All I Want For Christmas is You…to Elf Off, Brave New Workshop Gives the Gift of Laughter

Brave New Workshop’s 65th Christmas show begins by poking fun of itself for doing 65 different Christmas shows. The cast apologizes saying they have nothing new to present after 65 holiday shows they can’t think of a single original thing to do. Here’s the thing about the team at Brave New Workshop… they lie!!! The show is wonderfully irreverent and hilariously funny, poking fun at everything from Hallmark Channel Christmas Movies and Santa Clause to Only fan and classic Christmas songs. You don’t want me to spoil the fun by telling you my favorite bits and pieces of the show or spoiling punchlines. Just know that if you’re like me, what you’re looking for at this time of year is some fun, some laughs, some warm feelings, and good will toward your fellow man. Well, All I Want For Christmas is You…to Elf Off will provide you with the fun and laughter, but warm feelings and all that, well, they are too busy and biting to mess with all that. This is the kind of show where seeing Mommy kissing Santa Claus is maybe something you’ll want to keep to yourself.

The show is directed and hosted by Caleb McEwen with Musical Direction by Jon Pumper, who shocks everyone by speaking a few lines rather than contenting himself on the keyboard. Pumper and his music add a lot to the show which features several songs performed by the cast but he also adds some nice mood music to some of the sketches. If you’re not familiar with Brave New Workshop, it’s the longest running comedy theater in the United States. They create sketch comedy and improv shows, their holiday show tradition is filled with sketches and songs. It concludes with their own original take on “The 12 Days of Christmas” one of the days features the highlight of the show, which I will not spoil but comes from Comedy Queen Lauren Anderson who has starred in more consecutive shows than any other performer in Brave New Workshop history. Speaking of Comedy Queens, Denzel Belin and Doug Neithercott the other longtime BNW players are as always amazing. Neithercott is great in multiple sketches as Santa and Belin killed me with his variation on the new Step Dad in the “12 Days…” song. The relative newcomers are Isabella DunSieth who scores laughs as the young kid in a couple of sketches which I’m dying to spoil…but wont, and Erin Kennedy who gets two killer days in the “12 Days…” song and takes part in one of the raunchier sketches as Mrs. Claus. The whole cast is fantastic, the script is fresh and funny cleverly utilizing call backs to earlier sketches make jokes that hit land better with each subsequent variation.

This is the perfect show for that holiday get together with friends or now that the kids are too old for The Grinch… and sick of A Christmas Carol, make this the family holiday outing! The show runs through January 27th for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://bravenewworkshop.org/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-youto-elf-off/

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