaser and is nervous to reveal her addition to the show for fear that not everyone will approve. Carroll Ling, affectionately nick-named Ling-Ling, played by Lindsea Garside, and Car’l Noyes, whom everyone calls Noyesy, played by Kim Tolman, arrive together after a hectic day of Christmas shopping. Noyesy is not in much of a festive spirit, but is quickly cheered up as the five friends begin preparations for that night’s show and reminisce about past years’ performances. From the opening number, “A Holiday Hello,” we see that the five “Carols” have very distinct voices and personalities. The tight harmonies and intricate movement during the songs are a testament to the level of professionalism that all five women bring to the show.
Pugh portrays Carol Ann as the perfectly coiffed, 1950s housewife. From her spotless living room to her polished coffee table, we perceive Carol Ann to be flawless. It isn’t until she offers some light refreshment to her guests that we get a glimpse of the possible imperfections that may be lurking behind closed kitchen doors. During the songs “The Gal Can’t Bake” and “Marvelous Magazines,” the audience learns that not everything is as perfect as Carol Ann makes it seem. Even Cousin Ray (Sean Bishop) won’t touch Carol Ann’s baking. Bishop adds an additional level of comedy to the first half of the show with his impulsive eating habits and timid tendencies when forced to perform while not behind the piano. Much to Cousin Ray’s dismay, Carol Ann forces him to sing and dance to the song, “Sissies.”
Act One ends impressively as the “Carols” perform their long-rehearsed song, “Ding-Dong Merrily On High,” complete with hand bells. This is the perfect performance Carol Ann has been striving for. Now that they’ve rehearsed one last time, the five women are ready to perform in front of a live audience. Except one little problem; no power, which may lead to an imperfect night.
As Act Two begins, the audience is transported to a school stage where the antics heard backstage are almost as entertaining as what is happening on stage. The women begin their annual Christmas show by introducing the audience to the “Five Carols For Christmas.” They hilariously act out “Good King Wenceslaus” and intimately sing “Toyland,” in which the audience is drawn in to the magic of Christmas through a child’s eyes, and what is left behind as we grow out of childhood. “The Worldwide Santa Claus Parade” is truly a parade of the brilliant work Costumer Janell Roundy put into this production. Representing “Santas” from England, France, Finland, Germany, and China, all while making the actors still look beautiful, must have been a challenge. The attention to detail that Roundy has is apparent to the audience. As the show comes to a close, the highly anticipated bells performance may be the one number that keeps the “Carols” show from being a rousing success. As Carol Ann is informed of the problem, she tells her friends to “handle” the situation, and that is just what they do. The solution that Miss Q, Ling-Ling, Kitty, and Noyesy come up with is not ideal (and just might put Carol Ann over the edge), but the audience loves it even more than the original version.
What makes this show so perfect is its imperfections. Christmas isn’t about perfection. It’s about friends and loved ones and supporting one another through times that seem hard but only make us stronger. Christian should be pleased with this revised version of his show. Aside from a few technical glitches, CenterPoint Legacy Theatre’s Five Carols For Christmas is a show that any family should make a Christmas tradition. We all have a little bit of Carol Ann in us and sometimes we just need to let life happen.
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