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Joseph's Gospel and So Much More

Alan Safier in Joseph's Gospen (left) and Kevin Kennedy in Sataland Diaries (right)
Joseph's Gospen And So Much More

As the holidays become nearer, festive theater fare begins to wind down, but there is still plenty to see.

Unique in this crowded mix of shows is the opening of Alan Safier in the United States premiere of Joseph’s Gospel at 710 Main Theatre. This holiday offering tells the Christmas story from the perspective of Joseph, who the Bible tells us, becomes a father in startlingly unexpected fashion. Safier is a veteran of five decades on stage, television, and in commercials. John Dowie’s comedy Joseph’s Gospel is part of a tradition of reverent yet humorous takes on Bible stories that goes back hundreds of years. Expect, however, to be tickled with contemporary insight into the true story of Christmas.

In addition to his distinguished stage and television career, Safier will be familiar to audiences for his voice, having been featured in hundreds of television and radio voiceovers—perhaps most recognizably as the Kibbles ’n Bits dog. He also premiered Humbug! The Musical, his one-actor version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which he continues to tour every holiday season.

HARVEY

This is the very final moment to catch Harvey, Mary Chase’s timeless comedy about loveable non-conforming Elwood P. Dowd and his imaginary giant rabbit friend, which ends its run on Dec. 19th. Richard Lambert is wonderfully appealing in the leading role of this charming production, and is accompanied by an able cast featuring Tammy Hayes McGovern and Caitlin Coleman, under the capable and direction of Tom Makar.

SANTALAND DIARIES

As an antidote to this most sugar-coated of seasons is David Sedaris’ Santaland Diaries, which has been brought back to Road Less Traveled Theater, this time with Kevin Kennedy as the cynical misanthrope employed for the holidays as an elf by Macy’s Department Store on 34th Street in Manhattan. This is a deft and wickedly comical performance, which comes in at just an hour, allowing plenty of time to head out for a drink afterwards. The show continues through December 19th.

Patchwork Theatre of Niagara, which performs at Niagara Arts and Cultural Center, is offering Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, a tongue in cheek staging of the story told in a ghastly 1964 science fiction comedy. They wrap things up on the 20th.

Also concluding this weekend is the Theatre of Youth production of Little House Christmas, by James DeVita, based on the stories by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Meg Quinn, has directed the production, which continues through Dec 20th.

O’Connell & Company’s Uh Oh! Here Comes Christmas, fifteen holiday stories from the international best-selling author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, also ends on the 20th.

Alleyway Theatre’s faithful and tuneful annual visit to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, adapted and directed by Neal Radice, starring David C. Mitchell, Melissa Leventhal, Stephanie Bax, Roger VanDette, David G. Poole, Jerry Hudson, Joyce Stilson, and Mr. Radice himself, ends on Dec. 20. There may be a few tickets left.

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