Itasca native's lifelong love of comedy animates 'Grinch'-inspired 'Who's Holiday!'
Joseph Jefferson Award-winner Veronica Garza really likes cracking jokes. And she's good at it.
The Itasca native gets ample opportunity playing grown-up Cindy Lou Who in Theater Wit's funny and surprisingly heartwarming production of Matthew Lombardo's irreverent one-act "Who's Holiday!"
Garza plays Cindy Lou, who as a child discovered the Grinch stealing Christmas from the residents of Whoville in this adults-only show partly inspired by Theodor Seuss Geisel's classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Lombardo's one-woman show finds the 40-something, cocktail-loving, chain-smoking Cindy Lou living in a trailer at the base of Mount Crumpet where she recalls her relationship with the Grinch as she prepares for a Christmas party with her pals Horton, Yertle and The Lorax among others.
It's the type of comedic role Garza has relished since she began performing musicals in high school.
"I like to share jokes with people," she said, "and when you're playing the funny character, all you're doing is sharing jokes with the audience."
One of her great joys is hearing the audience laugh, which happens frequently during "Who's Holiday!" during which Garza's Cindy Lou chats with the audience, serves snacks and leads everyone in a singalong.
"It's going to turn any ideas you have about the Grinch, Cindy Lou, Dr. Seuss on their head in a naughty, unexpected way," she said, describing the show as a "bawdy, ridiculous tale" rooted in childhood nostalgia.
Atypical of holiday offerings, Garza says "Who's Holiday!" presents an alternative perspective of the season, "one that maybe involves too much alcohol on Cindy Lou's part."
"Ultimately she feels like your friend because she's shared so much," she said.
Moreover, "Cindy Lou Who grown up and drinking cocktails is right up my alley," jokes Garza, who appears in Paramount Theatre's "Groundhog Day: The Musical" beginning previews Jan. 26.
A fan of the original 1966 cartoon version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and of Jim Carrey's 2000 live-action remake, Garza jumped at the opportunity to do the show, which director Christopher Pazdernik proposed to Theater Wit after seeing a streamed version of an off-Broadway production last year.
Garza says grown-up Cindy Lou and Carrey's Grinch share similar qualities.
"Each has a heart of gold but is lost in their own way," said Garza, whose endearing, saucy performance reflects the persistence and pathos that comes from living a less-than-idyllic life.
She expected shocked expressions from the audience members unprepared for Lombardo's decidedly adult riff on the Grinch story, which also relies in part on audience participation and Garza's improvisation skills.
"As a comedian, I've learned not everyone will like my jokes and that's OK," she said, adding that response to the subject matter and adult language has been positive. The show concludes with audience members joining Garza in singing a holiday song.
A genuinely poignant moment of fellowship between audience and performer, it's Garza's favorite part of "Who's Holiday!"
"By the end of the show, we're pals," she said.
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"Who's Holiday!"
When: 7 p.m. Dec. 16, 21 and 22; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Dec. 17, 18 and 23; 3 p.m. Dec. 19; and 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 26
Where: Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, (773) 975-8150, theater wit.org
Tickets: $20-$35
COVID-19 precautions: Proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test and masks mandatory