SONGS OF THE SEASON
Director Joe Huber knows just when to lay off the schmaltz, puncturing it neatly with something as wickedly apt as P.D.Q. Bach’s “Throw the Yule Log On Uncle John” (the chorus hilariously uncertain about whether or not there’s a comma). When fresh-faced Alan Chambers, playing a street caroler, croons the potentially maudlin “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” he gets stiffed by customers and molested by a mugger who’s definitely unclear on the concept of Christmas. In yet another pomposity popper, Allan Chambers cosily reads “The Gift of the Magi Indian Giver,” a twisted version of O. Henry’s inexplicably popular tale of two lovers’ clumsy gift giving.
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Unpretentious and well-packaged, Songs of the Season is a worthy showcase for young talent–the cast of eight harmonizes beautifully. Some of the strongest solo work comes from Allan Chambers, whose deft contributions include a heartfelt recitation of the famous 1897 editorial “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus,” a spirited if rather strained solo in Adolphe Adam’s “O Holy Night,” and a hearty turn as a much-ogled Santa Claus. Will Morison does well in a tender rethinking of “Count Your Blessings,” Kubiak freshens up the overly familiar “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and Elliott throws himself into a spirited piano version of “Jingle Bell Rock.”
