It’s the holiday season once again and that means an abundance of Christmas themed shows have once again sprouted throughout the Chicago area. With plenty of quality shows to choose from “The People’s A Christmas Wish” at Quest Theatre should not be overlooked – and it is completely free! Donations towards the theatre company are requested upon entry and while exiting to which no amount is too small or large.
“A Christmas Wish” is a charming story that takes place in a taxidermy shop where all the stuffed animals come alive on Christmas Eve. But this year a new arrival is present as Dasher’s head is mounted on the wall. Each animal tells their story, some of love that has sadly passed them by. Dasher tells his new group of friends about his time with Santa and of his true love Jane Doe and how he ended up on the wall of a taxidermy shop.
The story is uniquely different from traditional Christmas stories and also includes tons of fun puppetry. Each animal in the taxidermy shop is also cleverly represented by a human to enhance its story telling through flashbacks and song and dance numbers. When in human form, characteristics of the animal are still applied such as “Goat’s” goatee or “Beaver’s” beaver teeth, adding a needed reference.
The show is filled with songs accompanied with a live band. Though some songs fall short of being very memorable, there are enough numbers that are humorous and catchy to actually consider “A Christmas Wish” a decent holiday musical. A few standouts include “Not Again”, “The Most Annoying Song”, “Every Magic Cent” and “Feel Good Tonight”. “A Christmas Wish” is also a clean show that parents along with their children can wholeheartedly enjoy.
Though not a homerun, “A Christmas Wish” is still a solid collection of base hits, making it a worthwhile show to take in over the holidays. The show is filled with plenty of moments that will make you laugh, some upbeat music to tap your toes to and puppetry that will make you feel a couple decades younger. The story has a nice flow, fun characters, and is visually amusing, but also has an ending that will have you asking yourself, “Uh…Was that a good thing?”
“The People’s A Christmas Wish” is playing at Quest Theatre through December 22nd. Quest Theatre is located at 1609 W Gregory. For more show information visit www.questensemble.org. Though the shows are free, Quest Theatre also asks that reservations are made online ahead of time to best accommodate everyone.
