Theater Review: ?Christmas Cookies The Musical? by Pantochino

Review by Nancy Sasso Janis

Pantochino Productions is serving up a yummy production of ?Christmas Cookies The Musical? at the Milford Arts Council (The Mac) at the Milford Train Station.

The book and lyrics for the show were written by Bert Bernardi, with music by Resident Musical Director Justin Rugg. Jimmy Johansmeyer, who appears in the show as the villain, designed the wonderfully charming costumes and wigs and Von Del Mar designed the setting. Bernardi directed this original work.

?Christmas Cookies? is the story of an old-fashioned bakery that is facing closure. The Christmas wish of a little girl, along with three gingerbread cookies who come to life, help save the bakery and Christmas in this happy tale.

There are many musical highlights in the two acts that allow the members of the cast to shine. The company opens the show with ?Holly Jolly Jolly Holly Holiday? and the finale is ?This Christmas.? In between, the girl group of Ginger, Blondie and Rosette sing and dance their way through cookie-inspired ditties, like the beautifully choreographed ?A Little Bit of Baking Powder.? The bakery owner Mrs. Baker performs ?Me and My Cookie? and ?The Best Little Bakery in Town.?

Johansmeyer really gets to show off his ability to play the role of a villain as Dexter Dell-Dubia in a chinchilla-inspired coat and a crazy checked suit. He sings ?Two Cups of Coffee? and ?My Way or the Highway.? For sixteen years, he was the ?resident villain? with the former Downtown Cabaret Children?s Company.

The adorable Ella Badenbaugh, who has been working with Pantochino for three years, gives a polished performance as young Kris and seventh grader student Wyatt Hughes is her young friend Ally. Maria Berte (Pantochino?s ?Christmas Carol!?) is perfectly cast as Mrs. Baker and Rugg takes on the role of Murray, a mail carrier, with plenty of charm. George Spelvin, who bears a striking resemblance to Bernardi, walks on to play the magical Mister Kay in a great Santa beard. Bert is a recipient of the Connecticut Critics Circle Tom Killen Award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre in Connecticut.

The three Christmas cookies that have come to life are played by Pantochino veterans. Mary Mannix is Ginger, Shelley Marsh-Poggio plays Blondie and Rachelle Ianniello is Rosette. All three make the most of their delicious roles in the adorable and lusciously decorated gingerbread costumes, which include the largest rick-rack trim I have ever seen.

In supporting roles are Katie Durham (understudy for the role of Mrs. Baker) and Christy Chiaramone (in her Pantochino debut) as bakery customers, with Valerie Solli as Sandy Fandals and Mrs. Crumbson and eighth grade student Aria Chiaramonte as her daughter Camilla Crumbson.

Sydney Maher plays newspaper reporter Melinda Moore and is the understudy for all three of the three Cookies. Maher?s favorite Pantochino credits include Buzz (?Beat Bugs: A Musical Adventure?), Rae (?How To Be A Good Witch?) and Lenora (?Cry-Baby.?)

Lighting by Jeff Carr has a few chances to really shine as it focuses on the action.

Overall, this is a fun production, filled with color, music and a Christmas message. I especially enjoyed the joke about teacher inservice days. Christmas Cookies? is performed with a ten-minute intermission and runs a family-friendly 90 minutes. It continues for two more weekends at the Mac.

Remaining performances are Sunday December 10 at 2pm, Saturday December 16 at 2pm, Sunday December 17 at 2pm, Friday December 22 at 7:30pm, Saturday December 23 at 2pm

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theater reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, and she posts well over 100 reviews each year. She became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle in 2016. Her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted in the Naugatuck Patch as well as the Patch sites closest to the venue. She is also a feature writer and theater reviewer for the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column IN THE WINGS and theater reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the CCC Facebook page.