It was an electrifying day at the Young Auditorium Dec 12, 2021, as the Lightwire Theater dazzled the audiences with their Christmas show, “A Very Electric Christmas.” With only five people, some graceful choreography, brilliant, technically designed costumes, sparkling  neon lights and jolly Christmas tunes brought a sense of wonder and awe to the audience.

Their original story starts with two old familiar rivals, the Nutcrackers who are decorating for Christmas and the mice, who want nothing but to sabotage their decorating party. The story then switches a bird couple and their baby chick who get separated while migrating to New Orleans for the winter. The baby bird gets thrown off course and ends up all the way in the North Pole. It is then announced over  B-I-R-D radio that the baby bird is missing. It is then that the evil Rat King finds out and devises a plan to capture the baby bird and eat him. While the baby bird is lost at the North Pole, he makes friends with a couple of worms who keep him company while he tries to find a way to get home before Christmas day.

“A Very Electric Christmas” is a Christmas show that isn’t short on creativity, fun, and Christmas spirit. The wide range of Holiday favorites was beautifully incorporated into the act with songs like Bobby Helm’s“Jingle Bell Rock,” and  Louis Armstong’s “Christmas In New Orleans,” as well as beautiful orchestral versions of “If You Just Believe” form the Polar Express and some unexpected pieces from the Nightmare Before Christmas, and The Godfather. 

By the finali, the audience was clapping along to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” while the performers finally removed their illuminated identities to introduce themselves under a spotlight. 

The performers then gave a brief Q & A with the audience, explaining the design of their costumes, the number of shows they put on per year, and the time it takes them to prepare for a show.

“It takes us about 10 days to prepare for a performance and a month to put together an entire new show,” said the performer of the Rat King. 

One of the many things that made this show so special was the expressiveness of the performers themselves. From the jolly dancing of the nutcrackers, the loving head rubs of the baby bird and his bird parents, and the Rat King throwing his hands in rage and frustration, their performance showed that actions do speak louder than words. Needless to say, this is not a show you want to miss this Holiday season.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Morgan Guenther