Since last Friday, the Hippodrome State Theatre has been performing a unique, comedic Christmas story. The show, “The Ultimate Christmas Show (Abridged),” will run until Dec. 18, with shows every day of the week besides Mondays.
Written by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, the show is a family-friendly yet farcical take on a Christmas-themed play. It centers around three male leads who try to put on a holiday variety show.
They book several acts for performances, but all of them cancel at the last minute. This leaves the three men scrambling to put on the variety show they promised, imitating the acts they booked and entertaining their audience with off-the-cuff performances.
“This show is a comedy, first and foremost,” said Stephanie Lynge, the show’s director. “Each of the three actors plays something like 15 roles. If you need a laugh this holiday season, then this is the show for you.”
The cast for the Hippodrome’s performance is composed of three actors, all long-time company members with the theater. Mark Chambers, David Patrick Ford and Matthew Lindsay have been in numerous productions at the Hippodrome and are easily recognizable in the Gainesville theater community.
Darien Moore, a 19-year-old UF health sciences sophomore, saw the show during its opening week.
“These guys were great,” she said. “My little sister loved the show, and so did I. The actors had so much energy.”
The show originally comes from the Reduced Shakespeare Company, a touring American acting troupe with a repertoire of comedic productions on subjects ranging from American history and classic American literature to sports and the Bible. The rights to the show were just released this year, and this will be the first time the Hippodrome hosts it.
“This show is reminiscent of a ‘Saturday Night Live’-type of performance,” Lynge said. “There are a whole bunch of sketches like on SNL, but our show is actually funny.”
The show is intended for all ages and focuses on high-energy physical comedy.
“This is a slightly irreverent love letter to all of the things that make our holidays special,” Lynge said. “There are a couple of swear words and innuendos in the script — but nothing crazy. You can definitely bring your kids to this.”
Tickets for the show can be purchased at the Hippodrome box office or online at thehipp.org. Prices range from $25 to $35 for adults, depending on seats. There are also senior and youth discounts available.
