A CAMPY CHRISTMAS

WITH BELLS ON by Darrin Hagen

WHO’S HOLIDAY by Matthew Lombardo

With Bells On and Who’s Holiday!

A Theater Review by Julinda D. Lewis

At: Richmond Triangle Players at the Robert B. Moss Theatre | Carpenter Foundation Stage, 1300 Altamont Ave, RVA 23230

Performances:  November 13 – December 22, 2024, 2024

Ticket Prices: $55

Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

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For some, the holiday season is heralded by a performance of The Nutcracker ballet. For others, it may be the arrival of the Richmond Triangle Players’ annual Christmas play. This year’s offering is a double bill of one-act plays: Darrin Hagen’s With Bells On and Matthew Lombardo’s Who’s Christmas.

First up is a zany yet somehow heart-warming tale of an introverted divorcé and a towering drag queen who get stuck in an elevator a few days before Christmas. Wette Midler plays the “glamazon” Natasha, who is on her way to an important, life-affirming pageant, while Doug Schneider plays Ted, an accountant who is venturing out on his own for the first time since his divorce.

William Luther’s scenic design is a simple open sided box, providing a wide-angled perspective of an elevator car, while all the attention is on Natasha, decked out in a glittery green Christmas themed dress topped off with an illuminated fascinator. Kudos to Alex Valentin for designing the posh queenly garb.  

With Bells On is equal part light-hearted romp and entwined tales of self-discovery or liberation, in which Midler and Schneider’s characters gradually, warily warm up to one another, find a point of connection, and hang on for dear life. Along the way, they leave a trail of verbal gems the way Hansel and Gretel dropped breadcrumbs.

Natasha, feeling threatened by the more diminutive Ted, says, “I have fuchsia belt in whipping your ass.” (This reminded me of a line by the great poet James Brown: I don’t know karate, but I know ka-razor! from “The Payback.”) Later she says, “If you’re not standing out, you’re lurking.” Softening up, she parries with, “Do you know what drag queens call Halloween? Amateur night!” Midler is a force and a vision, but she and Schneider share space as equals who balance each other in sometimes unexpected ways. And, BTW, where can I get those green pumps in a size 10W?

Emily Dandridge held her own in a one-handed performance as a grown-up Cindy Loy Who, sharing just a tad TMI on her relationship with that mean old Grinch. (And yes, isn’t it a coincidence that, what with the near-simultaneous of the film version of Wicked, green is suddenly “in” as an identity (for lack of a better word).

This Cindy Lou Who has traded pink pajamas for metallic gold leggings and a Christmas-themed top – just the thing to wear while searching for tramadol in the couch cushions and washing it down with a cocktail of clear spirits (gin and vodka, I think). This Cindy Lou Who may be down on her luck, having spent time in prison and living in a well-worn trailer at the foot of Mount Crumpit, but she’s smart, exhibiting advanced critical thinking skills as each of her so-called friends calls to cancel their attendance at her holiday party, Highlights of Dandridge’s performance include an unexpected rap performance and sharing a very much real pan of pigs-in-blankets with the audience.

I don’t know if it was the luck of the draw or if a certain seat (whose location I will not disclose, just in case it’s part of the plot – I mean script) is always selected, but on opening night my husband Albert Ruffin was selected from the audience to join Cindy Lou onstage to be plied with alcohol and offered a little extra for dessert. It may have been all in good fun, but now I must live with the aftermath of him walking around talking about (a) how much fun he had and (b) how he always dreamed of a career onstage.

Thinking back, I think I like this version of Who’s Christmas more than I did RTP’s 2018 version. (See my review of the 2018 version here: https://wordpress.com/post/jdldancesrva.com/700). This parody has its dark moments, its alarming images, and it is not without valuable life lessons on the downside of mixed marriage, diversity, and who your real friends are. Dandridge did a decent job of interacting with the audience, as this play requires. So, grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy the show. No stress. No worries. No need to overthink.

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Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County. When not writing about theater, she teaches dance history at VCU and low impact dance fitness classes to seasoned movers like herself, and occasionally performs. Her most recent (ad)venture was the premiere of a solo work, The Waters of Babylon or Psalm 137 Revisited: a Post-Exodus Reflection in Movement Choreographed From Collective Memories for the debut of the Critical Race Theatre Project, right here at RTP in August 2024.

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A CAMPY CHRISTMAS

Act One: WITH BELLS ON

Written by Darrin Hagen

Act Two: WHO’S HOLIDAY!

Written by Matthew Lombardo

Directed by Joe Pabst

Cast

Wette Midler as Natasha in With Bells On

Doug Schneider as Ted in With Bells On

Emily Dandridge as Cindy Lou Who in Who’s Holiday!

Understudies

Keegan Ferrell u/s for Natasha

Travis Williams u/s for Ted

CC Gates u/s for Cindy Lou Who

Production & Design

Playwrights – Darrin Hagen (With Bells On) and Matthew Lombardo (Who’s Holiday!)

Director – Joe Pabst

Scenic Design – William Luther

Lighting Design – Gabriel Beard

Costume Design – Alex Valentin

Sound Design – Lucian Restivo

Props Design – Tim Moehring

Hair & Makeup Design – Luke Newsome

Production Stage Manager – Lucian Restivo

Assistant Stage Manager – Finn Thomason

Gender Consultant – August Hundley

Master Electrician – Gabriel Beard

Technical  Director & Scenic Artist – Rebecka Russo

Backstage Crew – Adri Ulm

Scenic Construction – David Ballas, Hunter Keck, Marcos O’Connor, Katie White

Settings & Times

With Bells On – An elevator in a high-rise apartment building, a few days before Christmas

Who’s Christmas! – A dilapidated trailer at the base of Mount Crumpit, Christmas Eve

Run Time

Approximately two hours, with one fifteen-minute intermission

Schedule of Performances

Thursday, November 21 at 8:00PM – OPENING NIGHT

Fridays, November 22, 29 & December 6, 13 & 20 at 8:00PM

Saturday, November 7 at 2:00PM

Saturdays, November 22, 29 & December 6, 13 & 20 at 8:00PM

Sundays, November 24,  & December 1, 8, 15 & 22 at 4:00PM

Wednesday, December 18 at 8:00PM

Thursdays, December 5, 12 & 19 at 8:00PM

Ticket Information

$55, Info: (804) 346-8113 or rtriangle.org

Photo Credit