I cannot believe I’ve lived in San Diego for nearly 14 years and have never made it out to The San Diego REPertory Theatre. I’ve been to theatrical productions in San Diego – from musicals to drama to comedy and improv, yet I never really knew about San Diego REP.
Located in downtown San Diego at the Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza, San Diego REP has been around since 1976 and produces intimate, exotic and provocative theatre. They produce and host over 300 performances throughout the year on three different stages – with a focus on topics that promote an inclusive community, including progressive political and social topics. They’ve won awards for artistic excellence from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle, NAACP, Backstage West, Dramalogue and more.
Honestly, they had me at provocative. I love watching performances that give a different perspective and voice to a social or political topic. Plus, San Diego REP was so intimate, it felt like going to a friend’s house for a performance. We were encouraged to bring our drinks (beer, wine, cocktails, or coffee) into the theatre for the show. I loved that.
And The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) did not disappoint. In fact, I think it’s safe to say it’s been a long time since I’ve been wowed at the theatre. The performance was by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, known for their reduced versions of Complete Works of Shakespeare,” the Bible, “All the Great Books,” “The History of America,” and even the “World of Sports.”
Photo courtesy of San Diego REP.
This time it was about the story of Christmas. And without giving too much away – the performance was a parody, musical and political satire about holiday traditions, history of Christmas, influences from different religions, and so much more woven into a story where the cast had to put on a multicultural, all-inclusive religious yet unitarian show for the audience. There was Christmas disco – yes, I said disco and it was fantastic. There was Nutsy the elf ballerina – you’ve got to see it to believe it. I was laughing hysterically the entire time.
The best part of the performance was the audience participation. The cast – including Michael Faulkner, Mick Orfe and Dustin Sullivan – sang the 12 Days of Christmas and got the audience to include their wish-list gifts for the song. The audience was even encouraged to exchange gifts at intermission under the holiday tree. The cast was truly talented and put on a great show.
And my favorite line from the performance: “You know why Santa is so jolly, right? Because he knows where all the naughty girls live.”
My only regret is not bringing my husband to this performance. He’s normally not a huge theatre fan unless it’s comedy or improv, but he would have loved this performance. It was the right amont of historical facts, social commentary, parody, song, dance and just plain fun – even for children (I’d recommend age 10 and up).
The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) runs from Dec. 5-23. Check out the full listing of showtimes. Tickets are $38-43. Seriously, don’t miss it. It’s great for anyone in the family who loves a good laugh.
Check out the video for a sneak preview and more information about The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged).
And check out The San Diego REPertory Theatre for the season schedule for 2013. You can also find them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. I can’t wait to go back to San Diego REP again.
Disclosure
I received free tickets to The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) performance at San Diego REP. However, I was not otherwise compensated to write this review and all opinions are my own.