‘Star of Wonder: A Carol Ann Christmas’ @ Uptown Players
Show photos courtesy of Mike Morgan Photography
—Martha Heimberg
For a good time, some upbeat Christmas songs, and plenty of rollicking holiday laughs—call Carol Ann Knipple!
She’s the bossy platinum blonde star (played with determined exuberance by Micah Green) of Uptown Players’ Star of Wonder: A Carol Ann Christmas by Mark Waldrop and Jeff Lodin, in its world premiere production at the Kalita Humphreys Theater. The musical, directed with romantic charm and plenty of bawdy gags by director B.J. Cleveland, opens the 24th season of the popular and critically acclaimed company, dedicated to celebrating the joy and strength of the queer community.
Carol Ann, she’ll have you know, is the artistic director of the Melody Barn Theater in Fargo, North Dakota, which just burned down on the eve of its fourth production of Mame, starring Carol Ann herself.
She’s arrived at Uptown Players, totally unaware of its gay history, ready to whip the first-rate company into shape and bring some “Broadway pizazz” to an all-out revue of traditional Christmas stories and songs. Naturally, she’ll be the emcee and star. Outfitted like a red and green gift tied with a bow, Carol Ann radiates Christmas spirit. All the sumptuous, richly detailed costumes, designed by Suzi Cranford, add to the party atmosphere of the evening.
The playful premise allows self-assured and domineering Carol Ann to tangle with Uptown’s favorite performers, all for laughs and some wonderful singing and dancing. Jada, played by statuesque L.Walter, has the best legs — man or woman — on any stage. Never mind Jada is a crowd favorite: Carol Ann pushes this magnificent creature right back through the red velvet curtain on the glittering, festive set designed by Dennis Canwright.
Jada has plenty of chutzpah of her own, though, and the warring stars get huge cheers for their hip-swinging duet, “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas.” Carol Ann is quick to point out that some of the songs in the show are little known gems written by famous Broadway writers. True!
The terrific eight-member ensemble energizes choreographer Alli Betsill’s dance numbers, and everybody can act and sing — in classic barbershop harmony, or solo in a wonderful range of styles evident in twenty songs over two acts. Accompanied by musical director Adam C. Wright and his four-member band, company stalwarts Peter DiCesare, Ryan Michael Friedman, Jacob Hemsath, Laura Lites, Seth Paden, Kylie Stewart and Brett Warner all got huge applause and cheers from the appreciative audience I was with on Saturday night.
Uptown’s audiences roared with laughter at the cast’s “Bethle-Hams Medley,” a deliberately silly version of the nativity story, told to rewritten Broadway songs. Carol Ann comes out in her simple Mary smock, pregnant as a basketball can make her. Joseph sings “Virgin Mary is the Girl I Love!” Jada appears as an angel with heavenly legs, and the whole company sings “Hello Jesus! Well, hello Jesus!” All the spoofing songs had a joy and reverence to them, as the baby is surrounded by wise men and shepherds, who — by the way — use their handy shepherd staffs in a tap dance routine!
There’s a simple sweetness in one male duet of “Winter Wonderland,” a love song about lovers dreaming of marriage, and how they will “face unafraid the plans that we’ve made.” We hear the familiar lyrics, and realize that gay men and women do not always feel that comfort.
Before the night is done, Jada and company have expanded Carol Ann’s narrow view of love and what it takes to be truly part of a company of performers, where everybody brings their own special talent. “Share the Gift You’ve Got,” she’s told, and the company invites a happy audience to get up and get down with them in “The Christmas Dance.” We did. And we all left the theater dancing in the aisles.
WHEN: December 5-14, 2025
WHERE: Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas
WEB: uptownplayers.org
