Christmas on the Air at Rosebud Theatre is a charming way to spend an evening celebrating the Christmas spirit along with a talented cast in a light-hearted and song-filled production.
It’s Christmas Eve 1949 and we are witness to and participants in CKOL’s annual Christmas Eve radio program which consists of familiar songs and stories. When we first arrive at the Rosebud Theatre Opera House to take our seats Danny “the kid” Frank, played by Mark Kazakov is buzzing about making final adjustments and greeting people as they take their seats.
Meanwhile, Danny’s father, Percival B. Frank, played by Nathan Schmidt, seems to be lacking some Christmas cheer as he takes on the burden of producing and hosting the show. His wife Yolanda Frank, played by Heather Pattengale, just wants Percival to relax a bit and enjoy some of the spirit of the season and maybe trust their son to run things and take on some of the burden.
Adding to this radio family is Sylvia White, played by Seana-Lee Wood, who hosts the radio station’s cooking show and is the featured musician accompanying everyone on the piano or joining the cast for some seasonal harmonies.
The final member of the ensemble is Kitty McNally, played by Karyssa Komar, the new weather girl who has caught the eye and attention of Danny but unknown to everyone is a single mom. Unable to find a sitter on Christmas Eve Kitty has opted to bring her baby to the station hoping he’ll sleep through the show.
Director Ian Farthing works with his cast to keep the action moving and his design team which includes scenic and costume designer Hanne Loosen, and lighting designer Becky Halterman have transformed The Rosebud Stage into the radio studio where the action takes place.
The set is cheerful with a forest of Christmas Trees in the background and the CKOL sign above the stage featuring the radio station’s logo and motto, “CKOL Radio. The people hoodoo great music.”
One side of the stage is reserved for the grand piano used by Sylvia throughout the evening and on the other side of the stage is the sound effects table used to add sounds and highlight emotional moments during the show.
The stage is raked and provides a clear view of the action as characters move from performing in front of the mics to carrying on more private conversations about their personal lives — like perhaps that baby I mentioned earlier who might deserve a word or two of reflection and explanation.
By gum, I liked Mark Kazakov as Danny. Mark has an infectious enthusiasm and a comic body that reminds me of the wonderful Dick van Dyck’s physical aptitudes. Kazakov brings a fun energy and youthful exuberance to his portrayal of Danny who is basically a loveable, good-hearted, goof.
Nathan Schmidt as Danny’s father P.B. Frank is a more solum soul. He’s a kind man who dives into his work even on Christmas Eve in order to cope with a personal loss that he and his wife Yolanda share. Heather Pattengale as Yolanda is always a delight on stage and she’s often teamed up with Nathan as her significant other and the two together always bring a deep sense of truth to the story. These are both talented actors who never disappoint and I’m always thrilled whenever I get a chance to see them on stage.
Seana-Lee Wood adds her immense musical talent to the production while also bringing something familiar to her portrayal of Sylvia in the story. We all know people like Sylvia. Good people who find themselves alone in later life or on Christmas Day and yet still have plenty of love and support to give to the world. In one particularly fun segment of the show, Sylvia demonstrates on radio and live for the studio audience how to prepare a festive Christmas yule log. It’s a bright fun moment in the play and Seana-Lee reveals to us that despite being alone Sylvia still has a zest for life and joy in her heart.
Being a mom is never easy. Being a single mom is hard. Being a single mom in 1949 harder still. And Karyssa Komar shows us how Kitty feels under threat that once she reveals herself to be an unwed mother, she’ll lose her job and Danny’s affections. That’s certainly a risk and Komar makes us sympathize with her situation, but of course, with this being a Christmas story there might yet be some hope of a happy ending.
How would I describe this show? It’s sort of like showing up on Christmas morning and playwright Lucia Frangione has left us with a bunch of gifts under the tree. One gift might contain a familiar Christmas Carol such as O Christmas Tree, Joy to the World, or O Come All Ye Faithful or a more recent Christmas tune like Blue Christmas, Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, or I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Another oddly shaped gift might contain a favourite Christmas story such as The Gifts of the Magi by O. Henry or Clement Parker Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas complete with sound effects.
But just like Christmas day the big gift isn’t what’s under the tree it’s who you share the day with. The true gift of Christmas is connecting with our family and connecting with our fellow man and making the world a better place. That’s the real gift of theatre and the arts. They connect us. They help us to focus on our common humanity. And this Christmas you can share your hopes for peace on earth and goodwill towards all men with the good folks at CKOL Radio who just want to bring some much needed Christmas Cheer to the world.
Christmas on the Air runs at Rosebud Theatre until Sunday, December 22nd with matinee performances from Wednesday to Saturday at 2:00 pm and evening performances on Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm. Make sure you arrive at least two hours before curtain in order to enjoy Chef Mo’s delicious Christmas on the Air buffet featuring roasted turkey with cranberry sauce, butter chicken with saffron basmati rice, and sticky toffee pudding with caramel & butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream. Tickets can be purchased at www.rosebudtheatre.com or by phone at 1-800-267-7553.
