‘Order a drink and leave the kids at home for this laugh-out-loud Christmas comedy with a twist!’

Cindy Lou Who once saved Christmas from the Grinch’s grasp, but now she’s grown up and wondering who will brighten her spirits this season? Well at Nathan P. Murphy’s, spirits will flow, and everyone’s favorite holiday tot has turned into a foul-mouthed ex-con fallen on hard times. Celebrated entertainer Kelly Osborne puts an adults-only twist on the Christmas classic in WHO’S HOLIDAY.

Now living in a trailer home on the top of Mount Crumpit, Cindy Lou Who’s signature cheer has turned sour. With a string of bad luck and fallout with friends, Christmas may not come this year, after all.

“She has thrown a party after she has gotten released from prison,” Osborne revealed. “She invites some of her friends – Yertle the Turtle, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – to come to her Christmas party and they don’t come because of her sordid past. She gets a little sad about not having her family and friends there, but she realizes that the people in front of her have been with her the whole time and you can make do.”

Director Logan Torbet praises Osborne’s gymnastic feat of tackling a 75-minute solo show that’s told completely in rhyme like the source material by Dr. Seuss. These turns of phrase, however, can turn a little naughty.

“It’s semi-interactive and because it’s in rhyme, you’re almost a step ahead of her at all times,” Torbet explained. “You kind of know what word is coming up and every once in a while, she’ll give you a little twist and surprises you.”

Torbet discovered the hilarious script during its off-Broadway run before the COVID pandemic struck. He says the origins start even before the NYC run.

“A theater in Connecticut produces a show every year called CHRISTMAS ON THE ROCKS,” Torbet said. “It takes place in a bar and the bartender is the only constant character and they have all of these notable Christmas characters coming to drink at the bar. They hired ten or fifteen American playwrights to basically write one acts for all of these different characters. Matthew Lombardo was hired to write [the Cindy Lou Who] section and then it evolved into this 75-minute monster that Kelly’s doing. It premiered off-Broadway right before the pandemic. It is just a hoot and a half.”

Osborne and Torbet have been preparing the show since the summer. Together, they have built their own sets – with input from Jeremy Sterling – and sourced all props and costumes from their family closets, Facebook, and online orders. “We’re very formal,” Torbet joked showing off their impressive hand-drawn blueprints.

Have we emphasized yet that this is an adults-only affair? Hire a babysitter and stroll down to the bar after dinner. The show is a casual affair that allows for refills. “Since it’s at this wonderful space at Nathan P. Murphy’s the bar is open the whole show,” Osborne encouraged. “It has this feel like if you want another drink, you’re not going to miss anything. You’re about ten feet away from me.”

“She’s only funnier with more cocktails,” Torbet jabbed.

Osborne and Torbet have the rapport of an old Hollywood comedy duo. In fact, they liken themselves to Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. Osborne grew emotional over their partnership declaring, “I could cry now!”

“Well don’t,” Torbet teased. “We’ve got paint drying.”

Just like this duo, WHO’S HOLIDAY is filled with laughs, but has a sincere, loving message underneath. “You walk away feeling so heart warmed. The whole crowd sings together at the end,” Osborne smiled.

“It’s been fun,” Torbet added. “We’ve grown really close doing it. We think people are going to love it. It could be people’s new holiday tradition.”

In the end, Osborne shared her gratitude after a few challenging personal years filled with both love and loss and some time away from the stage.

“This is probably the thing I’m most proud of having put up,” Osborne gushed. “I kind of avoided doing [WHO’S HOLIDAY] for a couple of years. I didn’t have self-trust that I could do it, I could be funny, that I could memorize 75 minutes while also running a household and raising a toddler. Coming out the other side, I will be shedding really proud tears. I’m going to get a tattoo of a martini glass with a candy cane coming out of it.”

WHO’S HOLIDAY is presented as part of Springfield Little Theatre’s Late Night Series at Nathan P. Murphy’s December 12 – 21. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!