Twin Cities has extremes in holiday theater

November 21, 1:14 PMSouth St. Paul ExaminerRob Shirk

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                      Christmas Decorations

Christmas season in the Twin Cities theater scene is always led off by Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" at the venerable Guthrie Theater. Amy Carter, our Minneapolis Nightlife Examiner, has a nice, informative, piece about it.

The tome, written in 1843, is one of the most popular and enduring Christmas tales, a heartfelt ghost story unmasking the social injustices, poverty, and moral decay in mid-19th century England.

The Guthrie has always paid particular attention to this production and going to "A Christmas Carol" is kind of like having season tickets for the Green Bay Packers, a fierce family affair protected by the traditions of generations even if it is the only play they will see all year, just like all the other years.

I think it goes something like this: Load everyone up in the Caddy or Buick and journey from the far outlands of Wayzata and Orono. Start squeezing the steering wheel a little harder as the Minnapolis traffic starts to thicken.

Then you hope to high heaven somebody remembers that the theater is in a new location and where it might be.

As it gets more frantic you order everyone to shut their pie-holes as you try to concentrate on driving while praying to the Ghost of Christmas Parking that you'll remember where you will be parking your beige Town Car and how you'll ever recognize it among all the other beige Town Cars when you're done.

It's exhasting.

Or you could just get in the old Toyota, venture in to the city from maybe as far away as South St. Paul and go to the Brave New Workshop 2605 Hennepin Ave. So. in Uptown Minneapolis. Be prepared to belly laugh for an hour or two as they expose social injustice, poverty, and the moral decay of America in the 21st century. It sounds familiar. It is not.

Don't worry where you parked your pretty little Prius among all those other pretty little Prius' and relax, knowing that Minneapolis is wholly democratic and will charge parking for everyone, regardless of social status. The results are always the very best in one of the top Christmas comedy productions every year.

Those who have moral bounderies that simply cannot be threatened should probably stay away. They troupe never drops the f-bomb, but you can feel them circling, like Santa with a laser guided missle. They are always edgy. They are always sparkling.

On the one hand, you get Jacob Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge, on the other you get the "shrieking mothers" and "angry fathers" as they zip through "The Twelve Days Of Christmas". It's all a matter of pespective, after all. It depends on what you want your Christmas to be on that particular night, a Robert Capra, Jimmy Stewart kind of Yuletide (cue the Bing Crosby Christmas albulm), or an up to speed, iPod, YouTube, type of season. (Cue the Guns 'N Roses)

We always know it'll be "A Christmas Carol" at The Guthrie. It changes at The Brave New Workshop. This year's insanity is titled  "All I Want For Christmas Is 700 Billion Dollars". The scary thing is that it is their 50th Noel and the generation behind me is making those same "roll your eyes" motions about the Toyota Prius as I do about the beige Lincoln Town Car.

Traditions are traditions, after all.

For an in depth review of The Brave New Workshop Christmas show, you'd probably want to check out Brad Richason, Twin Cities Performance Art Examiner.