My heart is warmed (and my hot-chocolate-filled belly too), while my head is in a jolly swirl after seeing THE LAST CHRISTMAS, New City Players’ ninth season opener, last Sunday. There are so many ways to describe NCP ensemble member (and playwright and sound & Foley designer extraordinaire) Tyler Johnson Grimes’ uniquely original, world premiere play. Warm and fuzzy, hilarious, inspiring, emotional, nostalgic, surprising, magical, relatable, well-acted, exquisitely designed and… always absolutely delightful! And that’s just from my initial rush – you really need to come and discover what you love most (and I promise there will be lots!) in this pre-Y2K time capsule of a live radio play brimming with crazy characters, touching stories, and nonstop action (both silly and exciting).
For fans of New City Players (NCP) – and what’s fast become a holiday season tradition – The Last Christmas represents Part 3 of their live radio play trilogy that began with 2022’s highly acclaimed 1947 staged broadcast of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, followed by last year’s more heavily adapted version of A Christmas Carol wherein the 1971 drama inside the WNCP station (yes, those NCP call letters are now legendary!) mirrored Dickens’ classic tale. And now, decades hence, we’ve arrived at a completely original play which still takes place at our beloved WNCP station on Christmas Eve. But the year is 1999, the cusp of major technological advancements and Y2K disruption fears.
Like all Johnson Grimes-penned WNCP plays (once again, expertly directed by NCP producing artistic director Timothy Mark Davis), this latest edition continues to pay homage to their elaborately envisioned fictional radio world while standing firmly on its own. You don’t miss a thing by not having attended earlier productions except for, maybe, a few extra smiles of recognition by NCP regulars. And everyone is invited to catch up on WNCP history as soon as you enter the Island City Stage lobby and are surrounded by photos of founder Freddie Fillmore, his family, and generational station members alongside a beautiful, antique wood radio and decades’ old broadcast paraphernalia.
ultimately supportive broadcast crew of WNCP Radio – Casey Sacco (Ruth), Marlo
Vashti Rodriguez (Eve), and Susanna Ninomiya (Izzy). Photo by Ryan Arnst.
If you get to the theatre early (it’s worth it, just for the browse), you might also want to read the lovingly detailed WNCP History Overview in their informative and engaging paper program (I’m so happy QR codes didn’t exist in 1999!). Or just sit back and relax while sipping hot chocolate from the cocoa bar and listening to favorite holiday songs from the 1990s or earlier submitted by audience members who’d contacted Calling Claire (the call-in radio show that is this play’s focus) and left a recorded voice message the old-fashioned way (no texts or emails) that’s played before their musical choices. What a clever idea for Community Engagement (a major NCP company directive) and getting patrons into the holiday spirit.
We truly feel like we’ve gone back a few decades and are privy to all the hectic activities at WNCP broadcast studio thanks to meticulous retro scenic design by Aubrey Kestell, props design & set dressing by Jameelah Bailey, and lighting design by Annabel Herrera. Radio show producer Ruth Dillon (Casey Sacco, who also served as costume designer) sits behind a bulky Sony computer while tossing, and mouth-catching, nibbles from an authentic box of Millenios (General Mills’ limited edition Cheerios).
Ruth’s also busy arguing with sound technician Izzy Flores (Susanna Ninomiya) who’s paranoid about an imminent, year 2000 technology crash and insists on playing music from her extensive collection of cassette tapes. She’s also got some of their old Foley items on hand for sound effects – just in case. (They are put to good use later on.) A few strung lights and much-used Christmas decorations hang in back. This is a cozy, but nothing fancy, workplace with framed founder and predecessor photos (featuring actors one might recognize from the two earlier productions) also displayed on the wall.
As times change, we learn that WNCP no longer produces traditional radio plays. Their current flagship program is a long-running, call-in talk show, a la Delilah, where listeners can find a sympathetic ear, share their troubles, receive compassionate practical advice, and are sent on their way with a song. A quickie, free therapy session that’s hopefully effective for the caller, and helpful and/or entertaining for all.
But Claire has suddenly taken ill and their 1999 special Christmas Eve broadcast of Calling Claire is deprived of its popular host. Leaving co-anchor Eve Hart (Marlo Vashti Rodriguez) alone at the mic, running the show by herself for the first time. And she’s a nervous wreck! It doesn’t help that producer Ruth arrives late (she blames traffic) and appears nonplussed, though she does manage to produce a pep talk for the crew. And hands Eve a completely revised format that Eve instantly discards, insisting they remain faithful to her mentor Claire’s program design. When sound engineer Izzy Flores literally crashes down into the studio with a tangle of tech-related worries of her own, we realize we’re in for a rough-and-tumble night.
Claire, WNCP’s flagship radio program. Photo by Ryan Arnst.
But miracle of miracles, despite a cancellation by one of their regular callers, there are still lonely people out there desperately seeking connection through phone lines. Eve Hart (perfectly named, by the way, as she’s all “heart”) goes on air, introducing herself and the show “where hearts speak and stories unfold. Tonight’s topic: The last Christmas. Our phones are open till midnight.”
Izzy raises a finger to denote a caller and Dan Marino-obsessed Kevin from Sunrise (Carlos Alayeto) gets into his convoluted story whilst shouting from a loud bar to finally landing on his missing the football tradition of attending games with his recently deceased brother. The other two in the studio would have cut him off, but Eve is a patient confidante who manages to get to crux of his dilemma, and helps him to a satisfactory resolution. (By the way, everyone except for Eve knows she’s totally up to the task. The call-in show’s originator, Claire, practiced what she preached by hiring this crew of ostensible misfits and screw-ups, recognizing their innate brilliance, and giving them a chance to shine.)
Every single actor in this play – from the three leads in the front studio to all those we encounter in multiple roles later on – are shining stars. I especially enjoyed the live-action commercials that got me actually looking forward to these mini-comedy interruptions. Even when Mr. and Mrs. Claus advertise Mastercard and, my god!, kudos for the best dentist ad ever! You’ve got to see NCP-sponsor ClearWave Dental & Aesthetics promoted by the huge, fangy teeth of Krampus (Nick Valdes) and Yeti (Carlos Alayeto), joined by perfectly fine-toothed misfit elf Hermey (Summer Davis).
Summer (Tim Davis’s 11-year-old daughter in her professional debut) also plays caller Jessica from Paris (Texas) with a fine Texan accent. Jessica’s sad because she believes last Christmas her daddy was abducted by aliens and nobody, including her therapist, will believe her. Once again Eve Hart provides a patient, nonjudgmental ear and some succor for a child whose troubling family issues are all too real.
There are more callers and meltdowns at the station (even a blackout!), sprinkled with zany commercials that are always a hoot. But I must mention one more interaction that stayed with me from repeat caller Gertie (Caroline Tarantolo) who even Ruth remembers from last year as “Miserable in Maine.” Socially awkward and friendless Gertie has found solace from sitting on a bench at the dog park while watching her pet. But then another dog owner, Lucy (Casey Sacco dons a jacket for the role), sits next to her. The dogs become instant friends and, in time, their owners as well. Causing Lucy to reflect: “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all become best friends by sniffing each others’ butts.”
An audience favorite (I know from Sunday’s post-show “talkback”) was the relatable depiction of two desperate dads (Larry and Gary, played by Carlos Alayeto and Nick Valdes) shopping last-minute for the year’s hottest toy, a Star Wars lightsaber. They run in super slow motion to the tune of Chariots of Fire when finally spotting a single saber… only to have it suddenly snatched away by a Darth Vader-hooded shopper (Caroline Tarantolo). Sad for them, but we get to enjoy a wild, light-flashing saber dual among the three. Then, of course, Eve puts it all in proper perspective.
To round out the night and end on a happy note, a lovely Secret Santa message to the studio staff from Claire is found by Pizza Dude (Harold Petion). He’d arrived at the WNCP radio station with boxes of fresh-baked pizza as a gift (in real life, too, by Dolce Salato Pizza & Gelato down the block) from appreciative first-caller Kevin which, in the spirit of giving, was also shared with the audience.
I’m one of those dinosaurs who never stopped listening to radio, especially since ditching my TV as a time waster decades before streaming was a thing. While my default is our local PBS station, years back I also enjoyed tuning in to AM talk radio call-in shows while driving. And I still love hearing the occasional BBC radio play. I know I’m not alone in hoping that WNCP lives on despite the culmination of this “trilogy.” At this point, there’s simply too much tradition, and warm holiday feelings, at stake. Even if the company can’t secure a venue slot for next December, who’s to say you can’t do “Christmas in July”?
Krampus, Summer Davis as Hermey, and Carlos Alayeto as Yeti. Photo by Ryan Arnst.
