Preview: ‘Santasia’ Returns to the Whitefire Theatre for Its 26th Year of Holiday Mayhem

For Angelenos who mark the season in part by returning favorites, Santasia – A Holiday Comedy! keeps the streak going strong. Now in its 26th year, the sketch-and-song romp is back at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, playing various dates from Friday, December 12th through Saturday, December 27th, and once again turning the intimate Ventura Boulevard space into an uproarious, off-kilter celebration of Christmas. Few Los Angeles traditions endure with this kind of stamina, but the Loeser brothers’ well-received holiday staple has earned that staying power, along with a chorus of critical praise for its spirited mix of nostalgia, mischief, and smartly executed sketch comedy.

Created by the Chicago-born Brandon and Shaun Loeser as an homage to the shared memories of their father who passed in 2000, the show has grown into a fast-paced swirl of loveable musical parodies, animated interludes, and bursts of physicality where family meltdowns, sibling rivalries, and more become fodder for laughter. About a third of the material changes annually, but the tone remains constant: equal parts heart and chaos. One minute, the cast might be belting through a Broadway spoof that spirals into mayhem; the next, they could be eliciting chuckles with their collective zaniness, cavorting in ridiculous Yuletide garb and embracing over-the-top elf-inspired antics.

This year’s ensemble — Brandon and Shaun Loeser, Rusty Locke, Tara Jean O’Brien, Omar Heyward, and Chey Kennedy, with Pearson Loeser as understudy — leans into the humor and the “truth in comedy” approach championed by comic icon Del Close, a hallmark Santasia fans have come to expect. The performers’ backgrounds in improv, stand-up, and stunt performance lend the evening an appealing looseness, where pratfalls land with precision and the sentiment tucked between jokes feels earned.

Behind the scenes, original choreographer Tania L. Pearson-Loeser, musical director/composer Stacey Quinealty, and lighting designer Wynn Zucchero shape the show’s signature rhythm and visual pop. Stage managers Mitch Rosander and Banzai Vitale keep the controlled chaos humming inside the compact Whitefire space.

Rated PG-13 for language and general misbehavior, Santasia is geared toward adults and older teens who prefer their holiday entertainment slightly warped but ultimately warmhearted. For fans who know and cherish the drill — and newcomers eager to adopt a new December ritual — this year’s run of performances offers a lively, candy-cane-twisted escape into the messy, funny, and deeply familiar dysfunctions that make the holidays memorable in the first place.

Cover image caption: Left to right are Brandon Loeser, Darren Mangler, Shaun Loeser, Lon Gowan, Rusty Locke, and Omar Heyward in 2024’s Santasia – A Holiday Comedy! at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, CA. Photo courtesy of Michael Duisenberg/Michael D Creations.

Santasia – A Holiday Comedy! runs through Saturday, December 27th at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, CA. For further details and to purchase tickets, visit Santasia.com.