Annoyance Theatre’s ‘Miracle At Century High School’ Is Sketch Comedy Fun

Miracle at Century High School is a quirky new musical Christmas comedy about one teacher’s quest to save a scandal-ridden school by creating an award-winning play. Reminiscent of sketch comedies in tone, this show brings the laughter.

As we move into the holiday season, we hear the telltale music on the radio, see the sparkly movies on TV, and watch as everyone brings out their holiday cheer. The Annoyance Theatre’s new production of Miracle at Century High School, an original work written by Anthony Cusumano and composed by Mike Kelley, is bringing the holiday laughter.

Described as “a delightful blend of A Christmas Carol meets 30 Rock meets High School Musical,” this show is a mix of ideas, genres, and spoof. Centering around a scandal-plagued high school, drama teacher Jacob Lunsford is directed by the school principal to write and produce an original Christmas musical so good that it will win awards and save the school (as well as his employment, which is suddenly in jeopardy).

After a few meetings with the ghost of Charles Dickens in his black top hat, Mr. Lunsford cranks out several versions of what ends up being the perfect Christmas show. Peppered with quirky students and a news reporter tasked with reporting on the random scandals of Century High School, everything ends with a happy and musical wrap-up.

Led by Jayson Acevedo’s Mr. Lunsford, the cast plays well into what feels like a cross between stand-up comedy and Saturday Night Live skits. The show is silly and in on its own joke with original songs that lament about being more than just a Christmas tree (a ballad), superiority about Harvard (heavy metal), a twist on “Last Christmas” by Wham!, and many others.

With a range of bits including a nod to Chekhov’s gun (a principle that says that every element in a show should eventually be relevant and contribute to the forward progression of the story – i.e. if there is a gun produced early in the show, it should be fired or utilized at some point), how tough it is to get into a university, the competitiveness of twins, and the loving cheesiness of Hallmark Christmas movies, there are some extremely well thought out and funny themes at play here.

That said, the show itself is a bit uneven. The first act is approximately an hour and 5 minutes and the second is approximately 25 minutes. While there are a lot of funny moments in the first half, some of the discussion about and creation of the different versions of the musical feel a little drawn out. The second act, however, is extremely tight, very funny, and where everything comes together for a big finish. It is ultimately worth the hilarious payoff.

There are some very cute additions to the show that are unlike others you’ve seen. During intermission, the audience is invited to pin ornaments onto one of the characters dressed like a Christmas tree. It’s also interesting that although there is a moment where you’d expect to see a kiss between two characters, they choose not to do it, playing further into the sketch comedy.

This is a unique and funny show that will remind you of sketches and bits that you’ve seen elsewhere, but definitely not with this setup. Miracle at Century High School is a humorous way to celebrate the holidays, so plan out your schedule and have a few laughs.

Miracle at Century High School runs approximately 1 hour 40 minutes including a 10-minute intermission.

The Annoyance Theatre Miracle at Century High School Chicago Review – Miracle at Century High School is playing at The Annoyance Theatre through 12/18/2024. Tickets can be purchased on the The Annoyance Theatre website. The Annoyance Theatre is located at 851 W. Belmont Ave, Floor 2 in Chicago.