Dickens and Honky Tonk Confidential

I’m not too crazy about Christmas music. It’s all been done so many times, so I am looking forward to January just so I don’t have to hear too much more of the same fifteen worn-out melodies. However, my wife and I had two very nice Christmas music experiences last night.

First, we went with friends to see a musical based on Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” performed by the McLean Community Players. It was musical theater in its standard flavor, with the expected tensions, climaxes, juxtapositions, and resolutions . It was sappy and touching, and of course the plot is very familiar. But the whole show was performed with such great energy and with such technical perrfection, we all enjoyed it very much. I was very pleased that the music and lyrics really made no reference to familiar Christmas tunes. The show really was a fresh experience and allowed the power of Dickens’s story to hit my emotions.

The second musical surprise was a CD that friends gave us as a Christmas gift. It was Honky Tonk Confidential’s holiday CD. The disc has clever holiday originals and is a lot of fun. We laughed most on the “Honky Tonk Hanukkah” song, but it’s all very good listening.