Joyous singing. The warmth of a fire and of a fateful fairytale ending. Comical bits featuring mistletoe, memories, and misunderstood holiday song lyrics.
What else could you ask for on a snowy winter’s eve on the Central Coast . . . Oh, wait . . . make that a gracious and absolutely delightful winter’s eve in Oceano—with plenty of warm fuzzies and no snow in sight (except on the stage) for The Great American Melodrama’s annual Holiday Extravaganza.
A foregone conclusion this holiday season (for reasons that will become clear), your visit to Oceano will include not one, not two, but three different entertainments that each in its own way is a must-see.
Act One is a spirited—and also quite spooky—version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol; Act Two is an absolutely hilarious rendition of a fairytale operetta called Cinderella: The Shoe Must Go On!; and Act Three is a vaudeville revue that will send you out into the night with the hope that a season of good will might actually be in the cards this year.
A Christmas Carol director Michael Brusasco has both enlivened and added a bit of a darker dimension to the Extravaganza’s traditional opening act.
Marley’s ghost (an animated and satisfying just-come-from-the-grave Joshua Kennebrew) and the ghost of Christmas Future (Rollins Mosley, unidentifiable in an unearthly and unnerving costume) are a bit terrifying, while the ghosts of Christmas Past and Present (Carley Herlihy and Anjewel Lenoir, sparkling in both costume and personality) are delightful.
Make no mistake, however: Toby Tropper as Ebenezer Scrooge is the standout of the show. He wears his range of emotions comfortably and sincerely for all to see and enjoy, from his bah-humbug beginning to his joyous reunion with the true meaning of Christmas. (Of course, Tiny Tim Cratchit—played alternately by Luca Baldwin and Petra VanWingerden—steals a little bit of his thunder, but that’s to be expected).
Cinderella: The Shoe Must Go On!, a fairytale operetta written by the Central Coast’s own Brad Carroll, features a zany Annaliese Chambers as a princess-to-be that you may never have imagined—more Carol Burnett than Lesley Ann Warren. She and her castmates, including her Prince (Kennebrew, besting even Chambers in comic outrageousness but certainly not in hitting her high notes), have been corralled by director Rachel Tietz into a tight, enormously entertaining confection.
The Holiday Vaudeville Revue, written by Jordan Richardson with smart direction and even smarter choreography by John Keating, delivers a range of merry songs from a galloping “Jingle Bells” to an unexpectedly humorous version of “White Christmas.”
Inspired by this delectable show’s spirit of sharing, here’s my holiday gift to you: two delicious spoiler alerts. (I’m willing to risk your wrath because everyone who’s ever seen a Melodrama Holiday Extravaganza absolutely expects them, and I don’t want you going into the show, as I did, dreading the disappointment of discovering their absence.)
Yes, the Oceano Waterglass Orchestra is back—with Richardson’s baton spoon at the ready—performing “Sleigh Ride” in a dazzling display of dexterity.
And . . . drum roll, please . . . rightfully receiving one of the evening’s biggest rounds of applause is . . . “The Reindeer Rap.” If you’ve seen it you need no explanation; if you haven’t and you need a single reason to buy yourself a seat to enjoy high holiday comedy, this is it.
A big shout-out to the technical crew (God bless them, every one!) for matching the talent onstage with their always dependable behind-the-scenes expertise. In particular, props by Nathan Miklas and the costume and wig designs by Beth Uber, Barbara Abbott, and Renee VanNiel work handsomely in support of all the shenanigans onstage.
The 2025 Holiday Extravaganza is an absolutely necessary addition to your end-of-year activities. It’s a capstone—and a most worthy conclusion—to The Great American Melodrama’s 50th anniversary season, giving the gift of joy, warmth and laughter to the community.