Striking 12 Review at PACA
It’ll Bowl You Over!
Striking 12
A Theater Review
‘Tis the season. Chilly weather, (Sometimes) snow, baking, eating the goods you baked, and parties aplenty. And of course, holiday entertainment. After all, what would this time of season be like without a play regaling a certain upcoming holiday?
New Year’s Eve, of course!
Striking 12, a musical comedy is currently at the Performing Artists Collective Alliance in Erie.
Based on the off-Broadway musical written by Brendan Millburn, Valerie Vigoda and Rachel Sheinkin, Striking 12 revolves around a character The Man Who’s Had Enough (Josiah Prittie).
He’s tired, overworked, fed up and just wants the new year to end, with no people, loud music, confetti or fun. He just wants to be alone. Television doesn’t soothe his nerves so he begins reading The Little Match Girl, the 1845 short story by Hans Christian Andersen, due to an earlier reference.
Reading the story aloud, he becomes the narrator as audience experiences the destitute life of the match girl (SaNae Stephens), who’s outside on a wintry city street attempting to peddle matches that no one wants to buy on New Year’s Eve, slowly freezing to death. The play toggles between the 19th century match girl’s plight and the narrator, who’s ensconced in his New York apartment in the present time (well, the 1990’s).
Directed by Kate Neubert-Lechner, the playful play not only contains live music but allows for the musicians”as well as the actors”to break character and call other actors by their own names and break the fourth wall by engaging the audience.
While Prittie and Stephens bookend Striking 12 with its major roles, a strong supporting cast chisel out enough attention on their own through their various roles. Take actress Marley Tressler who played Narrator 2, Passerby, Hogart Caroler, Diane, TV announcer and Space-Invading Girl. Or actress Michelle Michali who played Narrator 3, Lydia, Erica, TV News Correspondent, Hogart Caroler and Mrs. Palamino. Multiple personalities in makeup, indeed.
Song-wise the play carries its own with such tunes as the beautiful Snow Song sung by Maeve Kirby and the truly touching Matches for Sale by Stephens. Screwed Up People Make Great Art performed by Prittie and Curtis Jones III, got the band thumping and jumping and my toes a-tapping.
Just like the presents under our adorned Christmas trees, we all desire something shiny, new and different. Original. (Hint: Guys, not another scarf and beret from the Gap, please!) I guess PACA sneaked a peek at Erie-area theaterphiles’ X-mas wish lists giving us something truly unique: a New Year’s Eve musical.
Thank you, PACA. This gift definitely won’t be returned!
See you in the balcony! XOXO!
**Thea Tah
Striking 12 continues through December 17. For more information, visit PACA1505.org
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