OnStage
Let your hearts be light
BY LAVANYA RAMANATHAN All the iterations of “A Christmas Carol”
have hit Washington stages, which means the inevitable wave of snarky sendups and offbeat seasonal fare is headed this way. If Tiny Tim leaves you unmoved, a drag- queen cabaret set in a manger or a silly sendup of Christmas songs may be just the thing to thawyour heart. What’s on:
‘Oy Vey in a Manger’ The Kinsey Sicks, a self-described drag-
appella foursome, slip some much-needed rum into the holiday punch bowl with “Oy Vey,”whichfindsthemwaitingoncompany in their cozy, nicely appointedmanger (you can see where this is going). With a song- book that includes such gems as “ ‘Tis the Season to Drink Stoli” and “Satan Baby,” the show should put a whole new spin on the season. Saturday through Jan. 2. Theater J’s Goldman Theater, 1529 16th St. NW. 800- 494-8497.
www.theaterj.org. $30-$60; $15 tickets available for 35 and younger.
‘iMusical for the Holidays’ Washington Improv Theater’s most pop-
ular show works its magic by letting audi- ence members call out suggestions to de- termine which direction the rock numbers or soppy ballads take. In time for the holidays, the show is re-envisioned as a twisted take on carols. Fridays and Saturdays through Jan. 1.
Source, 1835 14th St. NW. 202-204-7770.
www.washingtonimprovtheater.com. $15.
EREZ BEN-OR/KINSEY SICKS The Kinsey Sicks perform their irreverent holiday cabaret, “OyVey in aManger,” at Theater J through Jan. 2.
‘My So-Called Jewish Life’ Storytelling troupe Speakeasy DC
(think: Washington hipster version of Toastmasters) has been riding a wave of popularity, what with its packed open mikes and sold-out Capital Fringe shows. No surprise, then, that its holiday showing, “My So-Called Jewish Life,” boasts an im- pressive roster of guest storytellers who will spin true tales about life as a Jew. Let’s see: There’s Emily Yoffe (better known as Slate’s Dear Prudence), Wired magazine reporter Spencer Ackerman and even Speakeasy’s own executive director, Amy Saidman. Monday at 7:30 p.m. Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW. 202-408-3100.
www.sixthandi.org. $12.
Christmas stories by David Sedaris Columbia’s Rep Stage company filled
seats the past few Christmases with a much-loved production of David Sedaris’s hilarious true story “Santaland Diaries,” but this year the theater’s artistic director offers a few dramatic readings of some of Sedaris’s other wry seasonal winners: “Based Upon a True Story,” “Front Row Center With Thaddeus Bristol” and “Sea- son’s Greetings to Our Friends and Fami- ly!!!” In a nod to Sedaris’s brutal attention to detail, the theater is giving prizes to audience members wearing the best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) holiday clothing. Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8
p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, How-
ard Community College, 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 443-518-1500.
www.repstage.org. $10 online in advance; $12 at the door.
‘Merry Happy . . .What?’ You can bring the kids to this family-
friendly, nondenominational play staged by the newish Hub Theatre (led by local actress Helen Pafumi). Written by Pafumi with her son, Eli, the show envisions the season from the perspective of children more concerned with snow days than holidays. Though Dec. 23. John Swayze Theatre at
the New School of Northern Virginia, 9431 Silver King Ct., Fairfax. 703-674-3177.
www.thehubtheatre.org. $10.
ramanathanl@washpost.com
37 EZ
MiniReviews
A check mark (g) denotes a show recommended by our critics.
NEWLYREVIEWED A GIRL’S GUIDE TOWASHINGTON POLITICS At Woolly Mammoth Theatre through Jan. 9
You have to say this for “A Girl’s Guide toWashington Politics,” the underwhelming new satirical showcase from the Second City: Justifying the title’s emphasis on the distaff side of politics, the artists have done their darnedest to cover the bases. Along with some less narrowly targeted songs and skits, the obligatory references trot dutifully into the limelight, cameos in a two-hour production that, although fitfully amusing, is far tamer and less inspired than, say, a typical 10-minute
segment on “The Colbert Report.” The pedigree of “Girl’s Guide,” only ratchets up the disappointment factor. In general, “Girl’s Guide” sticks to safer territory. “I am not a demographic!” the cast belts in a quasi-sincere song that opens and closes the revue. For a show so ready to rebuke statistical oversimplification, though, “Girl’s Guide” takes a strikingly by-the-numbers approach to its humor.
Friday at 7 and 10, Saturday at 3 and 8, Sunday at 3 and 7, and Tuesday-Thursday at 8. 641DSt. NW. 202-393-3939.
www.woollymammoth.net. $30-$75.
THEMOUSETRAP At 1st Stage through Jan. 9
Forget the blizzard that besieges the cozy guesthouse in Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”: In this production the icy glares of Mrs. Boyle are the atmospherics to reckon with. As portrayed by Suzanne Richard in a posh blue dress and pearls, Mrs. Boyle—a boarder at the
—CeliaWren
guesthouse—is so witheringly churlish and nitpicky, you’d swear her personality came with a wind-chill factor. Richard’s zesty performance is the highlight of director Jessica Lefkow’s “Mousetrap,” which—aside from the odd bit of stilted acting and some dreadful English accents—is pleasant enough.We’re not pursuing high art here:With its determined detective, red-herring clues, over-defined eccentric suspects and tidy puzzle plot, Christie’s 1952 thriller is cleverly built entertainment—robust enough to have run continually in London for over half a century.What matters in “The Mousetrap” is the plot, and Lefkow’s production delivers it clearly, milking out a reliable amount of suspense. If you have never seen that or any other version of this legendary play, and you don’t know whodunit, you could do worse than to catch this rendition.
Friday at 8, Saturday at 2 and 8, and Sunday at 2 and 7. 1524 Spring Hill Rd., McLean. 703-854-1856.
—C.W.
800-838-3006.
www.1ststagespringhill.org. $25-$50.
WIFE SWAPPERS At the D.C. Arts Center through Saturday
When invited to a holiday party at the Southern California home of Jake and Lorette, a perfectly appropriate gift would be a case of K-Y jelly. See, this swinging couple has a chamber where the guests strip down to the altogether and engage in group activities. For long stretches of this ribald play, the actors parade before us in their birthday suits, conversing about everything from the tastiness of the hors d’oeuvres to the comparative endowments of the other attendees. The joke wears a bit thin, even after playwright Justin Tanner ladles on the political satire: The hosts turn out to be religious conservatives who welcome any mathematical combination for heterosexual sex but
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the washington post friday, december 17, 2010 l
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