Who’s Holiday
by Matthew Lombardo
Directed by Gary F. Bell
Stray Dog Theatre
December 4, 2021
Sarah Polizzi
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre
Who’s Holiday is Stray Dog Theatre’s offering for the festive season, and it’s not exactly what one might expect for a “holiday” show, as director Gary F. Bell pointed out in his introduction before the performance. An “adult” parody of Dr Seuss’s well-known “Grinch” story, the show has jokes that sometimes land well, and sometimes don’t, and it does have some clever elements despite a tendency to emphasize the elements of shock. The greatest element of this one-person show, though, is its star, as Sarah Polizzi takes center stage and turns in a vibrant, personable comic performance as Cindy Lou Who.
If you’re familiar with Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you’ll know who Cindy Lou Who is. Here, though, she’s not a little kid anymore. She’s all grown up and she’s had something of a difficult life, as she explains in the show. I won’t go into detail, because the point of much of the comedy is the surprise, but I will say that it’s not “family friendly”, some story elements can be unsettling, and the end result of it can come across as essentially negating the whole point of the Grinch story. Still, there are a lot of references to that and other Seuss stories and characters, as many of them figure into Cindy Lou’s story or have sent their “regrets” in response to her invitations to the holiday party she’s preparing to host at her trailer. That’s essentially the whole set-up–Cindy Lou is hosting a party, and she talks to the audience as she anticipates her guests’ arrival, with various levels of audience interaction as she tells her sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes outright shocking story full of Dr. Seuss references and jokes that vary from the silly to the clever to the crass.
This show is certainly not for everyone, and there’s very little here in terms of subject matter that hasn’t been done in similar shows. It is enthusiastically staged, however, with fun production values and a colorful, whimsical set by Josh Smith, as well as colorful costume design by Megan Bates that includes a fun quick-change moment. The lighting by Tyler Duenow and sound by Justin Been also contribute to the overall bright and festive look and atmosphere.
The best part of this show is its leading performance, with Polizzi in excellent form as Cindy Lou, who tries to stay upbeat and positive for the most part, even as she recounts the hardships she has endured over the years. Polizzi is excellent at maintaining the rhythm of her mostly-rhyming lines, and displays great comic timing as well. She also shines in the occasional sadder moments, as well as displaying an impressive singing voice at times and good “comically bad singing” in another moment. It’s a performance that has to carry the show, because she’s the only cast member, and Polizzi does an excellent job here.
Who’s Holiday had an enthusiastic audience the night I saw it. It’s not your expected “holiday show” in one way, but in other ways it’s exactly what you may expect. While this may or may not be your cup of tea, what it does have is a bright, sparkly holiday performance from its one and only cast member.
Sarah Polizzi
Photo by John Lamb
Stray Dog Theatre
Stray Dog Theatre is presenting Who’s Holiday at the Tower Grove Abbey until December 18, 2021
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