OFF-BROADWAY REVIEW
Dark Christmas White. Merry. Happy.
What do these words have in common? They usually precede the word Christmas.
But asphalt is a word which we don't normally associate with Christmas.
That's why a show called The Asphalt Christmas makes an intriguing title.
It grabs you right away. Grayce Productions'
The Asphalt Christmas is about a young girl who gets possessed by the
devil (complete with the infamous 360-degree turn of the head a la Linda
Blair in The Exorcist), causing her to harm people she dislikes. In
the end, she eventually gets rid of the devil in her and, as a bonus,
she also gets reunited with her estranged mother. With its glittery
costumes, cross-dressing actors, nun and priest characters, numerous
references to old movies and occasionally risqué dialogue, The Asphalt
Christmas reminds audience of Charles Busch's The Divine Sister which
was seen last season at Soho Playhouse. The Asphalt Christmas
indeed provides a slew of references to relics from a bygone era: singers
and songs (Cole Porter, It's De-lovely); movies (Casablanca, Double
Indemnity, I'll Cry Tomorrow); iconic names (Kowalski); Broadway tunes
(Send in the Clowns); Hollywood trademarks (Kirk Douglas' cleft chin,
Rosebud). This show is not meant for the twitter generation which is
not likely to catch the humor in all these. This is probably part of
the reason why some of the punchlines which were meant to elicit laughter
fell flat. But this parody does
not stop at movie references. Director Lawrence Lesher stages it like
a B-movie. Louis Lopardi's light and sound design are reminiscent of
late night horror movies. Even the actors' deliberately campy acting
would delight Ed Wood. In the context of
today's off-Broadway casting trend which leans heavily on smaller cast,
The Asphalt Christmas' cast of nine actors, with some playing double
or even triple roles, can be considered a Cecil B. De Mille production
in scope. The show's talented
actors are effective in their respective roles. David L. Zwiers as Sister
Mary Bernadette is a riot with her un-Christian antics. Nancy Kellogg
Gray as Sister Mary Joseph is delightful to watch as an authentic-looking
nun who is prone to accidents. Matt Harris as the annoying brat, Mickey
Loomis, provides the perfect foil to the ambitious Veda Munson, played
by Jessica Luck with just the right blend of sweetness (until she descends
to Linda Blair territory). As Dixie La Hiff, playwright-actor Todd Michael
struts the stage with such panache which could put the Kardashian sisters
to shame. Timothy J. Cox displays versatility in his triple roles. Brian
Hopson is equally impressive in three totally different characters.
In her dual role, Courtney Cook is funny as the obligatory sexy character.
Chris Kateff as Father O'Day is effective as the only seemingly sane
character which provides the common thread in this show’s highly convoluted
plot. David L. Zwiers'
vintage costumes are appropriate for the show's period and genre. Joemca
and Todd Michael's The First Syllable of Christmas is the Greatest Syllable
of All, which serves as the final song number, is a showstopper, literally
and figuratively. Todd Michael's complex
script serves the audience with a huge dose of coincidences and multiple
subplots borrowed from old movies. Although one does not expect
to see the usual character arc and logical plot development in a show
of this genre, one wishes that the team of Michael and Lesher have upped
the ante and not let this show be just a rehash of everything we have
seen before. Still, this show is silly fun. This Asphalt Christmas
is as darkly funny as any show could get this holiday season. A dark
Christmas. Like the color of asphalt. 
OFF-BROADWAY REVIEW OF THE ASPHALT CHRISTMAS
Reviewed by Ron S. Covar
Published 2011-12-15
Click here to buy group tickets.
