Hold onto your reindeer and dreidle because two of Broadway’s finest singers/dancers/actors are performing at one of New York’s top comedy clubs. They are funny, warm and fuzzy as the Chanukah Jew and Christmas Gentile. They not only sing and tell jokes but Marc Kudisch, casually outfitted in PJs with dreidles, plays guitar to the ukulele of Jeffry Denman, who was dressed to the nines in suit, red sweater and socks. They are both ADORABLE!

They cover the gamut of musical holiday songs like “Jingle Bells,” playing kazoos, to “My Simple Christmas Wish” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Kudisch’s rendition of “It’s Hard to Be a Jew on Christmas” garnered lots of laughs while Denman, awakened from a long winter’s nap, suddenly finds himself dancing. Guest artist Jill Pierce (39 Steps) read A Visit from St. Nicholas (“Twas the night before Christmas…”) while The Holiday Guys punctuated the lines with all necessary sound effects.  Hilarious!  After some gifting and re-gifting to audience members, second guest Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys) advertised his upcoming Christmas show and sang, hymn-like, “When the River Meets the Sea.”

Along with several duets, Kudisch and Denman finished strong on counterpoint; Marc, wearing a yarmulke and tallit, with “Oh, Chanukah” and Jeffry, in Santa hat, with “O Christmas Tree.”

Sandi Durell
Cabaret Scenes
December 7, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org