Directed by: Joshua Scott Hancock
Choreography by: Mark-Brian Sonna and Jana Edele

*CAST:
Mark-Brian Sonna
Jayne Anderson
Kevin Wickerham
Jon Morehouse
Dylan Peck

And Velvet Kittens:
Jill Lightfoot
Tami Christensen
Kris Walters
Whitney Hennen
Ellaine Patman
Caitlyn Baidas

Reviewed November 28, 8:00 pm show

Reviewed by Lyle Huchton, Associate Theater Critic for
John Garcia's THE COLUMN

_______________________A Bur-less-Q Nutcracker______________________

Tis' the season when area production companies will brush off the dust and fluff
up the tinsel on their tried and true holiday shows. And rightfully so because
shows like A Christmas Carol or The Nutcracker are part of a holiday tradition
that their audiences want to see. Even now, you will be able to catch a showing
of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, once only to be seen at Radio City
Music Hall in New York City. For us DFW audiences we can catch it in Grand
Prairie. But there are those of us who desire something with a little more kick
to pour into our eggnog. Thankfully we have been very good this year and Santa
has answered our request and brought to us MBS Production titled A Bur-less-Q
Nutcracker.

A Bur-less-Q Nutcracker was conceived by Mark-Brian Sonna (who also performs in
the show & serves as the theater`s Artistic Director). This Christmas themed
show is now in it's 3rd season running at The Stone Cottage Theatre. This
intimate space is located at the Addison Conference and Theatre Center in
Addison ,Texas.

The story goes something like this: The Beulaville Baptist Book Club is short on
funds. In order to get back in the black, they have commissioned The Beaumont
Ballet to perform The Nutcracker as a fund raiser. Unfortunately, the cast comes
down with a bad case of food poisoning from eating a pina colada casserole. It
so happens that a burlesque troupe, The Velvet Kittens, had their van broken
down on their way to New Orleans right there in Beulaville. The book club
members smartly persuade the troupe to perform the ballet in their hometown.

The script, written by Sonna, is full of fluff and puns. At times it can be very
funny. What he decided to do this year was to change some of the female members
of the book club to men in drag. In this case, the men were to be the husbands
of the real women of the book club who have also fallen ill because of the bad
casserole. I am not totally convinced that this was such a good idea. I commend
Mr. Sonna for wanting to bring something new and fresh to his audiences. He
already has with the concept of this script.

As in any good Southern Baptist town, there is a civic club of some kind who
makes it their business to tell the less fortunate how to live their lives.
Beulaville is no exception. The membership of this book club has attracted more
nuts than a Christmas fruitcake.

Dressed like a neon gypsy, Jayne Anderson as "Wilma" commands the group. She
stays true to her character through the first part of act one with hardly saying
a word.

Jon Morehouse portrays one of the gender switching roles, "Madge". Morehouse was
so genuine in his performance that I had to keep reminding myself that he was a
man. We all know women like this with a heart of gold but you don't eat their
cooking unless you want to end up in the emergency room.

Having a tougher going at it in the production were Dylan Peck as "Ramona" and
Kevin Wickersham as "Sylvia". Mr. Peck's characterization was so watery he never
found any solid ground to anchor on. Mr. Wickersham was the opposite. His
"Sylvia" was all over the place, leaving his acting so uncontrolled and manic
that it was hard to watch.

Acting as the lone (real) male member of this group was Sonna as the se*ually
ambiguous "Dickey".

But the one thing that keeps this marshmallow afloat is the clever choreography.
Choreographers Mark-Brian Sonna and Jana Edele show where their true talents
lie. The blending of burlesque dance with the traditional Nutcracker ballet
music is borderline genius. Of course this would have been impossible to do
without skilled dancers.

The six members of The Velvet Kittens: Jill Lighfoot, Tami Christensen, Kris
Walters, Whitney Hennen, Ellaine Patman, and Caitlyn Baidas, with the help of
Sonna's" Dickey", handle this challenge with ease.

My only request would be that the dance costumes had a little more Nutcracker
flavor. I was also disappointed not to see the Mother Ginger character
represented here. I would love to see what Mr. Sonna could dream up to do with
that number. I am convinced he would have a show stopper with that character!

MBS Productions have shunned tradition and has delivered a new holiday favorite
all wrapped up and tied up with a fishnet stocking.

Reviewed by Lyle Huchton, Associate Theater Critic for
John Garcia's THE COLUMN

_________________________________________________________________

A Bur-less-Q Nutcracker
MBS Productions

Stone Cottage Theatre @ The Addison Conference and Theatre Center
15650 Addison Road
Addison, Texas 75001

Thru December 27th. ( December 24, 25, and 26th dark)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sundays @ 8:00pm
Tuesday December 22nd and Wednesday December 23rd @ 8:00pm

For Tickets call (214)477-4942 or for more information visit
www.MBSProductions.net