the hum / By Bob Doran

Happy Merry

Xmas shows, plus the usual rock, jazz, punk etc.

(Dec. 13, 2007)  There are 12 shopping days until Xmas, but don’t start counting those partridges yet, not unless you’re part of the Christmas bird count. The “Twelve Days of Christmas” you hear about in song start on Christmas Day and run until Epiphany (the day the wise guys came to call).

What with the proximity to the big day, the entertainment is rolling into full holidaze mode, with diminishing club action amid dancing mice and visions of sugarplums. (What other time of year do people attend ballet performances?)

GALLERY >

Up at the Van Duzer Friday, they have *Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas,*with Xmas stories and all sorts of Irishness — pennywhistles, stepdancing, you get the picture. Unfortunately, Riverdance has permanently spoiled Irish dancing for me, and I can’t hear a pennywhistle without thinking of those horrid Irish Spring soap commercials.

I’m thinking A Very Playhouse Christmasmay be more my speed. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s a holiday-themed music/comedy review going into its second (and final) weekend at the Arcata Playhouse. The director is David Ferney, who runs the Playhouse wtih his wife, Jackie Dandeneau, who is one of three stars of the show. David explains that it’s a direct result of Jackie’s feelings for the holiday season.

“Jackie loves everything about Christmas,” David told me, admitting that he just kind of likes it. “And she’s always wanted to do a Christmasy show.”

In the show, Jackie is Mrs. O.R. Ganize, an obsessive/compulsive type who organizes a Christmas show with help from her aerobics instructor Babbette LeJoie (Elizabeth Masters), an ‘80s New Jersey type who David describes as “over-the-top bubbly.” Dell’Arte vet Tyler Olsen plays Mr. S.K. Rooge IX, who, as you might guess, is the Scrooge-ish anti-Xmas foil, in this case one who’s intent on a politically correct holiday. The interactions of the trio provide a framework for slapstick, silliness and songs, with the always-amazing Tim Randles at the keyboard providing soundtrack and backing. They’ve also worked in a collection of guests including Tara Caraiso, Sarah Cory, Lewis Armin-Hoiland, theBlue Lake Children’s Choir and the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir. (The AIGC will be at the Playhouse Friday night; they’re also singing on the Arcata Plaza earlier for Arts! Arcata. And they have their own holiday show in at the Presbyterian Church in Eureka Saturday evening.) The always enchanting Lila Nelson is in the Playhouse show Saturday. Just confirmed for the Sunday matinee, “the lovely and talented Beti Trauth” (David’s words), who saw the review last weekend and was recruited on the spot. Come early or stay late for eggnog, hot cider and cookies.

The lovely, talented and tattooed alt. chanteuse Universalia Jane writes: “Jane here to let ya know that we (Universalia Jane and the Jet Set) are playing the Logger Bar with Tanuki (Tanuki is playing last) on the 15th of December. It will start directly after the Dell’Arte holiday show, The Hunting of the Snark, which probably, means around 9:30-ish.” I’ve heard good things about Dell’Arte’s musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s strange nonsense poem and about Deric’s new band Tanuki. And Jane is just plain great. The combination should make for a fine Saturday night.

More seasonality: The theatrical folks fromShake The Bard are taping Static and Starlight: A Holiday Radio Show by Tim McDermond at the Accident Gallery Friday and Saturday. If you miss it or want to relive the experience, tune to KGOE (1480 AM) or KKDS (97.7 FM) on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 4 p.m.

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