The cast of Maxine’s Christmas Carol (Padgett Productions)
This time of year, tellings of A Christmas Carol are in no short supply. From faithful productions to zany, irreverent takes, Dickens dominates the holiday season. Even in such a crowded field, Maxine’s Christmas Carol manages to stand out, largely due to its unique and well-crafted central character and a stellar performance by Cathy Barnett.
The character of Maxine has been gracing greeting cards since the 1980s. Known for her acerbic one-liner take-downs, her perpetual bah humbug attitude makes her a fitting stand-in for this story’s Scrooge figure.
In Maxine’s Christmas Carol, written by Dan Taylor and directed by Nick Padgett, Maxine spends the day before Christmas doing her favorite thing: denying people service at the DMV. This year, that includes a woman needing to renew her driver’s license so she can drive 500 miles with her newborn baby to surprise her husband, who is on military leave after being deployed to a top-secret location—a story designed for maximum heartstring-tugging. But Maxine couldn’t care less. She turns the woman away and, after singing a song about her disdain for Christmas just to drive the point home, she’s visited by the ghost of her old friend Martha Marley (Amari Lewis), who gives her the classic warning that she will be visited by three Christmas spirits.
Barnett’s portrayal of the Hallmark curmudgeon is an instantly iconic performance. She strikes an impressive balance with her deadpan one-liners, as they do sound like they could have been ripped straight from greeting cards, but her delivery elicits genuine laughs rather than groans. Her commitment to this character is total. As Maxine’s loyal dog, Floyd, Alec Bridges delivers delightful physicality. The rest of the cast is engaging across the board as they cycle through a host of figures from Christmas past, present, and future.
Tracy Icenogle’s songs are fun, but it’s Emmy Hadley’s energetic choreography that elevates the musical numbers to their full spirited potential. The design elements are top-notch as well. Alice Combs and Selby Marksbury’s projection art is purposefully simple, evoking the imagery of Maxine’s greeting cards. Francie Kapono-Kuzila’s costumes are terrific as well, especially in the crafting of Maxine’s distinctly unfashionable, shapeless garb.
Maxine’s Christmas Carol is a true crowd-pleaser. Sure, the jokes are broad and the story is one you’ve seen many times in different iterations, but the laughs are plentiful and the show’s heart is endearing. This is a fun romp to add a little spice to the holiday entertainment landscape.
“Maxine’s Christmas Carol,” from Padgett Productions, runs through December 21 at the City Stage at Union Station, 30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO. For more information, visit padgettproductionskc.com.
