30 Minute Musicals Troupe a Little Naughty, a Little Nice in ‘Home Alone,’ ‘Holiday Mash-Up’ Through Dec. 15

Tom Lenk in Thirty Minute Musical’s “Home Alone”

Two naughty yet nice productions from Thirty Minute Musicals, featuring Chaz Bono, Tom Lenk and Ms. Courtney Act as key members of an ensemble cast, play the Hudson Theatre through Dec. 15. In the first half hour, Bono portrays the Dad and Lenk is the resourceful Kevin in the Secondline Production of “Home Alone.”

For the first few minutes, Bono is a bit of a distraction for anyone who notices how much he looks and sounds like his dad, the late Sonny Bono, since his weight loss. Eventually he blends into the ensemble, most of whom are more polished singers and dancers than Bono, but he does a credible job as a member of the troupe.

Early in the show, the assemblage from the famous film “Home Alone” proves as confounding as opening a gift with “assembly required” on Christmas Day. But once Lenk finds his voice as the abandoned Kevin, and the ensemble singers and dancers hit their stride, the production moves merrily along.

30 Minute Musicals Cast Members

The second 30 minutes is a “Holiday Mash-Up” of popular songs and scenarios from famous big-budget films.

“Ho-ho-hosted” by the statuesque Courtney Act, the numbers in the second half hour seem a little more polished than the first. Great fun are the Cat Woman tap dance (“Batman Returns”), the Southern Belles (“Steel Magnolias”), with Ms. Act, an Australian drag star who will appear on RuPaul’s Drag Race next season, doing a formidable Dolly Parton; Bono capturing the essence of Rocky Balboa (“Rocky IV”), and Joey Acuna’s solo as Mr. Takagi (“Die Hard).  Tom DeTrinis’ spider gives the audience several moments of glee, and the “Hard Candy Christmas” (“Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”) provides a great finale—and a good laugh toward the end.

Overall, as a holiday production, the 30 Minute Musicals are like a gift that you’re not quite sure about when you begin to unwrap it, but the end result is full of smiles and appreciation.

For tickets or more info see www.hudsontheatre.com.

Matt McConkey and Tom Lenk

Preston Lorio and Clayton Farris as Harry and Marv