Hannukatz the Musical
Book by Terry Abrahamson
Music by Michael Carlson
Directed by Brian LeTraunik
National Pastime Thtr, 4139 N. Broadway (map)
thru Dec 31 | tickets: $15-$25 | more info
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Something different for the holidays
National Pastime Theater presents
Hannukatz the Musical
Review by Danielle Stack
Tis the season for the abundance of Christmas plays! It seems as if every theater company in Chicago puts on a Christmas production and tries to be different from the rest. This results in at least 5 different versions of A Christmas Carol in the Chicago area, as well as several other plays based on beloved Christmas books. This season however, National Pastime Theater dares to be bold, producing the first ever Hanukkah musical.
The show opens with the Skokie-based Moskowitz family singing Jewish songs and listing numerous celebrities that celebrate Judaism. The audience soon finds out that it is Hanukkah eve and that the Moskowitz children Josh (Steve Love) and Emily (Katie Bellantone) despise the holiday because their parents Gil (Evan Barth \) and Syl (Molly Kral) cannot afford to buy them superficial Hanukkah gifts. Upon hearing this, a frustrated feline by the name of Hannukatz (Joshua Razavi) parachutes down to teach the children the true meaning of Hanukkah. The play then pushes through for about forty five minutes with predictable Jewish puns and annoyingly catchy songs as “Everybody Pees in Their Pants” and “Do the Chhh” before coming to the last half hour of the show, which describes the origins of Hanukkah. The play concludes with a dues ex machina as Hannukatz utilizes his magical Judaic powers to provide the Moskowitz family with an abundance of the kosher hybrid animal Chish, which they are able to sell to Jewish families across the nation.
Since Terry Abrahamson’s original musical has such a tremendous tone of whimsy, it is only fitting that all of the production elements carry that same quality. David Denman’s vividly colorful set mainly consists of walls and unit set pieces, which serve the production well. Steven Besic’s light design transports the audience into a rock concert with his use of brightly colored moving lights, his cues fitting appropriately with Michael Carlson’s original songs.
Despite the playful set and light design, almost every other aspect of the show seems a tad sloppy. Jennifer LaTurner’s choreography is fun and very energetic, though for a show that requires the actors to sing clever songs with precise pronunciation, perhaps tons of jumping isn’t the best choice. Steve Love fits perfectly in his role as Josh with his overwhelmingly energetic performance as does the delightful Molly Kral as his mother Syl. Evan Barth and Katherine Bellantone also give good performances, though there are some comic timing issues with their roles. As for Josh Razavi in the title role of Hannukatz, he fit the height requirements though not the vocal requirements. Razavi gives a distracted and sometimes brash performance under the direction of Brian LeTraunik, though his voice is not quite able to keep with the others during the musical numbers
This is National Pastime Theatre’s first annual production of Hannukatz The Musical, and there certainly is no other show like it during this holiday season. Once in a while a show comes along that is so ridiculous and silly that a person just might want to experience it once. Hannukatz is just such a show.
Rating: ★★
Hannukatz the Musical continues through December 31st at the National Pastime Theater, 4139 N. Broadway (map), with performances Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for kids 12 and under, and are available by phone (773-327-7077) or online at brownpapertickets.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at npt2.com. (Running time: 75 minutes with no intermission)
All photos by Gia Photos