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Holiday British wit alive at Show Palace
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Published: November 27, 2009
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This weekend begins that magical time of year when anything can happen. So what if this Christmas miracle is a little unconventional, and maybe the angel we find isn't quite the image we had in mind. But it's all in good fun as we head across the pond to London for a little British pantomime (panto), as the all new and original holiday show, "Holiday Hotel!" opens tonight at The Show Palace Dinner Theatre.
Artistic Director Matthew McGee has written the script and Musical Director Michael Ursua arranged several classical holiday medleys and wrote three original tunes for this grand salute to British Christmas panto. Expect to see lots of topical humor, ridiculous slapstick, all the holiday musical classics, and more high energy dancing than in prior Show Palace holiday shows.
Classic British panto combines zany comedy and vaudeville style performance, uses cross dressing, and familiar children's stories such as "Aladdin," "Mother Goose," and others. Generally there is a cast of characters who must resolve a conflict and may enlist the audience in an interactive dialogue. Typically, these shows feature popular English celebrities. Sir Ian McKellen played Dame Widow Twankey in a 2004 production of "Aladdin." McGee felt that adult audiences would not respond well to the children's classic stories. Instead he created his own farcical British panto with an adult storyline.
"This will probably be one of our most crowd pleasing shows," says McGee. Tickets are "flying out the door" as Show Palace audiences anticipate another holiday treat. To meet the ticket demand, Show Palace will be running eight shows a week instead of their usual six.
Act I plays like a musical with a story line that takes place in a quaint, but somewhat rundown inn in London in danger of foreclosure by a nasty banker, Ernest Pecksniff (Rick Kistner, Lazar Wolf in "Fiddler on the Roof" ). McGee plays the feisty, zany, and mostly unconventional Dame Madge Cricket. McGee is known for his outrageous performances in "A Tuna Christmas," "The Producers," and more recently, "Nunsense A-Men." Dame Madge was a former actress who died while trying to microwave a can of beans. She is sent back to earth as an angel to help save the day. A freak snowstorm locks in guests and staff alike, who combine their talents and decide to come up with a big variety show to help raise money to keep the inn afloat. Ursua's first original tune is "Christmas Time Is Here," where we are introduced to the guests and staff at the hotel. Ursua (Leo Bloom in "The Producers" and Sister Amnesia in "Nunsense A-Men) also plays hotel Chef Louis De Camembert, who shows off his skills at the piano with another of his holiday original numbers written for this show, "Christmas at My Fingertips." There is a delicious surprise at the Finale as the cast sings "Shine!," another of Ursua's creations.
"This is a heartwarming story, and a wacky kind of funny show," says McGee. There are many different elements, with the typical British jokes, and McGee also promises some inside Show Palace jokes. Over the years, Show Palace audiences have come to love McGee's innate ability to ad lib with the audience and he promises there will be some of that as well.
Ben Simpson is choreographing the show. McGee says that this cast is heavy on dancer-singer performers, so expect to see some expertly choreographed energetic dance numbers. Costumer Angela D. Hoerner has created beautiful dresses and gowns, including Dame Cricket's outrageous wigs and a Christmas tree gown dress.
"Holiday Hotel!" opens tonight and runs through December 25, at the Show Palace Dinner Theatre, located at 16128 U. S. 19, Hudson, FL 34667. Doors open two hours prior to each show for dinner and cocktails. On Sunday, the doors open at 1 p.m. and show starts at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday night performances begin at 8 p.m., and doors open for dinner and cocktails at 6 p.m. Matinees are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $48 plus tax, for dinner and show, show only tickets are $36.95 plus tax. Call 727-863-7949 or 888-655-7469 to reserve tickets.
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