Photo courtesy of Shadowbox Live
Santa Babies
The holidays encompass many things: delicious food, eye-catching decorations, family traditions and fun in the snow. But if you’re looking to add something extra to your festivities this year, consider experiencing Shadowbox Live’s 26th annual Holiday Hoopla.
Twenty-six years ago, the troupe at Shadowbox Live decided to delve deeper into the integrative world of live performance. They did all sorts of things ranging from original rock operas to full- length plays to more light-hearted comedy sketches. But that wasn’t enough.
Finally, the founders decided they wanted to blend their love of music and comedy into a single show. The performance would have content that revolved around a single, central theme, and because of the time of year, they chose Christmas. Thus, Holiday Hoopla was born.
Holiday Hoopla is a comedic mix featuring holiday-inspired sketches, seasonal music and the ever-famous The Santa Babies, which remains the hallmark of the performance. The show is Shadowbox Live’s longest running performance with more surprises and hilarious acts in store this season.
Katy Psenicka, director of operations at Shadowbox Live, says this year’s performance will feature another episode of The Santa Babies, another new sketch the audience will love and many exciting routines between the main acts.
And, despite some tasteful jokes, the show is family friendly.
“Something that really resonates with audiences is that all the sketches in the show poke fun at how we spend our time during the holidays. Just the hustle and bustle of it all,” Psenicka says. “It’s very relatable.”
The musical portion of the show has a little bit of everything. Psenicka says the music varies every year, but to expect audience favorites such as “Christmas is Sarajevo,” “Backdoor Santa” and “Children Go Where I Send Thee,” as well as new numbers such as “Star of Wonder” and “Your Holiday Song.”
“Christmas song parodies are being developed right now for this musical-comedy act that will range from parodies of classic rock to current pop to standard holiday songs,” Psenicka says. “And while the characters of The Santa Babies are recurring, the material is not. There will be a brand new installment this year.”
The Santa Babies have become a well-loved Columbus tradition around the holiday season. It features the elderly characters of Dorothy, Dixie and Dolly as they navigate various holiday shenanigans, and the performers who originated the ideas for the characters are still in the ensemble and reprise their roles every year.
“My favorite act every single year is always The Santa Babies,” Psenicka says. “Not only is it a very funny and clever act, but I also really enjoy watching my colleagues create and perform. It’s a must-see.”
Along with performing hilarious acts and singing along with the musical numbers, Shadowbox Live performers also act as hosts, waiters, chefs, bartenders and ushers to ensure guests have a visceral, live holiday experience. Food and beverages can also be purchased during the show at additional cost.
“We embrace a very aggressive performance schedule,” Psenicka says. “We hope that we are able to draw in new customers who might then become more regular visitors to our shows throughout the year. Exposure to new audiences is critical to all sorts of arts organizations.”
If anyone should know what makes an arts organization successful, it’s Shadowbox Live. The theater has won a plethora of awards and accolades such as Theater of the Year by Broadway World and Best of the ’Bus by CityScene Magazine. It even started an organization called Shadowbox Gives Back that focuses on supporting community outreach efforts, such as fundraisers, local gifting and volunteer appreciation programs.
Psenicka notes that without the hard work from the rest of the troupe, the success of Holiday Hoopla would not be possible. She hopes that, like past performances, this year’s show is an unforgettable experience.
“The show is such a joyful celebration of the season,” Psenicka says. “For (Shadowbox Live), we get to celebrate Christmas nearly every day from the week before Thanksgiving until end of December. Everyone should be so lucky as to celebrate Christmas every day!”
Holiday Hoopla will run Nov. 15-Dec. 29 with select showtimes on Tuesdays through Saturdays. Tickets are $25 with special discounts given to students, seniors and veterans. To learn more visit: http://www.shadowboxlive.org/shows/holiday-hoopla
Tessa Flattum is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
