WINTER PARK – Wreck The Halls, the new holiday show that premiered on Friday at the Winter Park Playhouse, is a comedy that largely eschews the type of warm and fuzzy, sentimental and sweet-as-candy approach that a lot of Christmas theater shows deliver this time of year.

Sure, the holidays are filled with nostalgia and good cheer, but it can be a stressful time for many (what to buy so-and-so? Who’s doing the Christmas cards this year?), so many of us really could use some laughs about now.

Welcome to Wreck The Halls. It may not be intended for the Grinch among us, but it sure is designed for those who enjoy the sublime pleasure of some generous belly laughs right during the holidays. For some of us, that sounds better than a nicely spiked Eggnog!

Wreck The Halls! Is being performed now through Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Playhouse, as four performers supremely gifted in both comedy and singing deliver the kind of holiday cheer that comes from laughing out loud. 

What is the Musical Wreck The Halls?

Wreck The Halls, a musical written by Paul Cozby, is what got called vaudeville in the oldie days, and more recently has the feel of a clever TV variety show – think of the sketch comedy in Saturday Night Live or The Carol Burnett Show. The comedy here is directed at those among us who approach the Christmas season thinking as much about the headaches of the holidays as the blissful joys.

Cozby has a field day satirizing those folks who write book-length letters to include in their Christmas cards, always painting their entire year as one of the greatest ever. Who doesn’t loathe those annoyingly upbeat letters gushing about their triumphs while we’ve stumbling through problems of our own?

Then there’s the neighbors who go to war over who puts up the fanciest decorations …

The wives who sinisterly plot to get back at their husbands through the special  “gifts” they buy them …

The mother-in-laws who politely despise one another and want to be in charge of Christmas day dinner ….

Those gifts for the kids that you have to assemble the night before, assuming you’ve got 4-5 hours to spare on Christmas Eve …

You get the idea.

If it sounds sour, it’s not. The humor is spot-on and good natured, and as usual, the Playhouse demonstrates a talent for selecting just the right actors to pull this one with aplomb.

How Is The Winter Park Playhouse Production?

Directed at a gloriously zesty pace by local theater veteran Brandon Roberts, the production benefits from having a cast that knows how to illustrate everything that drives us crazy about the holidays.

Juggling multiple roles, Adam Biner and Patrick Kramer ran the gamut from hyper-competitive neighbor to beleaguered husband to holiday grumps, milking every bit of humor they can with their sharp timing, hilarious voices and expert mugging.

Our two actresses, Samm Carroll and Vanessa Sotomayor, reach soaring heights of comedic glory as both the vengeance seeking wives shopping for their husbands and the mother-in-laws with razors in their eyes. They’re just sensational when they’re nasty.

Kudos as well to the music provided by Playhouse Music Director Christopher Leavy, who serves as our pianist during the show, expertly accompanied by Ned Wilkinson on bass and Sam Forrest on percussion.   

Despite its title, there actually are some sentimental and nostalgic moments in Wreck The Halls, suggesting that in the end, Cozby, Roberts, his actors and the entire Playhouse staff really do want to wish us a fabulous holiday season. And guess what? They succeed!

Where Can I See Wreck The Halls?

Wreck The Halls runs through Dec. 21 at The Winter Park Playhouse, 711 Orange Ave. in Winter Park.  The show runs for 2 hours with a 15 minute intermission.

Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday matinee performances at 2 p.m. and select Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.   

Ticket prices are $47 for evening shows, $45 for seniors during evening performances, and $42 for matinees. There are also $20 tickets for students (15-25 years), active military and theatrical industry professionals. 

Student rush “$10@10” tickets are provided for $10 to students 25 years old and younger 10 minutes prior to a performance when seats are available. 

To purchase tickets or for more information, call the box office at 407-645-0145 or visit online at www.winterparkplayhouse.org . 

Michael Freeman is an Orlando journalist, playwright, and author of the book A Christmas Eve Story. Contact him at Freelineorlando@gmail.com.

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