By James V. Ruocco
Those hungry for infectious vitality, fruity vigor and plummy eccentricity should look no further than "Glitz!! The Little Miss Christmas Pageant Musical," a high-spirited entertainment that delivers its yuletide grab bag of holiday cheer with hard-to-resist anticipation, wallop and potency.
Plucky.
Perky.
Personal.
Flavorful.
Frivolous.
"Glitz!" is one of those musicals whose open-heartedness is the real deal.
Its full-throttled comedy, compassion and chutzpah lifts the spirits most agreeably. Its characters and stories bring with it an unaffected dazzle and charm. Its songs and ensemble numbers give rise to a harmonious and powerful voice.
As written by Bert Bernardi, "Glitz!" comes gift wrapped with dashes of inspiration culled from "A Christmas Carol," "Annie," "Nunsense," "Ruthless!" "A Chorus Line," "Gypsy" and oh, yes, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo." No copycating, however, just inside jokes, digs and conceits from these assorted entertainments that Bernardi utilizes to full advantage with parody-evident relish.
Here, the accent is on mothers, kids and child beauty pageants where tears, tantrums and hissy fits are commonplace along with egos, enormous pressure and competitive ruthlessness. But, "Glitz!" is not mean-spirited. It's the real deal, from head to toe, but it's all in jest. Points are made. Points are taken. Points are lost. But laughter, lots and lots of it, is the bill of fare here. With Bernardi calling the shots, things are such fun, you almost wish you could hit a "Replay!" button and watch certain scenes over and over again.
Staging "Glitz! The Little Miss Christmas Pageant Musical," Bernardi brings fresh vigor and excitement to this oft-told tale of stage mothers and their limelight craving spawn. All that drive, all that pulse and all that radioactive showbiz twistedness is acerbically channeled by Bernardi who lets his production breathe, scorch and fly with overwhelming vitality, bite and truism.
The exactness Bernardi gives "Glitz!" is remarkable. His staging is fast and fluid, and well it should be, but he never lets it just bask in its own slippery wit or brashness. He invites us to laugh, yes. He invites us to cheer, yes. He invites us to choose sides, yes. He invites us to play Christmas pageant judge, yes. But underneath, his musical entertainment is harnessed in a believable, colorful reality that aptly conveys the mother-daughter conceit and all its repercussions with unmistakable believability.
The musical score for "Glitz!" has been written by Bert Bernardi (lyrics) and Justin Rugg (music). It contains 15 musical numbers. They are: "The Gift of Giving," "Little Miss Christmas Miss," "Glitz!" "I Got an Umbrella," "Barbie's Song (I Want to Be)," "The Pageant Life," "Atlantic City," "Umbrella Reprise," "Better" "The Egg Nog Polka," "Jingle Bell Jangle," "Mary Kay," "Simple Christmas Song," "Reasonably Pretty" and "Simple Christmas Song (Finale)."
The songs themselves have fine touches of humor, sentiment, pathos, camp, slapstick and music hall variety show. Every one of them fits seamlessly into the show's two act scenario, thus, taking us on a full-filled musical journey that delivers most engagingly. As musical director, Justin Rugg guides his cast from one musical number to the next with inventive brio and barbed wit. It is show musical-catchy work, performed by the "Glitz!" cast with collective enthusiasm, responsibility and relevance.
The talented, resourceful ensemble cast for "Glitz!" are in top form. They are Shelley Marsh Poggio, Dale Allen, Mary Mannix, Maria Berte, Rachelle Ianniello, Jimmy Johansmeyer, Justin Rugg, Ainsley Novin, Sierra Di Martino, Brianna Jackson, Adeline Horne, Connor Rizzo, George Spelvin (nom de plume for a very important someone at Pantochino Productions), Annabel Wardman, Valerie Solli, Peighton Nash, Hazel Foley, Mikaela Franklin, Keira Degnan, Claire DeRosa and Adrienne Crowley. All of them are outstanding individually or working opposite one another as one big ensemble.
The gusto, the rawness, the giddiness, the drama, the shtick, the musicality, the double takes, the comedy and the enveloping energy of this group is absolutely amazing at every, twist, turn, wink, posture, grimace, costume change and gesture. Their intuitive level of trust, dedication, talent, performance and characterization is both amazing and remarkable.
Charming, lighthearted and deliciously wicked, "Glitz! The Little Miss Christmas Pageant Musical" is chock full of showstopping moments, songs and performances. It sizzles and snaps. It is clever and bright. It explodes in every color of the rainbow. It is a joyous occasion for all.
"Glitz! The Little Miss Christmas Pageant Musical" is being staged at Pantochino Productions (Milford Arts Council, 40 Railroad Ave., Milford, CT), now through December 23.
For tickets or more information call (203) 937-6206.
website: pantochino.com
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