Chriskirkpatrickmas Review – *NSYNC Lore

Elizabeth Ho, Emily Lambert, and Mia-Carina Mollicone in CHRISKIRKPATRICKMAS - Photo by Matt Kamimura
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Calling all fans of the ubiquitous boy bands of the 90s – especially fans of *NSYNC. In a musical parody with intricate word plays, CHRISKIRKPATRICMAS offers 12 original songs by Valen Shore (music) and Valen Shore and Alison Zatta (book and lyrics). CHRISKIRKPATRICKMAS blends some *NSYNC history and the holiday spirit to produce the liveliest songfest in LA this year. With musical direction by Taylor Williams, CHRISKIRKPATRICKMAS will have you tapping your toes and reminiscing about some of those forgotten events brought to mind as only music can do. Co-directed by Alison Zatta and Valen Shore and presented by Pacey’s Creek, the cast clearly had lots of fun preparing this spectacular just in time for the 2022 holiday season.

Nicole Wyland and Valen Shore – Photo by Matt Kamimura

Set in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve 2009 (and sometimes now and then – here and there), CHRISKIRKPATRICKMAS is the story of Chris Kirkpatrick (Valen Shore), whose dream was to found a hugely successful boy band. His dream began to take form when he met the 14-year-old Justin Timberlake, a teen singer looking for a spot to do his stuff. Add a few more hunks of teen eye candy to send the girls into a swoon, pure and simple; and *NSYNC was the hit of the year. Marky Mark (Alison Zatta) – now Mark Walberg – is brought down to earth as a sort of guardian angel to offer guidance to Chris Kirkpatrick. And so Chris’ dream finally became a reality – but would it last forever?

Mia-Carina Mollicone, Emily Lambert, Valen Shore, and Elizabeth Ho – Photo by Matt Kamimura

The talented cast gets to sing, dance, and become a boy band – often switching identities in the process. Kudos to Valen Shore, Riley Rose Critchlow, Elizabeth Ho, Emily Lambert, Mia-Carina Mollicone, Nicole Wyland, and Alison Zatta.

Alison Zatta and Riley Rose Critchlow – Photo by Matt Kamimura

If you’re looking for a song-filled production with a fascinating story to tell, this is the show for you. Instead of Bye, Bye, Bye, *NSYNC wants to greet you with Hi, Hi, Hi, as it wends its way through 12 original songs created by Zatta and Shore. By the way, be sure to pay attention to those very clever lyrics which tell a story of their own. In case you’re wondering if the *NSYNC story is accurate, Valen Shore opined that “…It took 10 years to figure out how to tell this story. We didn’t originally set out to make an *NSYNC musical, but it was impossible to tell the story of Chris without telling the story of *NSYNC. At some point it became our number one goal to be as historically accurate as possible, even in the context of a magic holiday musical.” As if the show didn’t offer enough holiday cheer, each performance will be followed by a holiday party where you can toast the season and chat with the cast and other audience members.

Emily Lambert – Photo by Matt Kamimura

CHRISKIRKPATRICKMAS – A BOY BAND CHRISTMAS MUSICAL runs through December 11, 2022, with performances at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 3 p.m. on Sundays. The Pacey’s Creek production performs at The Actors Company, 916 N. Formosa Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046. Tickets are $45. For information and reservations, call 323-201-7050 or go online.     

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