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Kyle Coughlin
photo: All Puppet Players
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"Shaun Michael McNamara and his All Puppet Players usually take well-known films and books and turn them into humorous puppet theatrical spoofs that are also full of plenty of R-rated adult material. ...So it's a bit of a departure that their latest offer is a family friendly send-up of one of the worst films ever made,
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, and one that hasn't had anywhere near the cultural impact of those other titles. While the lack of familiarity of the movie does mean audiences won't anticipate what's coming ...
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians still results in a silly, fun time.... The basic premise follows a group of Martians who decide to go to Earth and kidnap Santa Claus to make their Martian children have more fun. ...The team of Martians who go to Earth are played by Zack Funk, McNamara, and Nathan Spector, with each of them delivering a unique, comical and even heartfelt performance....Kyle Coughlin is the perfect embodiment of Santa Claus, full of care, love and sweetness, even to the Martians who abduct him, while Michael Margetis and Emily Lynne Aiken are hilarious as the children who get swept up in to the Martian plot. David Chorley's swift direction keeps the show moving at a quick clip with scene changes that are faster than some past All Puppet Players production..the puppet designs are superb with the green-hued Martian puppets, which are in various shades and sizes, spectacular and Chorley, and Newell's sound design provides plenty of fun music moments....the evening still runs a bit long. However, with a game cast who play up the comical and somewhat idiotic moments of the original film it amounts to a humorous and fun departure from the usual holiday theatrical productions in town."
-Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
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