REVIEW: An O. Henry Christmas

Tyler D. Collins and Aimee Carlisle play a newlywed couple trying to find the perfect Christmas gift in "The Gift of the Magi" portion of Miner's Alley Playhouse's An O. Henry Christmas.

As the sagging jack-o-lanterns succumb to voracious squirrels, and the last of the leftover trick or treaty candy vanishes -- except around the waistline -- it's time to let Indian Summer and Halloween go, and turn toward autumn and the approaching winter in earnest.

Miner's Alley Playhouse's production of An O. Henry Christmas offers a sweet, charming and Christian-friendly segue into the bleakest season. The musical, which actually plays a lot like light opera, includes "The Last Leaf" and "The Gift of the Magi," with book, music and lyrics by Peter Ekstrom, and directed by Robert Kramer.

Both pieces hearken back to a simpler time, when the struggle to survive and flourish might actually have seemed romantic. Both explore the themes of generosity and sacrificial love as supreme virtues, and both have key moments involving prayer.

"The Last Leaf" is appropriately autumnal in tone, dealing somewhat morbidly with death, redemption and salvation. Two young "starving" artists, sculptor Sue (Kellie Rae Rockey) and painter Johnsey (Jade A. Tiller) share a flat in the artist's colony of Greenwich Village. Sue sketches for an advertising agency to put food on the table, and Johnsey paints only gray skies, never blue.

An eccentric and frequently tipsy older artist from across the hall (Wade Livingston) encourages them to persevere in their vocations, while a physician (Cat Smith) recognizes the delicate and mysterious connection between body and soul. When pneumonia cuts a deadly swath through Bleeker Street, the artists consider what it really means to live and die for art.

Despite a couple of very upbeat numbers, "The Last Leaf" evokes a more somber tone, befitting the season and the subject matter.

"The Gift of the Magi," on the other hand, is a frolicsome, frequently hilarious piece, punctuated by occasionally serious moments. Newlyweds Jim (Tyler D. Collins) and Della (Aimee Carlisle) are desperately poor, but also passionately in love. On Christmas Eve, each considers what they treasure most, and make ironic but endearing sacrifices.

Ekstrom's songs are engaging and enchanting, and frequently hilarious. Only a couple of the performers stand out as classically trained singers, but all are well cast and carry their fair share. Kramer's direction is particularly notable for the many ways he "humanizes" the characters, through actions and reactions.

An O. Henry Christmas isn't a spectacular celebration of Christmas along the lines of Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol, and it's a far cry from a Nativity play, but it's still a quiet, intimate, wonderful way to ease into the holiday season.

For those of us who pay attention to such things, An O. Henry Christmas is actually the ideal ADVENT musical. The show's heart is in the right place, the material is rich with emotional and thematic gems, and the performances are endearing, bringing a warm, cheery light when it's most needed.

Miner's Alley Playhouse's production of An O. Henry Christmas performs through December 21. Call 303-935-3044 or visit www.minersalley.com for information and reservations.