Walking from the car to the theatre on opening night for Krampus — the holiday show at Workshop West — it was clear that Edmonton had nailed the “white” part of Christmas this year. The soaring trees in Old Strathcona were heavy with snow, it crunched underfoot, and the moon cast a glow across the whole marshmallow world.
But it got better still. On the way back to the car, we were also able to check “Merry and Bright” off our list of expectations for Christmas, thanks to the new musical by Seth Gilfillan and Stephen Allred on stage until Dec. 22 at The Gateway Theatre.
The briskly-paced two-act — a WW partnership with Straight Edge Theatre first seen at the Fringe in 2023 — posits that the relentless pursuit of perfection has a cost when it comes to Christmas. Rhonette (Amanda Neufeld), the mother in our not-so-happy family, may have a sparkling seasonal tiara atop her coiffed head, but frankly, she’s a tyrant. Obsessed with besting her sister Courgette over Christmas Eve dinner, Rhonette drives her children harder than The Polar Express. Forced to scrub and polish their extravagantly decorated home and then sent to bed early without supper, Billy (Damon Pitcher) and Tilly (Victoria Suen) can’t help but wonder what their poor, put-upon dad Douglas (Jacob Holloway) could possibly see in his wife.
“A happy mother is a happy lover,” is Douglas’s explanation.
“Eww, TMI,” squeals Billy, and we get the picture.
But when Courgette can’t make dinner and an unexpected guest named Nanny Verla (Nicole English) arrives to fill the gap, a hint of something dark emerges from behind the façade of glittering green and red. The children’s nanny, who left under mysterious circumstances sometime earlier, has information she threatens to reveal. And wait, what’s that noise on the roof? Is it the prancing and pawing of each little hoof, or something more sinister?
The Christmas horror story is a holiday tradition, and there is no shortage of options for fans of the genre, complete with clever titles such for seasonal favourites such as Santa Jaws and It’s a Wonderful Knife. The macabre figure of Krampus appears with discomforting regularity in many of these tales. Rooted in European folklore, Krampus wears the mask of a horned goat. If St. Nick is there to reward the nice, Krampus caters to the naughty and you’d better watch out. So it goes with Krampus: A New Musical, which has been rounded out nicely since its debut at the Fringe, with more songs and a beefed-up script that gives characters some spritely dialogue and room to breathe.
It’s worth noting that Gilfillan and Allred (who also directs) are not your typical creatives. The two have worked in Fringe and community theatre while pursuing day jobs (respectively) as a pharmacist and a dentist. The ambitious career combination has paid off: the earlier iteration of Krampus was nominated for five Sterling awards, and their musical Conjoined was a thrice-Sterling-nominated hit at the 2022 Fringe.
In Krampus, fans of musical theatre will be delighted to see all the over-the-top trappings of the form including clever repartee, satisfying harmonies and, yes, a little tap dancing. It’s packaged with a ghoulish nod to Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas, not to mention a wacky wink at the slightly off-balance sensibilities of one Dr. Seuss. A whimsical set by C.M. Zuby and eye-catching seasonal plaids and prints crafted by costume designer Trevor Schmidt contribute to the feeling of a holiday confection. Backed by a live three-piece band (members of the Edmonton Pops Orchestra) and with musical direction by Michael Clark, the show is a sensory delight. You can practically taste the fruit-studded, brandy-laced Christmas cake that propels the action in the show’s opening scenes.
The songs are catchy and amusing, with numerous references to the “perfectly perfect all the time” family of four. Hallmark clichés are flipped on their heads (imagine being pierced through by a candy cane). The show’s ironically hilarious message is that if bad things happen to a person (even the unfortunate JonBenét Ramsay), it’s probably because they deserved it. Most of the jokes, outrageous as they may be, are clever, harmless fun, although one (a tone-deaf and ill-timed dig at an Edmonton community college) was a puzzling inclusion.
All of the show’s stars can sing, dance and act convincingly, with Neufeld and Holloway enjoying great comic chemistry as the couple who always puts her first. Krampus A New Musical is pure Christmas fun that celebrates the whole dysfunctional family.
Krampus A New Musical
Book and Music by Seth Gilfillan and Stephen Allred
Directed by Stephen Allred
Featuring: Nicole English, Damon Pitcher, Victoria Suen, Amanda Neufeld and Jacob Holloway
Where: The Gateway Theatre 8426 Gateway Blvd.
When: Until Dec. 22
Tickets: Pay-what-you-will for all performances and available through workshopwest.org or by calling 780-477-5955