"Pee-Wee’s Playhouse on Christmas steroids"

On Friday, December 10th, CSz Philadelphia presents CHRISTMASTOWN, PA, a new holiday musical for the whole family. The show was created by Joe Gribbin (Books, Music, and Lyrics) and Joe Sabatino (Story and Puppet Master).

Executive Director Don Montrey sat with the two creators and the show’s director, Alan Williams, to talk about the new production.

Don Montrey (DM): This is such a fun concept, where did the idea of Christmastown come from? 

Joe Sabatino (JS): I love when humans treat puppets like real living beings. I admire Michael Caine from Muppet Christmas Carol and Tim Curry from Muppet Treasure Island…so I wanted something that lives in that world. 

David Dritsas and “Rubles”

We mounted a very primitive form of this show years ago; then some time passed and Joe Gribbin reached out to me and said “Hey, remember that hour long Christmas show we threw together? Well I wrote it into a full two-act musical with original music.” 

Joe Gribbin (JG): I tried to write a show that my kids, my parents, and Sabatino would all find funny for the same reasons. That is a tough needle to thread.

JS: Thank you, I think.

JG: That helped keep the show on course ever since we started working on it. And it's still in the front of my mind as we're remounting it now.  

DM: Is there any improv in this show?

Alan Williams (AW): Only if an actor forgets their lines.

JG: Or a puppet.

JS: Puppets never forget.

DM: Speaking of the puppets, you build them all, right Joe?

JS: Yes.

DM: Tell us about the process.

JG: Yes, tell us Joe.

JS: Every puppet here has been built specifically for this project. A few have gone through aesthetic enhancements throughout the years, some upgrades, nips, tucks, new eyeballs… but these are all Christmastown citizens. However, Jackelope is one that has changed every production. I’ve always had new ideas on how it should look or function, so that will be interesting this year. I went with a completely different approach and I’m excited to see how it comes to life for the audience. 

DM: How hard is it to bring together humans and puppets who are singing and acting? 

AW: Humans can quickly and easily convey a wide variety of emotions with facial expressions and movement. Our puppets are mostly static; facial expressions are fixed. But that’s what make it fun. Our puppeteers must focus much more on vocal inflection and tone, as well as exploration of the limited movement the puppets can do. Joe (Sabatino) has done a remarkable job of creating a fun and diverse group of puppets with various movement capabilities.

DM: This is one of the few shows where we actually have a set. Usually we incorporate some period furniture pieces and lighting to set the scene, but you are building a whole new set.

JS: The set design was a fun thing to think about. We wanted it to be Pee-Wee’s Playhouse on Christmas steroids. Anything that could move, have a face, or be injected with Christmas cheer… we tried to make it happen.

AW: The show is a fun romp through a magical Christmas world. Wherever possible, we've tried to use technical aspects of the show--especially sound and light--to enhance the magic.

(L. to R.) Dave Sucharski, Rob Cutler, Claire Seelig, and Donovan McDonald rehearse ON The (in Progress AND NOT YET PEE-WEE-IZED) SET.

JS: Dave Jadico (CSz Technical Director) has been with us since the beginning, and his ideas have been invaluable. We are flooded with fun ideas on how to make everything come to life.

DM: Gribbin, you wrote the book and music and lyrics. What was your inspiration for the music and songs?

JG: I tried to let the show dictate the musical style from song to song.  Overall I was hoping for a fun, earnest, traditional Christmas vibe, so I leaned on a 1930s/1940s-Broadway musical style pretty heavily to establish that tone, which happens to be my wheelhouse anyway. Then you have our two main characters, Junior and Hayley, who are more current, so their songs feel a bit more modern.  

DM: What do you want people to feel after watching "Christmastown, PA"? 

AW: While this show is called "Christmastown, PA," it's really about the importance of any holiday or special gatherings that brings families together. 

JS: This show is something not many places have: it’s a “family show” in every sense of the phrase. There is something for every member of a family to enjoy: singing, dancing, laughter, dinosaurs… Along with all of that, the central theme is loving others and being loved in return. Our hope is that people will walk away knowing that, despite our quirks, we are loved.

JG: I just hope I can make my kids and Sabatino laugh.

CHRISTMASTOWN, PA runs December 10-19.