Pittsburgh CLO's 'Who's Holiday!' is naughty and nice

Fair warning, there will be no rhyming in this review.

The red-and-green tinsel-tassled march toward Christmas has begun, a time of merriment, cheer and family — and it can be a bit cloying at times. Pittsburgh CLO’s “Who’s Holiday!” is a very R-rated 90-minute show that will turn all of that family-friendly cheer on its head while maintaining the spirit of the season.

The Greer Cabaret Theater is decked out in candy-cane-striped lights, Christmas trees and holiday tunes — and also has some nifty themed cocktails on offer to enjoy throughout the show. The ambiance is top-notch for a bawdy holiday party.

“Who’s Holiday!” was penned by Matthew Lombardo as essentially a one-woman show. It stars Lara Hayhurst as all-grown-up Cindy Lou Who, of “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” fame. She’s been down on her luck for a while now — really, really down on her luck — but has decided to throw a holiday party for her friends to induce some Christmas cheer.

In the course of the show, the audience learns what’s been going on in Whoville since the events of “The Grinch,” and it’s a harrowing tale. Cindy Lou, to put it bluntly, has been through it.

Frankly, the plot, well, isn’t funny. It’s bizarre, out of left field and feels designed for shock value — and not really in a good way. Thankfully, it’s surrounded by some highly entertaining interludes and improvisation, plus all the Christmas trimmings of the production.

But don’t be discouraged! There’s a happy ending to be found here and plenty of uproarious laughs along the way.

After dancing onto the stage to The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping,” Hayhurst shows off talents in singing, dancing, acting and comedy while carrying the whole production. The finest moments of Sunday’s matinee of “Who’s Holiday!” came when she interacted with the crowd and thought up some razor-sharp one-liners on her feet. Another warning: purchasing those front-row seats may make you a target for some hilarious back-and-forth with the leading lady.

The stage’s set is just as brash and loud as the woman performing on it. Featuring an overwhelming array of Christmas lights, garlands and various other decorations, it’s like Christmas exploded — in a good way — all over Cindy Lou’s trailer. But the projections behind and on the sides of the stage also make the set versatile — and feature some really great visual jokes, as well. Scenic and projection designer Bryce Cutler made a garish winter wonderland while also setting the scene for various parts of Cindy Lou’s backstory.

Also aiding in that scene-setting was lighting design by Cat Wilson, whose lighting concepts could shift in an instant from cheery and homey to bleak and tragic, or to high-energy club lighting for a few especially fun interludes.

Costume designer Alexander Righetti did an amazing job bringing the cartoonish look of the Whos into a modern context with sparkles and bows, and hair and makeup designer Travis D. Klingler also got to let his imagination run wild — Hayhurst looked like a Seussian delight.

And director Trey Compton had every laugh timed to perfection and managed to make a one-woman comedy run the whole gamut of emotions. Hayhurst may get the audience eating out of the palm of her hand, but the direction really shines in its support — and guidance — of her performance.

This isn’t a show for kids, or for people who can’t tolerate a lot of rhyming (or a bit of a depressing journey to the bittersweet finale). But it is a show that will make audiences laugh and warm their hearts when they may need a break from the overly saccharine trappings of Christmas.

Pittsburgh CLO’s “Who’s Holiday!” will run at the Greer Cabaret Theater in downtown Pittsburgh through Dec. 22. To learn more and get tickets, visit pittsburghclo.org.