Taking in a holiday show is such a great way to spend a chilly winter evening. Even better when you could keep coming back night after night as no two shows could possibly be the same! Bad Dog Theatre is presenting their hit show Holiday! An Improvised Musical in association with Factory Theatre this holiday season. Created and directed by Jan Caruana, Holiday! An Improvised Musical makes for a perfect festive night out!

I’ve been trying to figure out how to properly talk about this production, because everything about it is totally unique each time the lights come up. The only consistent elements are these: they’ve got a cute opening/closing number that’s been scripted, there are songs based on Sondheim’s classic Company, and it’s going to be holiday themed. Other than that, everything from the characters to the plot, the lyrics to the cast itself is changeable depending on the night. It’s a brilliant idea; you truly get to see these wildly talented individuals work their improvisational magic and the production gets to be as zany as they want on any given night. They take one singular suggestion from the audience off the top of the show, and after that it’s all being made up on the spot.

What was the most interesting aspect to me was that there were so many moments where it didn’t feel like it was being made up; these artists are able to fully create these characters and scenarios to the point where the story flowed and felt natural. There were a few times where you could see their wheels turning or someone said something unexpected, and it was a good reminder that everything we’re witnessing hasn’t been done before nor will it be the same ever again. The cast gets to show the full level of their improv prowess and it’s truly astounding to think about all that they’re accomplishing over the course of the 75 minutes: they’ve made characters, dialogue, and rhyming lyrics all on the spot. It’s a mind boggling feat to be sure.

At the performance which I attended, I got to see AP Bautista, Ashley Botting, Kyah Green, Nadine Djoury, Reid Janisse, Sam Hancock, and Stephanie Malek perform. They created a quirky cast of characters attending a Christmas party at Green’s characters house. The theme for the evening was Christmas Tree, which then played a key role in the story, becoming the focal point for the beginning and end especially. Each of them brings their unique brand of comedy to their roles, and they function beautifully as a cast. I imagine it must require a great deal of trust to be able to create such an impressive production entirely on the spot. Scott Christian, the musical director for the show, is integral in this process, as he’s signalling to the actors when it’s time to start the songs and, by the opening notes, which song it’s going to be. They all work together as a team, whether actively on stage or not, to create the incredible atmosphere and story we get to witness!

Grab your partner or your bestie, or heck a whole group, to see Holiday! An Improvised Musical. Factory is decorated to the nines, selling Hot Chocolate at the bar, and there’s even a cute photo-op set up with a tree and everything! Come in from the cold and leave laughing till you cry!

Holiday! An Improvised Musical runs in the Factory Theatre Studio Space until December 21. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.factorytheatre.ca/shows/holiday-an-improvised-musical/

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Cover Photo: The cast of Holiday! Photo by Danelle Jane Tran

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