Cindy Lou Who Returns

Who’s Holiday!

Yes, it’s true: Cindy Lou Who has returned once again to Theater Wit for another bawdy holiday season. Matthew Lombardo’s one-woman comedy about the young, juvenile heroine of the Dr. Seuss classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, has returned to the Windy City. This unauthorized sequel to the beloved children’s holiday morality tale stars the story’s winsome youngster, Cindy Lou Who. Of course, she’s all grown up now and is a forlorn, 40-year-old lush. Oh, she still speaks in those cute, singsong rhyming couplets that everyone will recognize from the Dr. Seuss books. But now Cindy Lou swears like a sailor, drinks nonstop, smokes a great deal and enjoys a hit or two off her bong. 

This lonely little lady lives far away from the other Who’s in a tiny trailer up on Mount Crumpet. Over the years, Cindy Lou’s been unfairly ostracized from her family and friends in Whoville, simply because she befriended the Grinch and eventually married him! Everyone considered the green monster to be outside her species, which of course he was. Then, Cindy Lou gave birth to his little green baby. The rest of her life became a tragic soap opera of prejudice, spousal abuse, an unwarranted murder conviction, a gruesome prison sentence and a daughter who disowned her. This play might remind some theatergoers of David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries, but with a lot more bile.

Christopher Pazdernik, the director who originally brought Chicagoans this production, continues to be the perfect ring leader for bringing this adult-only holiday comedy to the stage. He injects the sassy, saucy play with his own bizarre sense of humor and his passionate love of life. Coupled with the incomparable and mega-talented Veronica Garza, as Cindy Lou Who, how could this production go wrong? Ms. Garza has appeared on stages all over the Windy City, in musicals like “School of Rock,” “Rock of Ages” and “Mamma Mia;” but this one-woman one-act, aimed at the liberal-minded adult theatergoer, taps directly into this actor’s wheelhouse. It’s a gritty, gut-busting story for those in the mood for something darker than “It’s a Wonderful Life.” For 70 minutes, Cindy Lou returns home again to Theater Wit to tell all and set the story straight.

Garza and Pazdernik make a formidable, creative team. Veronica Garza is a powerhouse singer and a comic genius. The brilliant Christopher Pazdernik has guided the talented, effervescent actress to new heights in this piece. She’s hilarious one minute and heartbreaking the next. Cindy Lou constantly breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience. It’s as if we’re all crammed inside her trailer. She even shares a particular potent potable with one audience member, and then offers a tray of questionable appetizers to another group of patrons. 

But, Cindy Lou warns us, we can’t stay very long since she’s expecting lots of invited guests to her holiday party, and we simply won’t all fit inside her trailer. Sadly, as the evening progresses, Cindy Lou receives excuse after excuse from each of her “friends” saying that they won’t be able to make her soiree. But, just when poor Cindy Lou’s evening seems to be bleakest, a Christmas miracle takes place, enabling the audience to leave the theatre with a warm glow in their hearts.

Adding to the success and festive look of this show, Angela Weber Miller has designed a grungy and realistic trailer home for Cindy Lou. It’s decorated with all kinds of trashy and kitschy holiday decorations. the set includes a well-stocked booze cabinet and a host of goodies, thanks to Lonnae Hickman’s props. Ms. Garza’s two festive holiday ensembles and her bizarrely coiffed wig are as outrageous and tasteless as one might expect, thanks to Uriel Gomez’s costume design.

Adult audiences who are looking for an alternative to the plethora of typical holiday fare, should look no further than this raunchy, very funny and often touching little play. It’s flawlessly performed by one of Chicago’s comic geniuses and carefully shaped and guided with panache by a talented, truly committed director. After a touching 11th hour sing-along with Cindy Lou, audiences will leave the theatre feeling that their hearts, like the Grinch, will have grown three sizes.

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented November 24-December 30 by Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the box office, by calling (773)975-8150 or by going to www.theaterwit.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.