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THE MORNING CALL TUESDAY DECEMBER 4, 2001
'FOLLIES' IS A SPUNKY, CLEVER CLOWN SHOW
By GEOFF GEHMAN of the Morning Call
Let's skip the wrapping paper and just tear open the present: Touchstone Theater's "Christmas City Follies" is exceptionally funny, exceptionally clever, and exceptionally touching.
Mostly every act, from desperate angel to puzzled rabbi, searches for some sort of meaning. When they're not searching for meaning, they're doing something merry, like dancing with shopping carts or turning "The Leader Of The Pack" into reindeer doo-wop.
The new bits are marvelously agile. McKenna and Rainbow Geffner star as Fantabulo and Magnifica, who hilariously screw up tricks involving fire extinguishing and secret number revealing.
Geffner's frantic wrestling to extract a wrapped-up number from McKenna's mouth is absolutely inspired Commedia, which makes sense, since she recently graduated from Dell'Arte School of Physical Theater.
A bittersweet triangle between three toys neatly completes the quest of McKenna's clown, but verges on cuteness. The routine somehow distracts from Geffner's wandering, sly, rabbi lady, an excellent reminder that the holiday season is not just for Christians.
That's enough complaining for the season. "Christmas City Follies" has terrific spunk, terrific design (dig the patchwork quilt curtain) and terrific old new home.