The Troubies are back at the Colony Theatre for their annual spoofstravaganza, the “Director’s Cut” of December 2022’s Die Heart, and let me tell you I had even more fun the second time around (and not simply because heroic protagonist John McClane, played by national treasure Matt Walker, interrupted the mayhem and merriment to give a certain L.A. theater reviewer a shoutout).

 As was the case three holiday seasons ago, Troubadour Theater Company’s triple-threat band of zanies have once again taken the movie that launched Bruce Willis’s career as everybody’s favorite cop-turned-antiterrorist, jukeboxed in the songs of ‘70s/’80s rock legends Ann and Nancy Wilson (aka Heart), stirred in their trademark blend of unrepressed lunacy, and come up with a Christmas musical spoof in the grand tradition of Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Motown, The Little Drummer Bowie, and Rudolph The Red-Nosed ReinDOORS.

Since you’d probably have to have watched the original Die Hard multiple times to even begin to follow the myriad storylines unfolding on the Colony Theatre stage, here’s a brief primer on the movie smash that inspired the Troubies’ 21st-annual holiday show.

 Troubies head honcho Walker stars as NYPD’s very own John McClane, who finds himself the only man inside L.A.’s towering Nakatomi Plaza with even the slightest chance of foiling dastardly German radical Hans Gruber (Rick Batalla) and his armed band of Teutonic terrorists in their attempt to steal $640 million in bearer bonds.

 Meanwhile, partying Nakatomi Corporation employees celebrate Christmas Eve on one of the high-rise’s upper floors, among them John’s estranged wife Holly (Chelle Denton), her pregnant coworker Ginny (Sofia JoAnna), coke-snorting junior exec Ellis (John Paul Batista), and a quickly dispatched CEO Mr. Takagi (Mike Sulprizio).

As Hans and his wacky platinum blond co-terrorists (Philip McNiven as Karl, Batista as Uli, and Luis Martinez as Tony) go about setting in motion their evil deeds, McClane’s driver Argyle (Clinton Roane) patiently awaits his passenger’s return, blissfully unaware of the events unfolding high above him on the 30th floor.

Meanwhile down below, McClane’s preteen daughter Lucy (Lara Lafferty) frets about her daddy’s return as police sergeant Al Powell (Roane) forges a telephone bond with McClane, who’s busy performing feats of superhero strength barefoot. (The double-sized plastic feet Walker sports are just one of Die Heart’s laugh-getting props. The combatants’ nerf-firing “automatic weapons” are another.)

All of this is set to Heart hits like “Alone,” “Kick it Out,” “Crazy on You!” “Barracuda,” and “Magic Man,” the Wilson sisters’ hard rock-meets-heavy metal sound proving a perfect fit an action movie spoof like Die Heart while providing the superpower-piped Denton and Lafferty the opportunity to give Ann and Nancy a run for their Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award-winning money.

And if the comedy riffs, both scripted and adlibbed, and the entire cast’s vocal prowess weren’t already enough to earn audience cheers, dance moves choreographed by Batista, Suzanne Narbonne, and Walker give Broadway hoofers a run for their money. (The mostly posed production stills provided to the press don’t even begin to suggest how spectacular this all is.)

Oh, and lest I forget, Die Heart 2.0 may be set in the 1980s, but that doesn’t stop the Troubies from keeping things as up-to-date as references to the White House East Wing, ChatGPT, and a recent insult launched at a decidedly non-porcine member of the White House press corps.

As was the case three years ago, a “bulked up” Walker makes for a Willis-worthy McClane, his inspired direction featuring some brilliantly conceived “special effects” and clever use of just about every inch of the Colony stage.

Batalla once again cements his status as a Troubie Hall Of Famer as the hysterically, unidentifiably European accented Hans; the outrageously funny McNiven plays Karl like a Nureyev wannabe (the Russian ballet dancer Alexander Godunov was Karl in the movie) with an increasingly bulging dance belt; and the inimitable Kennedy steals scene after scene in role after role, including one no Troubadour Holiday Musical could be without.

Supporting and cameo turns are equally fabulous, with new-for-2025 cast members JoAnna, Benji Kaufman, Lafferty, Trey McIntyre, and Roane matching their more seasoned costars every step of the way.

 Ryan Whyman scores top marks for his music direction as live band members Alex Burke (piano), BB Kates (bass), Nikki Stevens (guitar), and Kevin Stevens (drums) provide a rocking backup throughout with Robert Arturo Martinez providing an expert sound design.

Douglas Leadwell’s costumes (a combination of spot-on ‘80s and multiple flights of fancy), Narbonne’s dazzling array of wigs (with special snaps to Holly’s godawful ’80 perm gone wild), and German Diaz’s wacky props (all of the above expertly lit by Bo Tindell) add to the fun throughout the show as do projected snippets from the original movie by video producer Batalla.

Corey Lynn Womack is stage manager. Lyrics are by Walker and The Troubies. Eric Heinly is music supervisor. Additional choreography is by JoAnna, McIntyre, and Martinez. David Elzer is publicist.

Die Hard may not top everyone’s list of Favorite Christmas Movies despite a 2022 Men’s Health headline proclaiming, “One Last Time, Here’s Why Die Hard Is a Christmas Movie,” but what else can you call a film that takes place on December 24?

Action aplenty, laughs galore, and a rock soundtrack to transport you back to the big-hair, big-shoulder ‘80s, Die Heart: The Director’s Cut has got it all!

Colony Theatre, 555 North Third Street, Burbank.
www.troubie.com

–Steven Stanley
December 5, 2025
Photos: Ashley Erikson

Visit www.theatreinla.com/nowplayingrs.php for a review roundup of what’s now playing in theaters around Los Angeles.

Tags: Colony Theatre, Heart, Los Angeles Theater Review, Matt Walker, The Troubadour Theater Company