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In murder mystery musical Mother Goose’s Christmas Crimes! and revue Holiday Hi-Jinx!, Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company delivers a whopping platter of scrumptious yuletide cheese bound to make even the Scroogiest crack a smile. Replete with pop-culture references, from Lady Gaga to Jersey Shore, and Kansas City charm, the show caters to both adults and children through its traditional yet slightly askew Christmas songs and stories.

Christmas Crimes is the tale of five “Rhymers”—Bo Peep (Andrea Huckaba), Jack & Jill (Mark Maasen as Jack, and his puppet as Jill), the Old Woman in the Shoe (artistic director Jeanne Beechwood), and Simple Simon (Kattie Post)—who try to save Mother Goose’s (Nino Casisi) Gooseberry Farms from being turned into a golf resort by the evil Brothers Grimm; they attempt this, of course, by putting on Nonsense: The Goosical as a fundraiser. But on opening night, the cast finds the lead, Beef Jerky (Marcus Mull), dead and surrounded by incriminating evidence that points to each of the Rhymers. Detective KC Schtumpt (also Mull) shows up to investigate the murder, and he, Mother Goose, and the Rhymers discover the twisted truth behind this gruesome Christmas crime.

The characters propel the plot via clever (and sometimes bawdy), original lyrics sung to tens of all-too-familiar melodies, such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, “Ode to Joy,” Rhapsody in Blue, and the March from The Nutcracker, to name a few.

The set is made up of simple yet wonderfully painted backdrops that change as an oversized Mother Goose book in the corner reveals the next setting with the turn of a page. Ellen Beechwood’s costumes are playful and tongue-in-cheek, especially the Old Woman in the Shoe’s Reebok sneaker and its horrible stench (an essential plot device, as you’ll see), as portrayed by a yellow-and-green crinkled cloth. Indispensable live piano accompaniment and sound effects by musical director Dianne Brown enhance the show’s slapstick choreography and humor.

Post-intermission, Holiday Hi-Jinx!’s collection of Christmas songs and skits is an enjoyable accompaniment to Christmas Crimes, but has its high and low points. Highs certainly include the group’s Water Glass Symphony renditions of Sleigh Ride and Mele Kalikimaka (with ukulele and kazoo accompaniment), in which the cast strikes a series of glasses filled with red-, green-, blue-, gold- and black-dyed water in time. This obviously takes some expert coordination and talent.

Later, a penguin-themed version of “Ice, Ice, Baby” drew some loud laughs. Charlie the Wonder Dog (Jeanne’s adorable, stoic dachshund) and his friends make appearances throughout, the audience participates in two sing-alongs, and the characters occasionally tease audience members, all sure to delight the kids. Overall, the revue’s song selections could use a little updating, but Martin City’s commitment to putting on a good show outshines most complaints.

Casisi performed as Mother Goose and characters throughout the revue with nearly no slips in memorization, all after learning the whole show in just three days to fill in for a sick cast member. He’ll be performing for the rest of the run through Jan. 1. Beechwood has been performing with Martin City for 27 seasons. As the night’s host, the Old Woman in the Shoe, and a slew of other revue characters, including a hysterical portrayal of The Birds’ Tippi Hedren (unhinged assistant to “Secret Santa” game show host Alfred Hitchcock), her enthusiasm is anything but waning. Mull gets a hearty round of applause for playing the hell out of the most roles in the production, for the best penguin-walk, his ukulele prowess, and the most drawn-out, hilarious death scene this critic has seen in a while.

Martin City’s Mother Goose’s Christmas Crimes! and Holiday Hi-Jinx! make for a fun night of family entertainment. So, put on your best Christmas sweater, bring your magnifying glass and book of nursery rhymes, and settle in for some corny Christmas cheer. 

REVIEW:
Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company
Mother Goose’s Christmas Crimes! and Holiday Hi-Jinx!
Runs through January 1, 2012 (Reviewed Friday, December 2)
Metcalf South Shopping Center
9601 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 913-642-7576

Top Photo: (L to R) Marcus Mull, Clint Griffey and Mark Maasen in Martin City Melodrama & Vaudeville Company's Mother Goose’s Christmas Crimes! and Holiday Hi-Jinx! (Photo by Kattie Post)

By Jessica Showers

Theatre Contributor

Jessica Showers, a long-time believer in the collaborative power of the performing arts, is a Midwest native and Kansas City-based arts journalist. She is on the editorial board for The Sondheim Review, a quarterly magazine dedicated to the work of renowned composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Jessica received a master's degree in arts journalism with a focus in theatre from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. As part of her graduate coursework, Jessica partnered with Charleston, S.C.'s daily paper The Post and Courier to cover theatre at Spoleto Festival USA. She also interned in New York City for American Theatre magazine and for Syracuse Stage, Syracuse, N.Y.'s local LORT theatre organization. Jessica looks forward to delving into Kansas City's wealth of theatricality and sharing it with KCM's readers.