The Kings of Christmas by
Marley was dead, to begin with. Of course, Marley was a cat. And we weren't in England anymore. We were in Vegas.
Ten years after his father, an Elvis-impersonating magician known as The Magistic King, died or disappeared during a nationally-televised Christmas Special, Carter King begrudgingly returns home for the holidays to bear witness to his certifiable family. Carter awakens to...
Ten years after his father, an Elvis-impersonating magician known as The Magistic King, died or disappeared during a nationally-televised Christmas Special, Carter King begrudgingly returns home for the holidays to bear witness to his certifiable family. Carter awakens to...
Marley was dead, to begin with. Of course, Marley was a cat. And we weren't in England anymore. We were in Vegas.
Ten years after his father, an Elvis-impersonating magician known as The Magistic King, died or disappeared during a nationally-televised Christmas Special, Carter King begrudgingly returns home for the holidays to bear witness to his certifiable family. Carter awakens to find himself tied a chair, accused of feline homicide.
Joining the fray are Uncle Frank--The Magistic King's twin brother and owner of multiple restraining orders from the local law school; neighbor Wendy Williams, who claims to be Carter's love interest. (Carter claims she needs therapy); older brother Kennedy King, aka The Magistic Prince, who has a habit of repeating himself and urinating when nervous; younger brother Clinton King, the smartest...or dumbest...person in the room; and mother Carol King and her "twin sister" Aunt Sylvia, the family member Carol made to make her boys feel better after their father disappeared.
What follows is an intricate series of Rashomon-like reenactments that depict various accounts of Marley’s demise. With the family stacked against him, things look bleak for Carter...who just wants to be done with his nut job of a family.
During a break in the trial, Carter is visited by...you guessed it...3 ghosts. Well, 1 ghost. 1 Magistic King. But he's really smooth about making clear the differences between his 3 ghosts. And Carter King finds himself on a path of discovery, leading him to understanding the true mean of Christmas.
As Schutte says, "It's like A CHRISTMAS CAROL"...if Dickens were an idiot. The only holiday play with Christmas Spirits (revelry), Christmas Spirits (ghosts), and Christmas Spirits (booze).
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Bard Theatre, Louisville KY - 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
CASTING NOTE:
The ridiculousness of the play keeps casting restrictions away...which we loved at Bard Theatre.
LEO WEEKLY:
"The madcap opening moments of 'Kings' are flat-out brilliant – and the rest of the play lives up to the opening. This is among the best-written, best-executed riffs on Dickens’ 'A Christmas Carol' you’ll ever see. In fact, a word to the wise: stop reading for a moment and immediately order your tickets."
WFPL/NPR:
"Wacky and Warm"
"let’s put on our wacky sweaters and “shoot the boot” every year"
INSIDER LOUISVILLE:
"well on its way to becoming a Louisville classic"
Ten years after his father, an Elvis-impersonating magician known as The Magistic King, died or disappeared during a nationally-televised Christmas Special, Carter King begrudgingly returns home for the holidays to bear witness to his certifiable family. Carter awakens to find himself tied a chair, accused of feline homicide.
Joining the fray are Uncle Frank--The Magistic King's twin brother and owner of multiple restraining orders from the local law school; neighbor Wendy Williams, who claims to be Carter's love interest. (Carter claims she needs therapy); older brother Kennedy King, aka The Magistic Prince, who has a habit of repeating himself and urinating when nervous; younger brother Clinton King, the smartest...or dumbest...person in the room; and mother Carol King and her "twin sister" Aunt Sylvia, the family member Carol made to make her boys feel better after their father disappeared.
What follows is an intricate series of Rashomon-like reenactments that depict various accounts of Marley’s demise. With the family stacked against him, things look bleak for Carter...who just wants to be done with his nut job of a family.
During a break in the trial, Carter is visited by...you guessed it...3 ghosts. Well, 1 ghost. 1 Magistic King. But he's really smooth about making clear the differences between his 3 ghosts. And Carter King finds himself on a path of discovery, leading him to understanding the true mean of Christmas.
As Schutte says, "It's like A CHRISTMAS CAROL"...if Dickens were an idiot. The only holiday play with Christmas Spirits (revelry), Christmas Spirits (ghosts), and Christmas Spirits (booze).
PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Bard Theatre, Louisville KY - 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
CASTING NOTE:
The ridiculousness of the play keeps casting restrictions away...which we loved at Bard Theatre.
LEO WEEKLY:
"The madcap opening moments of 'Kings' are flat-out brilliant – and the rest of the play lives up to the opening. This is among the best-written, best-executed riffs on Dickens’ 'A Christmas Carol' you’ll ever see. In fact, a word to the wise: stop reading for a moment and immediately order your tickets."
WFPL/NPR:
"Wacky and Warm"
"let’s put on our wacky sweaters and “shoot the boot” every year"
INSIDER LOUISVILLE:
"well on its way to becoming a Louisville classic"