![\"Part](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_9395-e1576711094299.jpg\")
<\/a>Part of the fabulous set. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.<\/p><\/div>\n
Mr. X and I did something different this time. Instead of attending opening night, we chose to see a week-end matinee a week into the run. And it was one of the most fabulous adventures we\u2019ve had this year! The production was entertaining enough, (I\u2019ll elaborate in a minute,) but it\u2019s the entire experience<\/em> of that area that made it such a wonderful day for us. And it was all centered around this show.<\/p>\n First of all, just driving into that town at this time of year made me feel like I was in a Hallmark holiday movie!!! I love that feeling. Even Mr. X got into the spirit.<\/p>\n Secondly, the Sierra Madre Playhouse has the most lovely people working there, many of them volunteers. I would love to be at a Christmas party with all<\/em> of them. I have a strong feeling there would be an abundance of freshly-baked holiday cookies at the fete! (And that I<\/em> would win the Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest!)<\/p>\n Then the lobby display, curated by Kista Cook, is its usual charming self. All of the ones I\u2019ve seen there over the years are so clever, but this<\/em> one has the added specialness of being interactive. At one end is a beautiful Christmas tree that you can use as a photo op in several different ways. You can just stand in front of it like normal people, or you can stick your head through holes so that you appear to be Santa and Mrs. Claus. And the lovely women in the lobby enthusiastically offer to take the pictures for you, (while kvelling over absolutely every single thing about your holiday attire, to boot!)<\/p>\n The fun photo op in the lobby. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n And on one of the walls is a giant poster board for you to color on with the plethora of markers in containers on both sides of it. There are some already-drawn outlines for you to color in, such as Christmas sweaters, or you can just freestyle, either with a drawing or words.<\/p>\n I, shockingly, drew only a very small Christmas tree, (because I didn\u2019t want to take up a lot of space when the show goes for three more weeks.) Let\u2019s see if you can find it in this picture. (Consider it to be the Where\u2019s Waldo<\/em> of the holiday coloring world. I\u2019ll tell you where it is at the bottom of this review.)<\/p>\n Try to find Karen’s little weenie tree on this colorful board. (Answer at the botttom of the review.) Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Then comes the actual show, which offers a lot of laughs, none moreso than when the trio dances like the Charlie Brown characters, and then performs a hilariously abbreviated version of The Nutcracker<\/em> ballet, choreographed by Cate Caplin, (whose name I\u2019d like better with \u201cK\u201ds, of course. But isn\u2019t that the moniker of Reddington\u2019s clean-up person on The Blacklist<\/em>?)<\/p>\n I was shocked to learn that Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some)<\/em> has been around for sixteen years! I can\u2019t believe it. Neither Mr. X nor I had ever heard of it before. And we both thought that the three men who are performing it at SMP\u2014Dale Sandlin, Garrett Botts, and Philip Rossi–are a comedy troupe who put it together just this season!<\/p>\n I don\u2019t have any pix of the actual\u00a0show, so here\u2019s one of the cast: (L-R) Dale Sandlin, Philip Rossi, and Garrett Botts. Photo by John Dlugolecki.<\/p><\/div>\n Maybe that\u2019s because the action is really tight. It just moves along with no downtime or snafus. And trust me\u2014a lot happens in the two hours! It goes a mile a minute, with tons of surprises. There\u2019s no real story to it\u2014it\u2019s just mostly clever bits from many of the holiday tales we already know, with some amusing factual tidbits about how Christmas is celebrated around the world. And here\u2019s a bit of advice\u2014look good because there\u2019s some audience participation.<\/p>\n Speaking of the audience, the one we<\/em> saw it with enjoyed it all immensely, while we<\/em> were entertained by about two-thirds of it. It gets a tad bogged-down in the middle of the first act, but the end of Act I closes with a bang with those comical dances I just mentioned. And Act II pretty much consists of a very clever mash-up of our two favorite holiday classics, A Christmas Caro<\/em>l, (which we love only<\/em> the Alastair Sim version of, which will be news to everyone concerned with this show!,) and It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em>, which is where our beloved Clarence got his name. So we really appreciated that whole section, and left there with big smiles on our faces.<\/p>\n For this one, I have to give major props to…the props<\/em> person, Joanne McGee, who also painted the set with Orlando de la Paz. It\u2019s gorgeous! It\u2019s the most festive set ever, designed by SMP\u2019s Artistic Director, Christina Lebano, and Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some)<\/em> director Gary B. Lamb, whose program note told me that he and I have the same life-long journey with Christmas. (As a matter of fact, his last two paragraphs could have seriously been written by me<\/em>!)<\/p>\n And special kudos go to Music Director Sean Paxton, who\u2019s on stage the entire time, and not only adds tons to the proceedings with his almost-constant piano playing, but with an occasional comic turn, as well. I adore double-duty peeps!<\/p>\n Music Director Sean Paxton entertaining the crowd pre-show. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n I advise that when you see this show, (which you absolutely should<\/em>,) get there early for the lovely holiday music that Sean entertains the audience with as they get settled.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to copy Mr. X and my entire<\/em> marvelous day in and around Sierra Madre, here\u2019s the rest of our story. When we left the theater, we discovered delicious pizza around the corner, and then we proceeded on to two of our favorite holiday activities, (which we would be too lazy to\u00a0set out to that area to do otherwise, but being in that neck of the woods for the show afforded us these awesome opportunities.)<\/p>\n The first one is seeing all the beautiful holiday displays in the Hastings Ranch area, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Playhouse. They officially start the lights at 6 PM every night, but we were there at 5 PM and it was already fabulous.<\/p>\n Then we drove a few minutes away to the Fair Oaks Pharmacy in Pasadena to share a delicious ice cream sundae, nestled among all their stunningly and uniquely decorated Christmas trees. I always love being there. (And purchasing multiple ornaments, of course.)<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>