Sublime to ridiculous
by Ann Ker, The Illinois Times

Gus Gordon and friends gave us another variety of Christmas spirit in his second CHRISTMAS SONGBOOK, presented last weekend at New Salem. This was a very popular show; the Thursday night performance was jammed. The cast included Nancy Diefenback, Greg Floyd, Becky Garretson, Steve Williams, Cynda Wrightsman, and Gordon as the three couples in the first act, adding Tom Heintzelman as Santa and Ann Collins as Mrs. Claus for the second. Becky’s sister Debbie Holmes played piano (she also sang while Becky played) along with husband Judge Roger Holmes on drums.

These are marvelous performers who really know how to act and sell a song. Even Diefenback, whose laryngitis put her songs at whisper level, rather than her usual volume, carried it off well. It was a secular collection, some very misty-eyed and some absolutely hilarious. They didn’t hesitate to tamper with time-worn lyrics, either. My favorite was “The Restroom Door Said Gentlemen.”