Christmastime entertainment can all-too-easily veer into the predictable. There’s the innumerable productions of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol yearly, the classic Rockette-style revues, not to mention the same twenty-ish movies we all break out come the end of November. However, on December 11th, ElevAtion Aerial presented an alternative to the yuletide norm with its Christmas-themed burlesque show “Up on Santa’s Lap.” Conceived by the company’s founder Lisa-Marie Burnside, “Up on Santa’s Lap” arrived at North Hollywood’s historic Tonga Hut as a breath of fresh, and wholly original, air for seasonal entertainment.
Hosted with grace and cheek by XROE, “Up on Santa’s Lap” begins as a tragedy. Santa has died, and now it’s time for the inhabitants of Christmasland to audition to be Mrs. Clause’s new lover so that Christmas can be saved. What follows is a parade of breathtaking and even rib-tickling burlesque performances.
“Up on Santa’s Lap” Presents Classic Christmas Characters After Dark
Burnside crafted a script that weaves together all the characters in her brilliant and audacious premise. She also brought down the house as the perhaps sexiest Grinch ever to scale a lollipop hoop.
Chelsea Carroll is Cindy Lou Who as we’ve never seen her before, no longer a sweet young girl, but an alluring coquette. One of the evening’s show-stopping numbers comes when after Mrs. Clause rejects both the Grinch and Cindy. The pair discovers a connection of their own and performs an aerial dance duet no one saw coming, but everyone undoubtedly enjoyed.
Burnsides makes use of all of her cast’s talents. Performer Daddy Long Legs brings sultriness to The Nutcracker’s Sugar Plum Fairy. Meanwhile, Sheena Leigh makes double duty look easy by playing both the Elf on the Shelf along with performing a jaw-dropping tap-burlesque performance as Miss Shields from the classic film-turned-musical A Christmas Story. Carroll and Burnside, known as The Aerial Duo, also double roles in “Up Santa’s Lap”.
In addition to their unforgettable number as Seussian characters, they also vie for a chance at Mrs. Clause’s heart as the Heat and Snow Misers from The Year Without a Santa Claus. The results are as funny and they are sensual. At the show’s conclusion, the fickle Mrs. Clause, played by Rachel Fictum, decides she no longer needs a partner in the wake of Santa’s death. She chooses herself, saves Christmas, and celebrates with a steamy performance of her own.
This Come-Hither Comedy Makes for a Memorable Night Out
“Up on Santa’s Lap” soars in its inventiveness and deft mix of humor and seduction. The show could rest on its beguiling performances, but rather provides a complete experience with aerial bartending and audience participation. Stuart Brawley’s sound and light design further helps transport viewers into the surprisingly sexy Christmas land, creating a dark but inviting atmosphere in the LA historic tiki bar. Burnside has upped the ante both in creativity and provocativeness since this summer’s burlesque take on Gilligan’s Island.
Lisa-Marie Burnside as The Grinch. Photo Courtesy of Brandi Lynn, Bourbon and Lace Photography
It may go without saying, but “Up on Santa’s Lap” isn’t for anyone under twenty-one, or for the faint of heart. However, it’s undeniable that if one attends an ElevAtion Aerial show, they’re in for a wild, unique, and completely entertaining ride.
