LAMB'S Players Brings Back R.E.S.P.E.C.T.F.U.L.L.Y CHRISTMAS for the Holidays in a Refreshed Version

A Lovely Concert with Great Music and Cheer 

A Blog View by Alejandra Enciso-Dardashti

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.F.U.L.L.Y CHRISTMAS. Photo by Ken Jacques

Kerry Meads and Vanda Eggington have refreshed R.E.S.P.E.C.T.F.U.L.L.Y CHRISTMAS, the 2023 sold-out holiday concert with great rhythm and cheerful tunes.

A cast of 14 performers goes full throttle and live during the 90-minute, no intermission concert delivering songs like Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby and Mary Did You Know? by Michael English amongst other beloved classics. Familiar faces from different casts that have graced LAMB's productions in the past year are among these 14 performers like Angela Chatelain Avila, Caitie Grady, Sydney Joyner, and Joy Yandell-Hall from 2023's R-E-S-P-E-C-T displaying once more, wonderful harmonies and great stage chemistry in Mike Buckley's stage design made up by string curtains that served as a screen for Lacio Pontes's projections that illustrated the songs with videos and pictures of the cast as kids, their mothers, and other materials. Grady was also in this year's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee alongside Bryan Barbarin and Ben van Diepen. It is great to see these artists' different performative abilities through the various shows they've been part of. Barbarin was charming and sweet and van Diepen showed amazing piano playing chops, especially in Ukranian Bell Carol where he played with Ben Read who also showed an impressive, strong, melodic voice. 

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.F.U.L.L.Y CHRISTMAS. Photo by Ken Jacques

Black Séance star and Craig Noel Award winner, Nathan Nonhof is also part of the 14, showing wonderful poise and steps through Christine Wisner Hall's choreography that was nicely paced and merry. A creative and smart aspect of this production is that Meads and Eggington incorporated musicians Ben Read, David Rumley, Garry Hall, and Steve Gouveia into the performance with dialogues and choreography. Rumley was great in drums while also displaying charm and histrionic wit. Garry Hall and Steve Gouveia are absolute beasts on the strings and had the performance pop with impressive riffs. Katherine Chatman, Natasha Reese, and Tori Warner were lovely rocking beautiful voices as well as Jemima Dutra's costume design consisting of green and red velour gowns, long dresses, and of course, ugly Christmas sweaters, Nathan Peirson's lighting design prompted each musical number that reached all corners of the Coronado space thanks to Patrick Duffy's sound design.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.F.U.L.L.Y CHRISTMAS is a good way to celebrate the season with loved ones as it is a smooth, flowy concert with informative interventions, popular songs, and the opportunity to learn about new tunes and how they came to be.

Currently playing until December 29, for more information on performance times and ticket prices, please CLICK HERE.