Helena Cosentino plays Cindy Lou Who in Padgett Productions’ “WHO’S HOLIDAY” show at Crown Center, Dec. 9-23. (Padgett Productions)
Popular adult “Who’s Holiday” show makes its final fun at Crown Center
Cindy Lou Who is hitching up her trailer and hitting the road.
For her devoted fans, seeing her in the popular “WHO’S HOLIDAY” show this season is a must. It returns to Crown Center for its final run Dec. 9-23. One might say it’s Padgett Productions’ yuletide gift to Kansas City.
“We decided to give everyone one more opportunity to get in on the naughty holiday fun of this audience favorite!” said Nick Padgett, “especially as performances sold out so quick last year.” This year will be the fourth presentation of the show, which also sold out in 2018 and 2019 and won Broadway World’s Regional Award for Best Production of a Play of the Decade in 2020.
“WHO’S HOLIDAY” has been described as “Bad Santa meets Dr. Seuss” — there’s even rhyming! Cindy Lou, last met at two years old in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” has been taking it on the chin since then, growing into adulthood and living out her disappointments in a trailer amidst the snowy hills of Mt. Crumpit. You may be shocked, you may be disheartened, you will surely be entertained.
Helena Cosentino, known to audiences from her one-woman Gilda Radner show and her appearances with Late Night Theatre, will again be embodying Cindy Lou Who. Who else could pull off her fast-paced, lively, uniquely memorable characterization? She packs in quite a bundle in only an hour.
“WHO’S HOLIDAY” is Padgett’s most requested show, and that’s quite a feat, as the production company has also been very successful with “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Clue” and “Sweeney Todd.” Its popularity has surprised even Padgett.
“When I chose it, I did intend for it to be one that I could bring back, perhaps every other year, as our holiday show . . . but I did not anticipate the demand for it, where the audience quite literally demanded it become an annual production. When we were unable to perform during 2020, due to the pandemic, we even received notes from audience members on how much they missed it, as it was part of their ‘holiday tradition’ now. It is a show that is intended for adult audiences. So it has become a date night, friend night out, holiday group party outing, etc. type of show.”
Cindy may be performing out of town in the next few years and Padgett Productions plans to replace her with “Elf the Musical” (planned originally for 2020), and another still unnamed holiday theatrical treat.
But this December, in addition to the Mayor’s Christmas tree and the ice terrace, one can also enjoy ribald adult entertainment at Crown Center.
For more information and tickets, visit www.WhoKansasCity.com.
