BWW Reviews: HOME FOR THE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY HOLIDAYS! - Fantastically Comedic & Not Saccharine Sweet

Whether you've seen COUNTRY GRAVY AND OTHER OBSESSIONS or you're new to Mavis Applebee and Myrtle McGillicurdle, you will be charmed by these two unforgettable characters. In HOME FOR THE DYSFUNCTIONAL HOLIDAYS!, Leisure Learning has given the duo the chance to teach a class on how to save your home and sanity when family descends upon you this holiday season. Through hilarious and amusing songs, dances, and skits, Julia Kay Laskowski as Mavis Applebee and Patti Rabaza as Myrtle McGillicurdle will leave you laughing in the aisles.

Michael Tapley's flawless direction of the duo and their accompanist, Daryl Banner, ensures that every zinger lands perfectly. The audience is left rolling with hearty guffaws from the beginning of the show and all the way home. His cast breathes believable and relatable life into their zany caricatures. His choreography is delightful and shows off a great sense of humor as well.

As the main characters and a handful of others, Julia Kay Laskowski and Patti Rabaza effortlessly earn the love of he audience. With amazing stage presence, alone and together, these women know how to pristinely sell a show. They amaze and delight from the opening to their final bow. Highlights from the evening are their fantastic zingers, like "I wouldn't have to learn to manage my anger if you'd learn to manage your stupidity," their riotous rendition of "Carol of the Bells," Julia Kay Laskowski's Candy La Roux, and "These Aren't My Parents" performed by Tiffany and Buffy. If you find that the holiday movies and shows often warm your heart but don't really showcase what you actually go through, these women have prepared an uproarious parody of the real American experience during the holidays that you'll most likely want to see more than once.

Daryl Banner's accompaniment is fantastic. He radiantly shines when he gets to step out from behind the piano to interact with the ladies and the audience, showcasing fabulous comedic chops. His performance is both memorable and utterly fun.

For a holiday treat that is fantastically comedic and not saccharine sweet, rush out and take Mavis Applebee and Myrtle McGillicurdle's Leisure Learning class HOME FOR THE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY HOLIDAYS! at Theater LaB Houston. In addition to howling with laughter, you'll be wonderfully prepared for those pesky, annoying, and insufferably long-suffering family members that somehow always come to call this time of year just so they can crawl under your skin.

Julia Kay Laskowski and Patti Rabazza's HOME FOR THE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY HOLIDAYS! runs at Theater LaB Houston through December 2, 2012. For more information and tickets, please visit http://theaterlabhouston.com/ or call (713) 868 – 7516.

All photos courtesy of Theater LaB Houston.

Julia Kay Laskoski as Mavis Applebee and Patti Rabaza as Myrtle McGillicurdle.

Julia Kay Laskoski as Candy LaRoux and Patti Rabaza as Tiffany.

Julia Kay Laskoski as Mavis Applebee, Daryl Banner at the Piano, and Patti Rabaza as Myrtle McGillicurdle.

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