Wisemen is a cabaret-style holiday piece with a four-piece live band and lots of one-liners, puns, and sight gags. Attorneys Goldberg, Frankenstein, and Murray are “Litigators of the Liturgy” who solve Biblical crimes. The golden calf? A fraud made of bronze. Jacob’s ladder? The builders violated construction codes. Moses and the parting of the Red Sea? A cover up for an oil spill.
This year’s production of Wisemen at ACT is a re-mount of 2011’s sold-out run. It has a few slow spots but is generally enjoyable. The ensemble of actors (Eli Rosenblatt, David Bestock, Gavin Cummins, Matt Fulbright and Dorcas Lewis) have strong singing voices, impressive dance moves, and an old-fashioned knack for getting laughs. If you have strong Judeo-Christian convictions, though, this show may not be for you.
The plot turns the nativity story into a whodunit: Who fathered Mary’s baby? Joseph of Nazareth, frantic that the newborn Jesus is not his, calls in the Wisemen to investigate the case. The Pope steps up as defense lawyer, and Santa, an anti-Semitic toy-addict beholden to the corporate Christmas machine, presides as judge. Turns out that the Virgin Mary is the “town bicycle” and EVERYONE—including the Easter Bunny—has gone for a ride.
Will Joseph get a fair shake? Probably not, but his despair is our fun to watch. In a sea of Seattle holiday shows, this one definitely stands out.
Wisemen. By David Bestock and Eli Rosenblatt. Presented by ACT’s Central Heating Lab and Rosenstock Productions. ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., Seattle. December 13-22, 2012. Tickets and information at www.acttheatre.org or (206) 292-7676. *As per ACT Theatre, Wisemen is recommended for ages 16 and up.