It’s “oy vey” and then some when The Kinsey Sicks bring their take on the holidays to the Oregon Contemporary Theatre stage

By Randi Bjornstad

You can almost tell from the title — Oy Vey In A Manger — that the next show at Oregon Contemporary Theatre is not going to be a traditional holiday offering.

The plot of Oy Vey In A Manger features The Kinsey Sicks, aka the Dragapella® Beautyshop Quartet, in the characters of Angel, Winnie, Trixie, and Trampolina as they try to sell the manger, which is in danger of imminent foreclosure. The plot description goes this way: “Crises arise, secrets are revealed, Jewish-Gentile tensions surface, and mayhem ensues — all in glorious four-part harmony.”

Not surprisingly then, the musical numbers are not titles that will be familiar: God Bless Ye Femmy Lesbians; Anchor Baby; and I’m Dreaming of a Vanna White Christmas. Then there’s some Jewish satiric fare — Don’t Be Happy, Worry and a Chanukah spa classic, I Had a Little Facial — as well as what’s described as a new Christmas standard, Soylent Night.

All that notwithstanding, OCT artistic director Craig Willis says that “Eugene audiences adore The Kinsey Sicks” and that OCT is “super-excited to bring their outrageous humor and fantastic four-part harmonies back to our stage.”

The Dragapella® Beautyshop Quartet has a 25-year history of satire, comedy, and music performance throughout the United States and abroad, including stints Off-Broadway and in Las Vegas.They have appeared in two feature films and three concert DVDs and have released nine albums.

At the same time, a couple of East Coast reviews might be instructive. The Washington Post has described this show as “an ecumenical display of wicked joie de vivre” in which the Kinsey Sicks “(send up) everything that’s holy.” The New York Post calls it “… a raunchy parody of a holiday show that could make even Scrooge smile (supposing he had a modicum of gay sensibility).”

Oy Vey In A Manger

When: 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29; and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30

Where: Oregon Contemporary Theatre, 194 W. Broadway, Eugene

Tickets: $20 to $35, available at the OCT box office, 541-465-1506 or online at octheatre.org