Online from Gateway Theatre from December 18, 2020-January 1, 2021
Tickets from $25 at gatewaytheatre.com
Posted December 17, 2020
If you’re already Christmassed out with TV Christmas specials, Gateway Theatre’s Home for the Holidays might provide a refreshing respite. There’s a tiny Christmas tree off to the side when Gregory Pember sings “Where is Love?” from Oliver and there’s some incidental Christmas music between acts, but other than that, this collection of songs from some of Gateway’s best-loved musicals is season-free.
Directed by Barbara Tomasic, the performers sing from their own homes – giving the show a bit of an intimate, Peeping-Tom feel. Did you know that Scotia Browner has both Shakespeare and “Interior Design” on her bookshelf? And David Adams has a lovely wall of theatre posters and framed photos of shows he’s been in or directed?
Loverly Lauren Bowler kicks it off with a walk through green, leaf-strewn woods while singing “Wouldn’t it be Loverly” from My Fair Lady; she finishes off on her living room sofa with a cup of tea and her tabby cat. Many of the performers, like Lalainia Lindbjerg, share personal stories of their relationship with Gateway Theatre. Aged ten, “years and years ago”, Lindbjerg’s first musical theatre gig was at Gateway where she played Anne in Anne of Green Gables; she considers Gateway her “second home”. Later, she sings “Gee, I’m Glad I’m No One Else But Me” from that musical.
While there are no fancy costumes and no sets (with one exception), there is some choreography for Marlowe and Makena Zimmerman who perform a lively rendition of “It’s The Hard Knock Life” from Annie, in front of their family’s glowing fireplace.
Not her living room but an image of the Swiss Alps backgrounds Alison MacDonald as she sings with Ranae Miller, Gregory Pember, Bridget Esler, Barbara Tomasic and Michael Wilkinson a Sound of Music medley. Of course, each of the voices was recorded from different locations due to Covid-19 and then combined. As with Zoom, we see the individual performers in their own little Zoom windows.
During intermission, Oona Iverson, Audience Services Supervisor, shows us how to make Jingle Bell (Scotch on the) Rocks and Holiday Hot Chocolate.
Meghan Gardiner kicks off Act 2 with “My White Knight” and “Goodnight My Someone” (The Music Man) with Scotia Browner.
Act 2 continues with David Adams, Gregory Pember, Tiana Jung, Jason Sakaki, Bridget Esler, Tom Pickett, Chelsea Rose, Oliver Castillo and Timothy Liu and ends with a full ensemble finale singing “Any Dream Will Do” (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat).
Highlight of this low-key but heartfelt show for me was David Adams singing “If I Were A Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof. It’s an unusual concept – taking songs out of the musical theatre context and putting them in performers’ homes – but, despite being in his own home, Adams is, once again, Tevye – gesturing, frowning, chuckling and rewarding us with his warm, chocolatey voice; it feels like a big hug.
Home for the Holidays is intimate and a bit awkward but it’s hard not to relate to each of the performers when they tell us what they are missing during the theatre closure and what they look forward to when the theatres reopen. We miss them, too, and eagerly await the day ‘virtual’ theatre becomes ‘actual’ again.
Note from the press release: “If you miss the buzz and excitement of attending opening nights, be sure to tune in to the Opening Night Watch Party on December 18 at 8 pm to gather virtually and chat with fellow audience and cast members during the show.” Watch Party is a platform available to all Facebook Groups around the world. Once a Watch Party is started, participants can watch videos, live or recorded, and interact with one another in the same moment.
It might be the next best thing to being there.