After 17 years of Stardust holiday schmaltz-fests, Harlequin director Linda Whitney outsourced her holiday revue-writing to James Hindman and Ray Roderick of Miracle or 2 Productions, authors of 2003's A Christmas Survival Guide. From a critical standpoint, it's a welcome change, especially since this anthology's aimed squarely at cynical adults weary of the hustle, bustle, and rabid commercialism of 21st-century holidays. It plays to the Whitneys' principal strengths: live pop music, technical design and intelligence (in no particular order). It also introduces diminutive spitfire Amy Shephard, newly returned from grad school at Exeter, to the Harlequin stage, where she joins revue regulars Antonía Darlene and Christian Doyle.

Speaking of Whitney's design skills, her lush unit set works well throughout the show, and Olivia Burlingame's twinkly lighting design is one of the best of the year. Props also to stage manager Gina Salerno for split-second timing, and to Harlequin's uncredited video designer (and reader Andy Gordon) for bringing the titular self-help book to life.

Read Christian Carvajal's full review of A Christmas Survival Guide in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

Note: showtimes include a Christmas Eve matinée at 2 p.m. and a New Year's Eve closer at 7 p.m.

HARLEQUIN PRODUCTIONS, A CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL GUIDE, THROUGH DEC. 30, 8 P.M. THURSDAY-SATURDAY, 2 P.M. SUNDAY, $25-$38, 202 FOURTH AVE. E., OLYMPIA, 360.786.0151

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