Civic’s Theatre514’s production of “Vixen’s Holiday Speakeasy” is the perfect antidote for holiday stress.
Civic has pulled out all the stops for this playful, naughty and joyful original show on stage at 514 N. 19th St., Allentown, through Dec. 22.
As soon as you walk into the building, you are transported to a wild, wacky and hilarious world. In true speakeasy fashion you must give a password through a little opening in a door to enter, where you are greeted with complimentary fresh baked cookies and an opportunity to buy holiday themed drinks.
The show which has been written collaboratively by the cast is presented vaudeville-style in Civic’s intimate black box theater.
Leading the mayhem is the emcee Vixen, played with plenty of attitude by drag queen Lamont Versace. Versace proves to be great at lip syncing to holiday songs and is an unforgettable vision in an eye-popping red holiday dress and over-sized hair.
The show opens with a group of aliens invading the stage and singing about trying to understand Christmas on earth and its magical Santa.
Next the Versace takes center stage to cheekily explain how the 1964 Rankin/Bass stop motion animated television special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is actually a gay story with an outcast Rudolph, a “hairy” Yukon Cornelius and lots of misfit toys.
Versace also does a funny, very boozy interpretation of “Twelve Days of Christmas.”
Over-imbibing is definitely a theme as Marley Mathaias is humorous as Mrs. Santa presenting a cookie baking show as she tipples the eggnog and gets saucy with Santa.
On the same theme, Miki Fuentes sings a memorable song “Sugar and Booze.”
The original music is quite good and not-surprisingly has a Broadway vibe.
A skit with elves Mason McGowan and Dylan Miller singing about planning to organize the toy shop, has some really great harmonies.
NPR gets satirized as public radio hosts Mathaias and Quisha Farrell talk in humorously hushed tones while they introduce McGowan’s baker known for his (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) Christmas balls.
In another funny skit, Santa is taken hostage by an Miller’s evil villain bent on world domination, (typically seen in superhero movies) and rescued by the gun-toting Santa’s angels, in a take-off ofV drama “Charlies Angels,” followed by a steamy burlesque to “Santa Baby.”
The cast also features Rose Fortkamp, Nico Rodriguez and a very flexible Special K.
There also is a retelling of David Sedaris’s subversive story “Christmas Means Giving,” an all-cast tongue-in-cheek parody of Billy Joel’s “Allentown,” a retelling of “A Christmas Carol” in five minutes with a Kermit Bob Crachit and even a round of gay bingo with the audience.
It all ends festively with the requisite on-stage snow as the cast sings another catchy original song “It’s Coming Down.”
Todd Dean is music director and also the on-stage (careful how you pronounce it) pianist.
Co-creators Civic’s managing artistic director William Sanders and associate artistic director Rae Labadie have concocted an impish and delightful holiday confection.
Tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for students, seniors and military. The Dec. 19 performance is pay-what-you-will.
Attendees must be 18 or older to enter and 21 or older to drink.
Performances are 8 p.m. Dec. 19, 20, 21 and 22.
For information, call 610-433-8903, or go to civictheatre.com/