DANIEL SETH PAGEL
Mikey Miller and Keivana Wallace co-star in “The Christmas Show Must Go On” at Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken.
We never actually see the titular production at the heart of “The Christmas Show Must Go On,” the Yuletide show currently running at Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken. Instead, playwright Pia Wilson brings us inside the magical realm of Christmas, where fairies, ghosts, magical frogs and even a Christmas gremlin prepare to engage with the mortal world to spread the spirit of the holiday.
The kid-friendly world-premiere production features Keivana Wallace and Mikey Miller, young actors who each play two roles with a bright sparkle and nonstop energy. MST artistic director Kevin R. Free directs, allowing the actors to play their roles broadly enough to entrance children, but never so tweely as to turn off adults. (Arielle Legere is credited with additional direction.)
Wallace, a graduate of Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, anchors the play as Concana, a Christmas fairy who is preparing to put on a play for humans. You see, the Christmas realm has a PR problem. Ever since that Dickens fellow wrote that book of his, Christmas ghosts have suffered a bad rap as scary apparitions, instead of the incandescent, snowy-furred angels that they really are. She is aided by Otto (played by Miller), a Christmas ghost who has put on a “human suit” so he can interact with the mortal world and help her prepare her show.
DANIEL SETH PAGEL
Keivana Wallace in “The Christmas Show Must Go On.”
Concana, a sprite festooned in brightly colored ribbons, plans to set things right by putting on the show “that must go on” and debunking Dickens. But she is bedeviled by uppity Christmas frogs (Wallace also plays the Christmas Frog King), as well as a Christmas Gremlin (Miller’s other role) who is determined to scuttle the production. A disembodied, omnipotent Santa Claus, who only speaks “Ho ho ho,” weighs in as well.
Mile Square Theatre specializes in one-set plays with inventive set designs and inspired sound and lighting, and never more so than with “The Christmas Show Must Go On.” The stage has been transformed into Concana’s cottage, festooned with Christmas lights, Christmas trees, gift-wrapped boxes and glowing windows. It is impossible not to feel the nostalgic warmth of the season upon seeing it.
Holiday music wafts throughout the show, along with chirping Christmas frogs and other effects. The lights flash and dim and glow in sync with the onstage action. There is a funny bit of business early in the play when the Christmas Gremlin is trapped inside a box that glows and hums and scurries about the stage.
Kudos to the MST team, including sound designer Aeon Wade Andreas, scenic designers/prop masters Emmett Grosland and Matthew J. Fick, and lighting designer Ian Lloyd Sanchez: They make the mise-en-scène one of the stars of the show. Grace Jeon’s clever, colorful costumes also embody the spirit of the season while allowing the actors to switch characters with a few small flourishes.
DANIEL SETH PAGEL
Mikey Miller in “The Christmas Show Must Go On.”
Wilson’s script showcases both actors by leaving them onstage alone for extended monologues for much of the play. Wallace fares better as the flustered Concana, fussing about getting ready to put on her play, than as the Frog King, who comes off as a bit hectoring when addressing the frog kingdom.
Similarly, Miller exudes charm as Otto, testing out his human suit by learning how to see with eyes and discovering the joy of hot cocoa. But his part as the Gremlin includes quite a bit of exposition, as he relates a backstory romance between himself and Otto that inadvertently leads to Dickens writing “A Christmas Carol.” Adults will get the irony, but a few more physical bits might have helped. The show does get quite talky in parts, which may test the attention span of younger children.
Nonetheless, the pealing laughter and frequent giggles of the many children in the opening night audience added to the ambience of the show and the spirit of Christmas. At 75 minutes, “The Christmas Show Must Go On” offers a magical, whimsical, uplifting theater experience for the entire family.
Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken will present “The Christmas Show Must Go On” through Dec. 15. Visit milesquaretheatre.org.
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