Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Book & Lyrics: Valen Shore & Alison Zatta
Director: Riley Rose Critchlow
“Fantastically Funny & Festive”
5 / 5
Want to get in the holiday mood but don’t fancy the standard offerings? Look no further than Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musical. This fantastically funny festive show takes inspiration from A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life and mixes them into the *NSYNC origin story. It is as brilliantly bonkers as it sounds and is flawlessly executed – so go and Bye, Bye, Bye a ticket immediately (and don’t judge me for working that pun into this review even though it’s not the right spelling!)
It’s Christmas Eve 2009 – *NSYNC have been on an indefinite hiatus for the past seven years, Justin’s landline is screening Chris’s calls and the selfie hasn’t yet been invented. Chris Kirkpatrick is keen to release some new music with the band but seems to be the only one who wants the comeback concert to take place. Enter Marky Mark, a guardian angel sent from heaven to help show Chris the past, present and future in the hope of putting him on the right track to reinventing himself.
All seven of the cast are absolutely impeccable within their roles, each of them giving 110% during every scene. At the heart of the storyline, creators and performers Valen Rose (Chris) and Alison Zatta (Marky Mark) set the pace with their humorous mannerisms and easy delivery of the excellently written script. Nicole Wyland (Justin), Riley Rose Critchlow (Lance/Others), Elizabeth Ho (Joey/Others), Mia-Carina Mollicone (J.C./Others) make up the other members of the band – and honestly rival the original members with their talented portrayal of typical boyband tropes.
The history of *NSYNC wasn’t one I was that aware of, so the scenes that delve into their past members (justice for Brody) and their involvement with scam artist and boy band manager Lou Pearlman (Natassia Bustamante) actually end up being interesting factual inserts outside of the enjoyable silliness that mainly encompasses the nature of the show. The musical numbers are fantastic parodies – songs such as ‘Starbucks Line’, ’23 is too old to not be famous’ and ‘It’s Gonna Be’ all follow standard pop beats and melodies, but add witty lyrics, alongside the hilarious dance routines and this is yet another massive tick in the box for the show.
This is one of the best shows of the year – the ridiculous plot works brilliantly as a festive alternative and the performers have perfected their delivery and comic timing to a tee. It truly has everything – great performers, a fun, witty script, catchy, funny musical numbers and a satisfyingly entertaining conclusion. This I Promise You is one not to miss, so It’s Gonna Be Me… giving this excellent show the five stars they deserve.
Runs Until 30 December 2023
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