'CHRISTMAS CAROLE KING' A TAPESTRY OF COMEDY, OLD HAT.Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic 'A CHRISTMAS Carole Christmas Carole was a fictional character in a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano. Lavishly drawn in pencils by Keith Page, it first appeared in issue 3259, dated 1 January 2005, as part of Comic Idol - a selection of three comic strips to be voted in by King,'' the latest Cuisinart concoction of classic literature and pop standards by the Troubadour troubadour One of a class of lyric poets and poet-musicians, often of knightly rank, that flourished from the 11th through the 13th century, chiefly in Provence and other regions of southern France, northern Spain, and northern Italy. Theater Company, could be considered ``Troubie-lite'' were that designation not redundant. Led by director Matt Walker, the endlessly pun-filled, circus-trained ensemble is as rambunctious and energetic as ever, but something's missing. Or out of balance. The Troubies usually work with Shakespeare, interspersing songs by the Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers — Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb — that became one of the most successful musical acts of all time. They were born on the Isle of Man to English parents, lived in Manchester, England and moved to Brisbane, Australia during into ``A Midsummer Night's Dream'' or Hall and Oates into ``Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers die as teenagers. [Br. Lit.: Romeo and Juliet] See : Death, Premature Romeo and Juliet archetypal star-crossed lovers. [Br. Lit. .'' For the company's first holiday show, the hits of pop songstress song·stress n. 1. A woman who performs songs, especially ballads or popular songs. 2. A woman who writes songs. See Usage Note at -ess. Carole King are shamelessly spliced into Dickens' ``A Christmas Carol.'' Grumpy old Scrooge (played by Michael Sulprizio) is a song copyright magnate, meaning nobody is allowed to croon croon v. crooned, croon·ing, croons v.intr. 1. To hum or sing softly. 2. To sing popular songs in a soft, sentimental manner. 3. Scots To roar or bellow. holiday favorites without compensating tight-fisted and spirit-challenged Ebenezer. It's almost as if the Troubies want an excuse to sing holiday standards. The precurtain musical warm-up - a company tradition - is largely of the ``Deck the Halls'' variety with the occasional salty lyric substituted in. The four-piece Troubadour band blasts away while the company - dressed in Victorian garb and signature clown noses - takes us through all the favorites. Scrooge's nose starts off black, and becomes red once he learns ... well, you know. If King's songs outnumber the carols, it ain't by much. The evening's finest voice belongs to Lisa Valenzuela, whose Mrs. Cratchit serenades her hubby with a full-throated rendition of ``Natural Woman.'' Scrooge's childhood sweetheart Belle (Jordan Savage) tangos with young Scrooge (Morgan Rusler) while singing ``It's Too Late.'' The guests at Fred's party dance the ``Ebenezer'' to King's ``Loco-Motion,'' and the performance's most expert cringe comes via the Cratchit family singing ``So Far Away'' to Tiny Tim's empty stool. Thank heavens send-up moments like the ``So Far Away'' rendition are in place. Walker and company have upped the gross-out and irreverence quotient with past shows. By comparison, ``Carole King'' feels tame, although turning a surgically altered Casper the Friendly Ghost Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable. into Christmas Past (played by Beth Kennedy) is a deft maneuver. The decidedly un-PC treatment of Tiny Tim Tiny Tim crippled son of Bob Cratchit. [Br. Lit.: A Christmas Carol] See : Lameness (Tim Groff, with his head atop a puppet) is precisely the kind of jolt the Troubies excel at Verb 1. excel at - be good at; "She shines at math" shine at excel, surpass, stand out - distinguish oneself; "She excelled in math" . The show could certainly be more zany and less festive. Maybe next year's holiday offering will correct the balance. Dare I suggest, ``The Squirrel Nutcracker Zippers''? A CHRISTMAS CAROLE KING - Two and one half stars Where: Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Drive, Burbank. When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays; through Dec. 29. Tickets: $15 to $37.50. Call (818) 955-8101. In a nutshell: 'Tis the season to be clowning. |
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