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No partridge or leaping lords in ‘Good Company for Christmas,’ but tacos hit the spot

Good Company Players

The cast of ‘Good Company for Christmas,’ which runs through Dec. 23.

In the charming and festive “Good Company for Christmas,” which has been pumping out Yuletide cheer to theatergoers at the 2nd Space Theatre since the decidedly un-Christmas-like date of early November, the cast sings a local version of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” It’s very amusing, especially when Steve Souza actually eats his two Cuca’s tacos before our eyes. (He and we can only be thankful that Cuca’s wasn’t chosen for the 12th day of Christmas; that would have made the nightly exercise more like a musicalized “Seven Deadly Sins.”)

I want to ask director Dan Pessano for the complete lyrics to the GCP “12 Days” version so I can post them after the Christmas show closes on Dec. 23, just as a way to spread some local holiday cheer. (I don’t want to spoil the surprise for those who haven’t yet seen the production and are lucky enough to have tickets.) The song is one of my favorite bits in a show bursting with cleverness and goodwill. Any production that includes Gordon Moore as a leprechaun with a chemical imbalance is a hit in my book. And I would trek all the way to the North Pole, much less to the Tower District, to see Mary Piona as an enormous-handed Frosty the Snowman angling for her own Netflix comedy special.


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The show, which includes original material by Pessano, Ken Parks, Henry Montelongo and GCP staff and company members, is more than just a wry commentary on the often overwhelming overkill of the holidays, however. Something genuine and tender is on display here, from the way the grown-ups and kids interact with each other to the individual cast members’ memories of Christmases past. And, frankly, the cast is so large that I don’t want to start singling any their performances out by name because each, in his or her own way, is wonderful.

Because of that, I decided not to write a traditional review of the show. But I woke up this morning thinking of the thousands of people who have experienced its warmth and humor over the past few weeks, and I decided it was practically Scrooge-like not to weigh in. As the show continues its merry way toward the end of what I’m sure is a hugely successful run, I give you this: I know the 12 days of Christmas are supposed to start on Dec. 25. But I figure that if you mark the 12 days before Christmas, today is Day 2. So I raise two Cuca’s tacos — one in each fist — to honor the cast, crew and creative team of “Good Company for Christmas.” Who needs an Amazon shopping cart when you can receive a gift like this?


Show info

‘Good Company for Christmas,’ a Good Company Players production at 2nd Space Theatre. Continues through Dec. 23. Tickets are $20 general, $18 students and seniors.

Covering the arts online in the central San Joaquin Valley and beyond. Lover of theater, classical music, visual arts, the literary arts and all creative endeavors. Former Fresno Bee arts critic and columnist. Graduate of Columbia University and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Excited to be exploring the new world of arts journalism.

donaldfresnoarts@gmail.com

Comments (2)

  • Doreen Confino

    Well, thanks to your non review review, we are going to get tickets!

    reply
  • Doreen Confino

    We went and it was D.Lightful!! Even got to do a little sing-a-long. Thanks!!

    reply

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