A Survivor! Christmas, Zeppo Theater Company, at the Beat Kitchen. The third in Zeppo’s series of end-of-the-year musicals is yet another sparkling foray into giddily obvious humor. Writer-director George Brant ties his send-up of the real-TV hit into the holidays with a premise that’s both hilariously stupid and ingenious: the contestants compete on Christmas day against the ultimate ringer–Jesus. With music by Paige Coffman, this is more a pageant than a show–but a highly entertaining one. Mark Vanasse as Cliff, the Richard surrogate, does a sharp, subtle impression, though he’s somewhat upstaged by his stagecraft-enhanced ass. Steven Fedoruk, the pseudo Rudy, redeems his senile-and-homophobic routine through sheer exaggeration. Jackie Sidle as faux Susan Flo sports an excellent double-truck-drivin’ accent, and as power-mad host Jeff Probst, Mike Beyer oozes unctuous vanity.
