“Christmas Belles,” playing for one more weekend at Attic Productions, is billed as a “Southern-fried yuletide comedy” and boy howdy, that’s a fact! It may be Christmas, but there’s no Norman Rockwell nostalgia about this holiday story — just wacky characters and wacky situations, guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
The action revolves around the production of a Christmas show at the Tabernacle of the Lamb Church in Fayro, Texas, where Honey Rae Futrelle (Dixie Hartvigsen) has taken over direction of the show in a desperate attempt to rebuild her checkered reputation. Needless to say, things do not go smoothly.
Most of the action takes place in the church community room, where a festively lit saguaro cactus dominates the holiday decorations. A few stealthy set changes in the wings provide additional context. We see the florist shop, whose proprietor, Miss Geneva Musgrave (Katerina Yancey), is none too pleased about being usurped from the directorship she’s held for 27 years. We also visit the jail, where Honey Rae’s sister Twink (Kerry Williams) is doing time for accidentally burning down part of the town in a fit of revenge against her ex-boyfriend. Deputy Sheriff John Curtis Buntner (David Boyer) is charged with keeping an eye on Twink, which turns out to be no easy task.
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And then there’s sister Frankie (Kelli Hobson), so pregnant with twins she could pop any day, but nevertheless providing the calm in this family storm. Her husband, Dub Dubberly (Paul Mullins), is trying to earn extra money playing a department store Santa, but even that manages to go awry. Meanwhile, their daughter, Gina Jo (Kailee Weiman), is for some reason trying to avoid Pastor Justin Waverly (Jesse Womack), the man she’s been dating — much to his consternation.
Rounding out these colorful townsfolk are newcomer Rhonda Lynn Lampley (Katie Miner), who’s harboring a secret as she tries to fit into the community; the outrageous town socialite Patsy Price (Lela Brown); and Raynerd Chisum (Steven Aaron), a good-hearted soul who “just loves Christmas.”
The cast does a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life, providing comedy, to be sure, but also some genuinely heartfelt moments along the way. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself rooting for everything to work out.
In a line that could apply to real life, Rhonda Lynn says at one point: “These days, laughter’s just about the only medicine any of us can afford.” For anyone having trouble getting into the holiday spirit, Attic Productions just might have the cure for what ails you.
