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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us November 26, 2005 In Review | SantaLand Diaries by Tidings reviewer Jennifer Squires Curtis Jacobsen portrays Curtis the elf in the Oregon Cabaret Theater production of “SantaLand Diaries,” playing through Dec. 31. Christopher Briscoe | Submitted photo Additions to story are fun, if not funny Going in the door, “SantaLand Diaries” at the Oregon Cabaret Theater seemed like it would be a side-splitting, fall-out-of-your-seat laugh-fest. It’s actually a Christmas revue that mixes clever tunes with one of David Sedaris’ most popular works. Sedaris wrote “SantaLand Diaries” as a humorous monologue on his experiences as a holiday helper — Sedaris becomes Crumpet, a department store elf at Macy’s. OTC took what has become a holiday mainstay for many (the Portland Center Stage Theater performs “SantaLand Diaries” most winters, for example) and transformed it into an evening-long show with quirky holiday songs. The tunes intersperse Crumpet’s accounts of his tortuous life in SantaLand to create a performance that fills the audience with the holiday spirit. A portion of the adapted holiday songs came from the 2001 Cabaret production of “Tis the Season” and some new songs were added for the “Diaries” performance. Though entertaining on their own, the songs make for an awkward fit with Sedaris’ wit. Humorous lyrics do get laughs, but they can’t compare to Sedaris’ own words — reminding the audience that the show is not the “SantaLand Diaries” essay, but a holiday show with some Sedaris. “Look At The Lights” goes on and on, telling the story of one boy becoming closer to his father. It just doesn’t flow into Crumpet’s story and, after several minutes, you wonder: What is the point? Does Dad love Junior? Will Mom like the dress they buy her? At the end, they just hold hands to sing about the magic of the holiday and the sparkling lights. They’re right: the lights are worth looking at. In fact, the whole set is a glowing, snow-covered homage to the season. It’s just not funny. Still, the enthusiasm and talent of the ensemble, which includes Aletta Mannix, Tony James, Tamara Marston, Robert Vincent Frank and Darcy Danielson on piano, is undeniable. And, to be fair, the vocalists do create comedy in some musical numbers by the characters they portray, generating hearty laughs: “Mule deer, reindeer, same damn thing. ... What’s wrong with the deer of today?” Marston and Frank sing during “Same Damn Thing.” Mannix, who debuts at Cabaret in “Diaries,” sniffles and sneezes through “All I Got For Christmas” with a box of tissues and a head cold. Martson, an OCT veteran, keeps the audience giggling in the aisles as she sings “Surabaya Santa” and flounces around Santa’s gingerbread-like house. She plays the part of a jilted Mrs. Claus who, tired of spending Christmas alone on the North Pole, wants a divorce. And James earns a laugh when, while questioning Charles Dickens’ sensibility, sings “A man uses turkeys to buy people’s love — that’s not realistic!” during “In Her Eyes.” But it’s the show’s title that draws most to the performance. The story of Crumpet, played by Curtis Jacobson, anchors the show with the story of his elf experience. He outlines the perquisites to enter elfdom, as he has interpreted them (wear panties, end sentences with exclamation points, act like a cartoon character come to life and be merry at all times) and the types of people who choose to join the ranks. Like himself, a 35-year-old out-of-work actor, most are artists. High school and college students looking for a holiday job also step into the green, pointed elf shoes. “I wear green velvet knickers, a forest green velvet smock and a perky little hat decorated with spangles,” Crumpet the Elf says after he his hired to be a full-time elf at Macy’s. “This is my work uniform.” The whole thing just goes like that. It’s hilarious. Oh, and it makes people feel terrible for ever demanding a visit with Santa or being short with a store employee during the holiday season. By the end, you feel the Christmas spirit, the frustration of last-minute shopping and the magic of seeing a child’s eyes light up. Just remember, it is a Christmas show, not a Sedaris showcase. “SantaLand Diaries” continues at the Oregon Cabaret Theater, corner of First and Hargadine streets through Dec. 31. Friday and Saturday evening tickets are $25 to $27, weekday evenings are $21 to $23 and Sunday matinees are $21. Dinner and dessert are also available. Call 488-2902 or go to www.oregoncabaret.com for information. Staff writer Jennifer Squires can be reached at 482-3456 x 3019 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams