CL's having its office holiday party tonight at an undisclosed location (let's just say I hope they're still serving those beer cocktails). But if I were looking for an alternative, I could think of no better choice than Holiday Party of One at New Stage Theatre in Largo.
When the show premiered last year at Stageworks, CL Theater Critic Mark E. Leib rightly praised its delightful cast (almost intact this year, with Heather Krueger, Alison Burns and Ricky Cona joined by Gabe Saienni) and clever script (written by Burns). I'll chime in to say that it is smart, funny, perceptive, warm, very well-performed — and, unlike other holiday entertainments, won't send you into insulin shock, even when the cast starts a-caroling. (Especially since some of the carols have been, um, re-worked, e.g. "It's the most stressed-out I've been this whole year!") And unlike your office holiday party, this one poses no risk of a hangover.
Holiday Party of One, New Stage Theatre, 11650 131st Street N., Largo, inside Country Day World School, through Dec. 20. Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 3 p.m. $25.88. 813-817-2585, newstagelargo.org.
This article appears in Dec 12-18, 2013.