ACT: The Dina Martina Christmas Show
Screenshot from the ACT website, since I forgot to take a photo (again!)
Attended: Sunday, December 8, 2024
Event blurb: “The most hilarious holiday show in Seattle! Dina Martina returns to ACT with her annual Christmas extravaganza, a beloved tradition for over 25 years. Accompanied by award-winning composer/musician/adult prodigy Chris Jeffries, Dina “sings” a mix of traditional and contemporary holiday tunes, treated with her surreal comic sensibility. Experience this hysterically funny and joyous production with your friends and family this Yuletide season!”
Event Summary
I’d never seen Dina Martina before, only heard of her, so I was glad to go to this show when a fellow drag-loving friend suggested it. The Seattle Times refers to her performance as “Dina sings like nobody’s listening, acts like nobody’s watching and dances like she already hurts.” Certainly true, the only issue being that’s not my jam. The opening song was nails on a chalkboard to my ears, and like most drag shows, this was basically a cabaret. The audience was warm to it and with her; this feels like how I don’t like the awkward humor of Arrested Development. Other people love it, but I don’t get it. I think I would have liked the show much better in a bar, where there is ambient noise and motion. The stillness of a large regional theatre didn’t do the show any favors, and it’s not set up for as much audience participation as a drag show generally wants. It was still a fun outing and a great holiday event for anyone looking for something outside of family-friendly programming.
Ticketing: $36 + fees = $50
Attendance: It was mostly full in the theatre, which seats 409
Personal Bias/Reason I went: Holiday drag!
Transparency/Communication
Standard theatre - at least one more email than I want (confirmation and reminder + “know before you go”). In this case, they warned us to dress warmly because they’d been having issues with the heat as well (it seemed fine to both of us, but I appreciated the warning).
Event Goals
A show was performed.
Reception
Seattle is the warmest audience for a city that has a reputation for a “freeze.” As expected, the audience ate the show right up and applauded wildly.
Value
I’m glad I went!
Bottom line
While Dina is not to my personal taste, it’s a fun show if you like this style of performance.
To follow Protagonist Event Reviews, follow the Protagonist Events LinkedIn page or subscribe to the Protagonist Events mailing list.