If you’ve always wondered what happed to little Cindy Lou Who after the Grinch stole Christmas, this is the show for you. But be warned: this isn’t the sugary sweet Who of the book; she’s all grown up now, and she’s a Xanax-popping, bong-huffing, slut-dropping ex-convict.
In ‘Who’s Holiday!’, US playwright Matthew Lombardo gives the story of the Grinch a full drag glow-up. It’s a one-woman show, starring ‘Drag Race’ veteran Miz Cracker and directed by Kirk Jameson. As with ‘Wicked’, it’s a chance for the audience to hear the other side of a story about a famous green villain.
As with all great drag, the devil is in the details. On stage, we’re greeted by a fabulous bubblegum-pink and baby-blue caravan, surrounded by pine trees, snow and glimmering trash cans. Under the Christmas tree, instead of presents, is a bulging mound of bin bags. Cindie Lou Who totters out in flawless make-up and a sky-high blonde bouffant. Her clawlike nails are immaculate and she dons an ultra-feminine red gingham 1950s frock and dainty diamante shoes. She looks the perfect lady. Then she opens her mouth.
Even though the plot is a bit of a bummer – Cindy Lou gets knocked up, loses her kids and ends up in prison – Lombardo captures the whimsy of the source material by writing the whole show in Seussian verse (although the rhymes sometimes feel a little forced). Lombardo does a good job of peppering the production with satisfying moments of breaking the fourth wall. Cindy frequently talks to the audience and even invites one pour soul on stage to down a Martini with her. There are also smart asides: when the rhyme uses a word that sounds a bit made up, Cindy snaps into Susie Dent mode, comedically offering the definition for us.
There are some slumps, like when Cindy throws on a pair of hipster sunglasses and performs a trap rap about her parents not wanting a ‘green son-in-law’ that goes on too long. But overall, Cracker is outstanding, with impeccable timing, delivering outrageous asides that are the funniest lines of the show. During the hour-long performance she keeps the pace well, and her physical comedy is fantastic, with sassy hand-on-hip moments and camply melodramatic swoons as she recounts her tale of woe.
There isn’t really an overarching message to this play, and if there is supposed to be one, it’s lost among all the vodka glugging and sexual innuendos. There was one nice moment where I thought the moral of the story was going to be about having the freedom to love who you choose, but it was derailed as the plot went on. Overall, though, it doesn’t really matter. ‘Who’s Holiday!’ is crass, camp and silly, and it knows it. Despite the debauchery, it ends on a hopeful note. I left feeling fuzzy, warm and festive, and I had a lot of fun. This show is an absolute hoot, but it might just ruin the Grinch for you for ever.