11/29/2024. To say that I had the pleasure of seeing MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS with Palos Village Players would be an understatement. This wonderful play by Dana Hall is heartwarming and funny, and it is destined to become a holiday classic.

Christmas changes at different stages of our life and Hall provides some cheer to figure out how to meld old traditions with new. The twists of farce and poignancy are combined in a rare holiday treat of belly laughs and the tug of heartstrings. Carollers, ghosts and ugly Christmas sweaters deck these halls and gives the play a merry jingle. It’s a Christmas confection for all.

This piece has everything one would want in a Christmas play. A family story--empty nesters finding it difficult facing their first holiday without their children--that many people will relate to. Grown children who still relate to each other like they did as children. Rediscovery of the joy of the season thanks to a little ghostly intervention. The characters, major and minor, are uniformly wonderful. There are comedic moments, and probably toward the end some the audience members will be reaching for their handkerchiefs. It's Christmas magic indeed and ideally should make its way into the seasonal repertoire.