A rich and nasty woman returns to her hometown to evict everyone but discovers the true meaning of Christmas thanks to the local townsfolk – and an actual angel. Features 14 original songs with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton!
Dolly Parton
Angel
Christine Baranski
Regina Fuller
Treat Williams
Carl Pellam
Jenifer Lewis
Margeline
Josh Segarra
Pastor Christian Hathaway
Jeanine Mason
Felicity Sorenson
Mary Lane Haskell
Jenna Hathaway
Matthew Johnson
Mack
Selah Kimbro Jones
Violet
Douglas Sills
Jack Fuller
Vivian Nixon
Bessie
Mary Donnelly-Haskell
Lenore
Donald Corren
Dr. Marshall
Brandon O'Neal
Andy
Mark Daniel Chmiel
Phil the Mailman
Brandon Hudson
Randy
Carol Swarbrick
Granny Hoover
Andrew Brodeur
Teenage Carl
Terry Beeman
Toothless Bearded Man
Yvonne Valadez
Dr. Martinez
Stephen Caudill
Dr. Lundquist
Braxton Alexander
Kenny
Lariah Alexandria
Young Margeline
Jacob Moran
Gilbert
Cruz Abelita
Little Boy
Director
Debbie Allen
Lyricist, Musical
Dolly Parton
Musical, Writer
Maria S. Schlatter
March 27, 2022
4
Now, who doesn't like a bit of Dolly at Christmas? Well, add a little Treat Williams and make Christine Baranski a baddie, and that should have been a recipe for success. Well - it isn't. The whole thing is so sentimentally cheesy that it's almost excruciating to watch. The plot - insofar as that remotely matters - is a sort of "A Christmas Carol" affair, with Baranski deciding to sell her town to some property developers - and so she decides to deliver eviction notices to the populace with only days to go until Santa arrives. Dolly, complete with angel dust, decides to step in and stop the mean and wicked lady from carrying out her plan and... well, you can guess the rest. The whole thing reminded me of a cannibalisation of a school performance of "Godspell" I was in, in 1974 - the production and dance routines are staged to within an inch of their life - and a couple of episodes of "Glee". I doubt even at this time of year, this can resonate with anyone who isn't under ten years old - and I'm afraid Treat Williams just can't sing. One, perhaps, to leave the kids in front of the telly for, whilst you wrestle with the turkey but otherwise, even the schmaltzy lyric doesn't help. It might be borderline sacrilegious to say this but sorry, Dolly - this is terrible.