Rapper-turned-movie star Marky Mark plays Angel Clarence to a former boy bander’s down-and-out George Bailey in Chriskirkpatrickmas, Alison Zatta and Valen Shore’s clever, tuneful, utterly winning mash-up of It’s A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and the international phenomenon that was *NSYNC.

No, Chris Kirkpatrick doesn’t actually become George, but like Jimmy Stewart in the holiday movie perennial, the *NSYNC founder finds himself in deep despair on Christmas Eve 2009, seven years after bandmate Justin Timberlake went solo and *NSYNC went on a very extended “hiatus.”

The instantly catchy “Starbucks Song” starts things off with Chris (Shore) standing in line for coffee on Hollywood and Vine and waxing poetic on being “someone you’d see on MTV back in the 90s.”

The *NSYNC Christmas Eve party that follows Chris’s Starbucks run has his fellow *NSYNCers Lance (Riley Rose Critchlow), Joey (Elizabeth Ho), and J.C. (Mia-Carina Mollicone) filling him in on their still successful careers, which is probably why when Chris reveals his plans for a “Hi Hi Hi” reunion tour for the group whose “Bye Bye Bye” hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, the still “hot hot hot” threesome make their assorted exits.

As for conspicuous-by-his-absence Justin (Nicole Wyland), well it’s perhaps not surprising that the chart-topping solo artist had better things to do this Christmas Eve than reunite with the band, and though Chris leaves a message on Justin’s answering machine (“You didn’t leave me your cell phone number. What’s up with that? What’s up with that, bro?”), it’s to no avail.

No wonder then that when Chris sends up a prayer for help, (“God? Hey, it’s me. Chris Kirkpatrick. From *NSYNC.”) God, in their infinite wisdom, sends down angel Marky Mark (“The part of his identity Mark Wahlberg had to give up to become the great actor, entrepreneur, and multimillionaire that he is today.”) to take Chris on a trip down memory lane to prove to him what a wonderful life he’s been living and in so doing give him renewed hope for the future.

Along the way, the Chriskirkpatrickmas cast perform one hook-blessed original song after another (music by Shore, lyrics by Shore and Zatta, who also cowrote the book), among them “Every Day Is Christmas (When You’re Me),” the “me” in question being movie star/solo hit maker Justin; “It’s Gonna Be,” which has a pre-*NSYNC Chris dreaming of a future when he’s not just “one of those background singing theme park doo-wop guys”; and “You’ll Be Sorry,” in which Lou, the manager they will one day sue for defrauding them of their earnings, threatens to axe Chris if he persists on insisting that his best friend Brody not be replaced by Lance.

Though Chriskirkpatrickmas will prove a particular treat to *NSYNC fans, even the uninitiated will find much to relish in Shore and Zatta’s laugh-packed book, their instantly hummable songs, and the many exhilarating dance numbers choreographed by the gifted Lili Fuller, who has her boy band moves down pat.

Shore’s infectiously winning lead performance (her head topped by Chris’s signature dreads) is a love letter to the man whose life she honors, and co-creator Zatta gives her irrepressible Marky Mark the broadest of Boston accents you’re likely to hear outside of Dorchester.

Under Shore and Zatta’s zippy direction, Wyland’s spunky, curly-topped, full-of-himself Justin, Critchlow’s boyishly charming Lance, Ho’s joyously fresh outta Brooklyn Joey, Mollicone’s instantly endearing J.C., and Lambert’s deliciously dastardly Lou prove equally fabulous, and all five play assorted cameo roles to boot.

Taylor J. Williams merits double kudos for his expert music direction and harmonious arrangements of prerecorded tracks, and Michaela Molden’s vibrant lighting and Josh Millican’s amped up sound design are just what a boy band needs to dazzle.

Chriskirkpatrickmas is produced by Shore and Zatta. Critchlow is assistant director. Hannah Cairo is stage manager. Alex Reeves is sound mixer.

Billed as “A Boy Band Christmas Musical (With Very Little Boy Band Music),” Chriskirkpatrickmas scored big at this past summer’s Hollywood Fringe Festival, and now that December is upon us, what better time for it to make its triumphant return.

Though Chris Kirkpatrick himself may never see this loving tribute to his life (though he definitely should), anyone who’s not Chris should put it on their must-do Christmas list.

The Actors Company, 916a. N. Formosa Ave, West Hollywood.
www.chriskirkpatrickmas.com

–Steven Stanley
December 4, 2022
Photos: Matt Kamimura

Tags: *NSYNC, Alison Zatta, Chris Kirkpatrick, Los Angeles Theater Review, The Actor's Company, Valen Shore