When a rabbi wears a spaghetti strainer for a kippah, and Judah Maccabee wields a bathroom plunger for a sword, you know you’re not in Kansas anymore.
More likely you’re in the mythical town of Chelm, courtesy of “The MeshugaNutcracker,” the popular holiday musical now in its third annual Bay Area run.
Though ostensibly a show for kids, “The MeshugaNutcracker” offers a delightful night of musical theater, made sublime by a cast of eight sensational singing actors and the immortal music of Peter Tchaikovsky.
“The Nutcracker” is so closely identified with Christmas it was an act of first-degree chutzpah for creators Scott and Shannon Guggenheim of Fremont to set their pastiche of Chanukah fables to the famous score. All the popular tunes, from “Sugar Plum Fairy” to “Waltz of the Flowers,” made the final cut. But the happy surprise about “The MeshugaNutcracker” is how thoroughly the show claims the music as its own.
The plot couldn’t be simpler: Set in Chelm, where shtetl-dwellers fancy themselves wise, a group of eight “actors,” with names like “Schnook,” “Shmendrick,” “Schlemiel” and “Schlemazel” wait for their illustrious director to arrive. During the wait, the eight take turns telling magical Chanukah tales.
A sukkah-sized dreidel dominates the set and opens up into the town of Chelm. The cast, donning hats and costumes worthy of “Beach Blanket Babylon,” engage in witty rapid-fire dialogue as they mingle with each other and the audience.
But they never stray far from the subject. The eight Chanukah stories, based on works by Eric Kimmel, Peninnah Schramm and Steven Rosman, range from the history of the Maccabees to medieval fables to all-too-real Holocaust tales. All are retold with kid-friendly charm.
Standouts include “The Magic Spoon,” reminiscent of the children’s book classic, “Stone Soup.” A stranger arrives in Chelm claiming to possess a magic spoon that can make latkes out of nothing. As he stirs an empty bowl, Chelmniks add their own ingredients like eggs, potatoes and salt. Works every time.
Another is “A Dreidel for Simon,” which depicts a boy, unable to walk, who magically finds the power to dance only when the dreidel spins. Set to the famous “Arabian Dance,” the segment proves surprisingly poignant.
Then the show throws it back into high farce when the cast parades in doughnut tutus, or when Judah Maccabee addresses his enemies in the commanding voice of Captain Kirk ala “Star Trek.” The Chelmniks even turn in an entire routine over whether an eight-prong hayfork might be a menorah.
At the end, the famed director finally arrives (always played by some lucky Jewish communal leader) to reveal the true meaning of Chanukah. It might sound risky to put a non-pro in a key role, but the real actors makes it goof-proof. True, the show seems to end about six times (one “big finish” will do, guys), but a pleasant time is guaranteed for all.
Everyone in the cast is impressive. By the end each has had more than a few moments to shine, although the characters as written are not all that distinct from one another. Perhaps because she wrote the show herself, Shannon Guggenheim emerges as the “star,” but being so talented a singer, dancer and comic actress, she merits the stage time.
Beyond the cast, music and atmospherics, “The MeshugaNutcracker” succeeds because it never talks down to the children in the audience. The phrase “for kids of all ages” gets bandied about too often, but it truly applies here.
Not once, not twice, but several times, the script calls for the Meshuganuts to recite (or sing to Tchaikovsky’s music) the Chanukah-candle blessings. It’s one way to keep the focus on a holiday.
But as long as we’re on the subject of blessings, let’s hear one for “The MeshugaNutcracker,” which offers kids and adults a satisfying, dazzling and meaningful night in the theater. Too bad Chanukah only comes once a year.
“MeshugaNutcracker” plays Dec. 13-18 at University of San Francisco’s Presentation Theater, 2350 Turk St., S.F. Tickets: $18-$36. For specific times, (877) 456-4849 or www.njts.org.