"Santa's Surprise Party" by The Mechanical Division at The Hive Collaborative

The best surprise of this holiday* season is the return of DalekoArts! Sort of. Amanda White and Ben Thietje, founders of the New Prague theater company that closed its doors last year after 11 successful years, have returned to their former company The Mechanical Division to create a silly holiday comedy of the type frequently performed at Daleko. Written by Ben and directed by Amanda, and featuring actors we know and love from Daleko, it's almost like returning to that beloved theater, without the long but gorgeous drive. It's playing at The Hive Collaborative in St. Paul, which over the last year has become one of my favorite venues for its welcoming vibe and variety of programming, and this time of year is particularly cozy with holiday lights and decorations (owners Laura and Eric live next door and their house is the brightest on the block!). Even better, it's a 7pm show with a 70-minute runtime so you can be in bed by 9 go out after the show and do other fun holiday things! Santa's Surprise Party is sweet and silly and stupid and wonderful, with just three shows remaining and few tickets left!

The show takes place at a meeting of ELFS (Eternal Love For Santa), Midwest Chapter. We the audience are also elves elfs at the meeting, which is led by President Bing Bong along with Sprinkles, Zips, and Sandwich. If you're wondering about the strange names, each elf takes as a name their best Christmas gift ever (the explanations of which are each weird and funny). The elfs are preparing for a surprise visit from Santa Claus, whom they revere but have never met. They learn it's his birthday and plan the best party, which must include music, games, and dancing. They're almost thwarted in their plans when the owner of the building, a human, bursts in to kick them out since they didn't reserve or pay for the space. They cast an elf spell and pull him into their plans as they practice singing, playing elf games, and performing the traditional North Pole dance. It's a whole lot of holiday puns and silly shenanigans that add up to a fun time.

the elfs on opening night (Nora Sonneborn, Bradley Beahen,
Ben Thietje, and Siri Hellerman)
(photo courtesy of The Mechanical Division)

Everyone in the cast is truly delightful, dressed in elfy holiday gear (but no pointy ears - that's an ignorant assumption). Siri Hellerman is the no-nonsense elf-in-charge leading us through the proceedings. Nora Sonneborn is the eager and earnest Zips, aka Gong Boss. Bradley Beahen, who normally plays the role of Music Director and occasional singer, gets to play a character role here as Sprinkles, with great comedic timing and reactions. As the odd elf Sandwich, Ben Thietje is hilariously nerdy and awkward - coke bottle glasses, drawstring pants pulled up to high, and standing a little too close to people. Patrick Kozicky as the human is the straight man amidst all the elf madness, representing us the audience in this new environment.

This play with music includes some old favorite Christmas songs, with Sprinkles magically becoming a great piano player (aka Bradley Beahen). But since Santa doesn't like holiday songs, they also sing some pop songs with holiday lyrics, which is as ridiculous as it sounds. While this show is mostly goofy and fun, it does have a heart as the elfs are reminded of the true meaning of the season. And it's impossible to hear or sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" without a little touch of melancholy and nostalgia, which feels just right.

If you're looking for an original goofy holiday comedy with great performances and a little music, head to The Hive for one of the final three performances of Santa's Surprise Party. And while you're there, check out the other fun things buzzing at The Hive this month, including a special holiday edition of the monthly 16-Bar Bingo series, a super fun mash-up of bingo, trivia, live performances, and eventual singalongs!

*Click here for reviews of all of the holiday shows I've seen this year.