Review: THE LOST CLAUS Finds Christmas Spirit at the B Street Theatre

'Tis the season to be jolly! Unless you're Santa, whose ancient body has compiled a laundry list of ailments. Playwright Buck Busfield has imagined a contemporary North Pole in this sweet and salty tale of Christmas hijinks at the B Street Theatre.

Set in Santa's cozy workshop, The Lost Claus features three (mostly) hard-working elves who are anxious to meet the deadline for Christmas. McSurley (Elisabeth Nunziato) is as his name describes - serious, no-nonsense, and ready to steer toy-making into the 21st century. As McSurley rallies to unionize the elves and promote a new ideology, Santa (Greg Alexander) struggles to make ends meet. Mrs. Claus (Amy Kelly) steps in to keep tabs on Santa's high blood pressure, sciatica, and glaucoma, but the new union regulations put them far behind schedule. McGhee (Rob Karma Robinson) isn't happy about stopping after a mere 1000 toys per day or that he must now pay careful attention not to make gifts that perpetuate any negative stereotypes or harmful body issues (sorry, girls, no more Barbie). Reluctantly following McSurley's lead is McCallow (Jason Kuykendall), a metaphor-loving elf who adorably intersperses confused enthusiasm with sage snippets of insight. As Christmas inches closer, the tension mounts as we wonder if Santa and the elves will come through.

Ultimately, The Lost Claus is about the Christmas spirit. When human compassion abounds, we are all given a gift. Love, companionship, and grace towards others are what make the holidays such a special time, and the B Street Theatre kicks off the season with an abundance of all in this hilariously heart-warming show.

The Lost Claus plays at the B Street Theatre through December 24. For more information, please visit BStreetTheatre.org or call (916) 443-5300.

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