By Chuck Graham, TucsonStage.com
Rolinda (Tarreyn Van Slyke) loves Hot Rod Lincoln (Jake Chapman) no matter what.
You can say anything you want about the disappearance of Thanksgiving (America’s uniquely American holiday) in all the malls. But in Tucson for the past 35 years it is not Thanksgiving but the opening of Gaslight Theatre’s Christmas show that marks the beginning of the holiday season.
In years past, the Gaslight gang actually did get a little jump on the mall stores. Of course, life was more innocent back then.
Back to that innocent life is exactly where we are going in “A Smalltown Christmas,” set in the 1950s with local Smalltown hero Hot Rod Lincoln just getting back into town after serving in the army.
Way back then they even had record shops, where you went to buy recordings of your favorite music, which you could play at home in your own bedroom – or sometimes even down in the family’s rumpus room.
Pop’s Record Shop is feeling the pressure of disappearing foot traffic in downtown Smalltown. Pop is so far behind in his mortgage payments the bank is about to foreclose.
Mayor Dishwater, the richest man in town, wants to buy up everybody’s property and sell it to the people who plan to put a freeway right through the heart of Smalltown.
But there is some good news, Hot Rod is in love with Pop’s daughter and has saved all his money from the army to buy a wedding ring so they can get married.
Can you see where this is going? At the Gaslight, the most important part is always the journey. Along the way this season you get to rock around the Christmas tree, enjoy a holiday twist (the dancing kind), remember Elvis-flavored songs, crinoline skirts and a black leather jacket -- you know who gets to wear that one.
Many of the roles are triple cast, and two of the characters even flip back and forth in gender. The radio and TV personality hosting Smalltown’s dance contest is sometimes Buddy Baker, sometimes Bunny Baker.
The mean, mean, super-mean mayor is sometimes a man, sometimes a woman. At the Gaslight, equality rules for sure.
For the fabled after-show olio, we’re off to the beach on a “Surfin’ Safari” led by Todd Thompson using his amazing falsetto voice to sing a Beach Boys-like “Little St. Nick” with some remarkable similarities to “Little Deuce Coupe.”
The spirit of those upbeat California lads goes cruisin’ right on through the “Fun, Fun, Fun” to that big wave conclusion with…of course… “Surfin’ Santa”!
As for my favorite part, those inimitable Gaslight one-liners: It’s so cold at the North Pole (How cold is it?) that Starbucks sells its coffee on a stick.
Do you know what Santa said to the grape? ’Tis the Season to be Jelly…
Q: What are cows called at the North Pole?
A: Eskimoooos
“ASmalltown Christmas” runs through Jan. 5, 2014, sometimes playing four times a day. Tickets are always $18.50 general admission; $16.50 seniors, students and military; $8.50 children 12 and under. Reservations are a must, 520-886-9428,www.thegaslighttheatre.com
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