One of the last-to-open holiday shows in Milwaukee is also one of the funniest. Who Killed Santa? , a musical murder mystery, is the perfect antidote for those who have endured too many Christmas songs on the radio or viewed too many holiday TV commercials. Perhaps it’s also for those who’ve eaten too many candy canes – who knows?
In any case, Milwaukee playwright Neil Haven is staging the fourth production of his hysterically funny, completely improbable and undeniably entertaining show. It is being produced in the small, sparsely decorated (but comfortable) Carte Blanche Theater. Happily, the theater is attached to a bar. During the standard announcements before the show begins, the show’s stage manager advises patrons to “drink up” before show time. He also mentions that the bar will be open during intermission. There is a reason for this: he doesn’t want the audience to feel left out by watching the “inebriated” characters onstage.
As the play opens, a very drunk Santa is waiting for his annual holiday party to begin. He attempts to sing a raucous rendition of, “I Saw Mommy Kissing ME Last Night” before the party guests arrive. Before he finishes the song, however, the early-birds are on his doorstep. They consist of well-known collection of Christmas characters, including Frosty the Snowman, Tiny Tim, the Little Drummer Boy, etc. All of them are represented by puppets and a handful of puppeteers.
As the evening wears on, fueled by more and more alcohol, dark secrets are revealed by the guests. The party is held two days before Christmas at Santa’s home on the North Pole.
Aside from the puppeteers, actor Bo Johnson is the only human to appear onstage. This is his second year playing Santa. Johnson plays almost a half-dozen humans by the time the show winds up. This is accomplished by some incredibly quick costume changes and results in some funny gender-swapping as well.
The hand-puppets are operated by extremely skilled puppeteers who dress in black (a la Avenue Q). They have several opportunities to show off their excellent voices, accompanied by Bo Johnson on acoustic guitar.
When Santa is killed offstage, all the guests become suspects. To the playwright’s credit, the various “reasons” why these characters might want to eliminate Santa are all equally plausible. Who’s the culprit? Several audience members, chosen by the cast, must finger one character as the “killer.” Once the criminal is selected, the actors play out an ending that fits the appropriate scenario.
This is a seasoned cast, so they are quick to pick up each other’s cues. As Tiny Tim’s handler, Amy Geyser gives her character a credible Cockney accent. To the audience’s amusement, Geyser limps as she walks around with Tim. Another actor, Nate Press, also impresses as the dim-witted Frosty the Snowman. Although he was selected as the “killer” during the performance seen by this reviewer, the “jury” wondered whether he was intelligent enough to commit such a crime. However, his frequent exits to the outdoors made him a prime suspect. Santa, not exactly the perfect host, makes a guest’s drink “on the rocks” by taking an ice cube-sized chunk of Frosty’s “snow” and plopping it in the drink.
The Little Drummer Boy (operated by Rick Pendzich) is the “hippest” of the crew. In Act II, Brittany McDonald shines as she turns the normally wide-eyed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer into a belligerent drunk. By this time, one is not surprised when an out-of-season Tooth Fairy is gored to death by Rudolph’s horns.
The party scene includes a lot of dancing and gossip about goings-on at the North Pole. The main point of interest is a new, buxom character named “Chastity,” (despite the fact she is hardly chaste). Actor Liz Shipe strikes an excellent balance between Chastity’s innocence (she’s a 20-year-old) and her sexy dance moves. Santa makes it clear that Chastity is his “date” for the evening, much to the chagrin of some other male characters. And what about Mrs. Claus? Frosty asks. He is sad to learn that she has left for a spiritual retreat in India.
All in all, Who Killed Santa? is a very funny adult comedy. It spoofs nearly every Christmas tradition one can imagine, all the while holding together the play’s interesting plot twists. Costumes (for Bo Johnson and the puppets) are masterfully rendered. The set, a hodge-podge of chairs, a fireplace and a bar, are all placed in front of painted backdrops. It’s sufficient to allow the puppeteers ample room for themselves and their characters.
