Right off, I have to say that this production of A Christmas Carol is by far one of my favorite shows I've been in. It's not only because I'm in a dressing room full of gorgeous young ladies ( mostly blondes...I have to take the hint since Robin directed this show and bought the wig ) , but also the show itself is exciting to perform onstage. It's full of lots of music and dancing. The cast is very talented as well as professional. That said, since it's been such a lovely experience and they're such a lighthearted group of people, I have used them to inspire my column this week. So Strap This On for December:
The Top Ten Ways to Make A Christmas Carol a Late Night Show
10 ) Several of the women have long trains on their dresses. During a dance number the men should step on the trains, and the dresses should tear away and reveal the women in thigh high red boots and lacy corsets.
9 ) In the musical chairs scene, every time two chairs are taken away, those two who "lose" get to go have a make-out session. So everybody wins in the end.
8 ) The party scene with Fred and Constance turns out to be a key party circa 1970. Instead of a "key" exchange, the partiers exchange the "reigns" on the horse drawn carriages.
7 ) During the game segment in the party scene, the "Yes and No" game is actually a test of who hasn't slept with Scrooge in the room.
6 ) The Ghost of Christmas Present comes out with Ignorance and Want who are two very buxom girls dressed in skin tight Santa suits.
5 ) During our waltz number, and since it's my version, we ditch the guys and the women get to dance together.
4 ) Christmas Future is actually the resurrected Divine. I can see a beautifully sequined black dress with long silk gloves pointing Scrooge in the direction of his grave if he doesn't repent.
3 ) Mrs.Fezziwig truly does what she wants and ignores the male guests after she''s had too much to drink and takes one of the girls in the back.
2 ) When Christmas Past awakens Scrooge, he falls out of bed with two buff twenty-something studs in tow.
1 ) When the Charity women ( two very tall, attractive, and bright young blondes ) come into the Counting House to ask Scrooge for a donation, he says no. Then the lights start flashing, a mud pit comes up out of the stage, the Charity women rip off their dresses revealing festive string bikinis and have a mud-wrestling smack down moment with Scrooge.
Lisa Rock can be reached at StrapThisOn@aol.com . I will be in A Christmas Carol at Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights from November 26-December 26. Go to www.metropolisarts.com for show times and tickets.