Uptown Players seemed to check all the boxes with its opening night last Friday. Star of Wonder: A Carol Ann Christmas was the season opener. It’s a holiday show directed by B.J. Cleveland. And it was a world premiere by Mark Waldrop who co-wrote When Pigs Fly. No wonder there was a buzz in the air.
That buzz was evident in the lobby all the way to the show’s standing ovation.
Carol Ann had a moment in Pigs, but here, it’s all her. After her cherished Melody Barn Theatre in Fargo, North Dakota, is destroyed in a curling-iron fire, she finds herself in Dallas to finish staging the holiday show she never got to complete. Part narrative, part holiday revue, the comedy delivered big on over-the-top musical numbers, behind the scenes chaos and at its core, a silly holiday charm with just enough sentiment.
The structure of the show was a simple one. Carol Ann would come do her thing and introduce a new number by the cast working on her holiday show in the staged version of the Kalita stage by Dennis Canright. Most of the songs shared a common element: they were composed by well-known figures but were perhaps not as frequently performed or recognized.These vignettes moved the show along nicely while also showcasing the talents of the ensemble cast.
Micah Green starred as the titular character reprising his role from Uptown’s production of When Pigs Fly back in 2021. Ahead of the show, he told Dallas Voice this was the most material he had to work with in his career. If that was a challenge, there was no note of it as he breezed through the role with the right mix of comic timing and Midwestern elegance. He leaned into the North Dakota dialect that added an endearing flair but he knew when to give Carol Ann a sassy edge as well.
The musical numbers were a blend of campy tunes and sweet ballads. Laura Lites and Kylie Stewart delivered beautiful vocals on the slower numbers “Just Like Every Christmas” and “The Truth About Christmas” which also helped break up the ongoing antics. Seth Paden and Jacob Hemsath’s “Winter Wonderland” and Lites and Stewart’s “Sweet As You” were romantic delights as well.
But Wonder was brought to life mostly through its punchy numbers delivered by Green, L. Walter and the high-spirited cast that included Ryan Michael Friedman, Brett Warner and Peter DiCesare.
Each actor had their moment to shine and everyone stepped up. Warner vamped up her solo of “Surabaya Santa” and DiCesare reliably belted “All Those Christmas Cliches” with his otherworldly voice. I’m familiar with Friedman onstage but he was on fire Friday night with his quick comic timing and zippy energy, particularly in his solo “Chinese for Christmas.”
Paden had a full tank of stage charisma for his energetic dick-in-a-box number “I Only Want You,” Hemsath was effervescent throughout and Walter was a vision of pure glam. She also fused in her comic chops with adroit talent. Walter’s mastered the skill of giving good face – especially in reaction to Carol Ann’s wholesome naivete.
But when the full company ended the first act with the outrageous “Bethle-hams Medley,” I was pretty much dead. No Broadway show was safe at this point. Combined with Alli Betsill’s choreography and Suzi Cranford’s costuming, Cleveland’s retooling of classic showtunes from Annie to Dreamgirls all centered on the birth of Jesus was comedy gold, frankincense and myrrh.
This show thrived on its sound and Music Director Adam C. Wright always understands the assignment at Uptown shows. His arrangements felt tailor-made for each actor but also moved along effortlessly with Cleveland’s direction. He and his orchestra of four provided a soundtrack that was both merry and tender.
Star of Wonder wears its heart on its glittery red sleeve so it’s easy to know what to expect from its posters and social media content. But the wonder of this show was that it’s ability to deliver much more with a lovely touch of heart and of course, it’s clever reverence (and irreverence) for the holiday season.
The show runs through Dec. 14.
–Rich Lopez
Related