Review: “Fluffy the Pine” at the Producers Club

By Lead-Reviewer, Anthony J. Piccione

This holiday season, now is as good a time as ever to look for shows that you can take the whole family to enjoy, as a special treat for this time of year. Unfortunately, the indie theatre landscape is not always filled with such appropriate shows during the month of December, as many artists themselves are found busy and out of the city. Yet this week before Christmas in Midtown, the new musical Fluffy the Pine has come along to try and change that, by providing a refreshing addition to the holiday genre.

Set to a pop/R&B-influenced score, this wholesome yet contemporary musical tells the story of talking trees, how they are adopted yet remain connected as they separate, and how they work together to help stop a plastic-related business scheme that has gone horribly wrong. The music is fun and easy to clap along to, and while the jokes can be enjoyed by kids, there’s also plenty about this show that will get adults laughing along, too. It’s a bit long, and considering that the 2^nd act was considerably shorter than the 1^st, it’s not hard to see how one could cut a bit from the end of the 1^st and the beginning of the 2^nd, and still have a great show that doesn’t need an intermission. Nonetheless, it’s still filled with plenty of humor, music, and dancing that will keep the attention of kids, their parents, and even those of us who are grown without children! When a show is this fun, its not hard to forgive a show for being a bit long.

This humorous and charming story is enhanced by the enthusiastic and charismatic performances of its cast. Staged in one of the intimate theaters at the Producers Club, this talented ensemble makes this story – and the world it takes place in – feel larger than the venue where it is produced. Furthermore, their performances are complimented nicely by a bright and colorful costume design, which perfectly demonstrates how you don’t need to have a big budget to create engaging, family-friendly fun. I only wish I had been provided with either a paper or digital program, so I could give due credit to each of these talented artists!

With a positive message about caring and showing compassion for others, combined with catchy music and energetic performances, this is a holiday show that all families are bound to enjoy, whether they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, etc. While it only runs for a few days, I absolutely encourage you to take the whole family to see this show, if you have the chance!

 

FLUFFY THE PINE

“Fluffy the Pine” is written by Nikki Sorrentino, Allison Jacobs & Susan Paroff and is directed by Susan & Sean Paroff, featuring musical direction by Jonathan Brenner.

 “Fluffy the Pine” runs at the Producers Club, located 358 W 44^th Street, New York, NY, from December 16^th-19^th.