Disclaimer: The Fandads were invited to the press preview night of Klingon Christmas Carol all thoughts, opinions, and Hagh are our own
If you have been following the Fandads for a while, you know that I am a huge fan of Star Wars. In saying that, it does not mean that I do not know about Captain Kirk and his voyages with the crew of the USS Enterprise. I loved watching Star Trek when I was younger, but I really became a fan when watching The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. The stories in those series were just so cool and innovative and I tried to keep up with the shows as much as possible.
I know that many people probably did not grow up watching Star Trek, but they might have seen A Christmas Carol during the Christmas season. They know the tale of Scrooge and Tiny Tim and how he is visited by three ghosts that end up changing his life, etc, etc.
Now imagine that same story with Klingons. Imagine instead of Scrooge we have Squja’ and Tiny Tim becomes Timhom. This sounds pretty interesting, right? Now, imagine that the entire play is spoken in Klingon with supertitles projected above the stage with the English translation. Is this sounding pretty cool to you already or what?
As strange as this sounds the combination works. The play runs so smooth that it brings new life to the old tale and it is refreshing to see this story told in a new way. What is great about the show is that you do not have to be a huge Star Trak fan to enjoy the show. It might help when certain words or jokes to have some knowledge of the Star Trek franchise, but if you are new to the concept of Klingons, you will have a great time.
Whereas the tale of Scrooge talks about a greedy old man who lost his humanity sometime during his life, Squja’ is also a greedy Klingon who has lost his honor and is considered a coward by many. We see throughout the play the same themes of A Christmas Carol, but while some versions of the play or movie have musical numbers, A Klingon Christmas Carol has well-choreographed fight scenes. The cast uses actual Klingon weapons and these scenes are pretty awesome to watch.
A Klingon Christmas Carol is a fantastic play to see during this holiday season and it gives you a new way to see an old tale. The play is great for all families and will keep your children entertained. I would recommend this for children 8 and up, due to the reading that they have to do. The fight scenes might be a little too intense for younger viewers, but if they have seen any of the latest Marvel movies, the fight scenes are no different than those. I will say there is a scene with Klingon children that might frighten some kids and older kids too. (Yep, I’m talking about myself when I say older kids.)
A Klingon Christmas Carol is presented by Edge of Orion theater. The show is written by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom & Sasha Warren, and translated by Laura Thurston, Bill Hendrick, Christopher Kidder-Mostrom & Chris Lipscombe. This production is directed by John Gleason Teske and performs November 29th – December 16th. Tickets are $22 and may be purchased at edgeoforion.com/purchase-tickets/
What is also awesome about the show is that they are having some added entertainment during their first week. Below is the schedule of events and try to check these out while watching the show.
Friday, November 30th
Watch the nationally renown Raks Geek take the stage in our pre-show entertainment. Raks Geek is legendary in blending nerd with belly dance and burlesque. You’ve seen them with their belly dancing Wookie, now catch an all-new Star Trek Inspired dance! 7:30 doors open! More about Raks Geek here: http://raksgeek.com/
Saturday, December 1st
We present Klingon Curse Warfare with Dr. Jeremy Cowan! To Klingons, cursing is an art form. To truly understand the Klingon culture, you must understand Klingon curses. Our Klingon Language Coach will teach you a few prime curses! Doors open at 7:15 pm
Sunday, December 2nd
The Bat’leth and Martial Arts. Join EDGE of Orion’s Executive Director and international stunt coordinator, Orion Couling, as we explore the martial components of the sacred Klingon Weapon. Learn its deadly secrets and revel in a live demonstration! Doors open at 2:15 pm
December 15th from 6 pm to 7 pm we are pounding the table with happiness to announce 5 Year Mission! Five Year Mission is the collaboration of five Star Trek fans who endeavor to write and record a song for each of the episodes of the original Star Trek series from the 1960s. They played at the Adler and at all the cons you love, and on this very special day, this power pop band brings a 1 hour set with blistering music and a great love for the fandom! Purchase tickets here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3821279
December 16th we wrap our series with the Queen of Qapla’ herself THE KLINGON POP WARRIOR will be seizing the stage for a one hour set that will rock the Empire! in a 1-hour concert 6-7 pm you will feel like you are at Quarks on a Friday night! https://www.klingonpopwarrior.com/
Purchase tickets here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3821977
These concerts are $15 individually, but you’ll get 50% off when you buy a ticket to see the show. The coupon will be emailed to you when you buy your ticket online and can be applied when you order your ticket!