The Powerful Madam Martina

A magnificent mess of great multitudes, The Dina Martina Christmas Show at ACT Theatre is a performance that perfectly encompasses the holiday season. Full of personality and unapologetic flair, ecstatic raconteur Dina Martina, accompanied by her talented pianist Chris Jeffries, puts on a colorful show full of impeccable humor that will knock your socks off. Her boisterous first segment is filled to the brim with personalized Christmas caroling and hilarious anecdotes, and her second echoes her appreciation for her local audience by honoring the history of Seattle and looking back on the beginnings of her career. From the very moment she bursts onto the stage, Dina Martina is sure to keep audiences captivated with her distinct and unforgettable charm for a night of holiday shenanigans.

Throughout the show, Dina Martina establishes her classic, sporadic persona that is especially relatable when facing the pandemonium of the Christmas agenda. Her loud songs paired with flashy costumes transformed her image, characterizing her as the belle of the ball and immediately grabbing the attention of the audience. The manner in which she hastily fiddles with ornaments, jingle bells, and other classic Christmas decorations while dancing freely on the stage enhances her frenzied energy that zaps the audiences with giddiness and joy as if they were on the dance floor themselves. While satisfying the spontaneity and volume of her character, I enjoyed how Dina Martina presented a myriad of layered plotlines without pressuring the audience to follow a mentally exhaustive story. Each of the components that compile the obscure yet engrossing details of her stories are not necessarily connected like the chapters of a book; rather, they sprout like individual nuggets of information that the audience can digest at an upbeat yet comfortable pace. Especially after a long week of 9 to 5 work days, Dina Martina’s lighthearted and humorous stories are refreshing and easy to listen to. In her scattered recollections of holiday seasons past, she also provokes a reemergence of contagious holiday cheer. With comedy, she energizes her listeners like a bolt of lightning and powers the triumphant sound of hearty laughs that ring constant throughout the night. The evening I attended, the December 13 show, was particularly powerful; I’ve attended many Dina Martina performances before but cannot recall the last instance I witnessed and interacted with such a passionate and united crowd. The liveliness of the show, however, must also be accredited to the set and lighting design. I felt like a welcomed guest when faced with the coziness of an intricately crafted living room filled with garlands, wreaths, and illuminated family photos. The Christmas tree was a bold presence in the room, and it protected the perfectly-placed presents that symbolized the gifts of entertainment, memories, and love that would reveal themselves as the night progressed. Each and every one of these elements electrified the venue with elevated spirits and mirrored the vibrancy of Dina Martina’s performance. The lighting design extended the divine visual ambience and aesthetics of the set; fast-moving golden spotlights followed Martina as she performed her musical pieces, projected sprinkling snowflakes framed her as she recalled memories from her winters, and a periwinkle spotlight set the sentimental tone for the second act. These technical elements matched the vitality of Dina Martina’s character without overwhelming her stage presence, perfecting a balance that is often difficult to obtain with dynamic stand-up performances.

Throughout the show, Dina Martina finds fun and heartwarming ways to personally connect with her audiences. During her December 13 show, Dina Martina honored the loyalty and support of her community by inviting one of her audience members to join her on stage for a conversation and offering them a token of her appreciation through silly gifts and memorabilia. As a result of this show of support for her spectators, many theatre-goers have made a tradition out of returning to see Dina Martina’s performances. One couple I spoke to during the evening told me that they have bought tickets to watch The Dina Martina Christmas Show for five years because of her entrancing stage presence and meaningful connections that she makes with her audience. Spectators especially loved how she would lead the audience in exhilarating song and tell stories as if she were conversing with old friends. In the seats of the Dina Martina show, audience members feel at home. The holiday spirit of connection rings through her set as well; the two stockings on the mantle of the fireplace, candies on the table, and the stool next to the piano reflected Dina Martina’s gratitude for her co-star Mr. Jeffries and enveloped the value of that relationship.

The most meaningful motif of the night was Dina Martina’s reflection on historical Seattle  landmarks and buildings and her personal sentiment with the city. Using the multimedia technology of the set, Dina Martina recalled narratives of her performances and experiences in Seattle through the timely use of song while pictures of old and forgotten restaurants, buildings, and landmarks shone through the large screen embedded in the wall of the stage. The loss of these historic landmarks was difficult for me to comprehend, as I was younger than the primary audience and hadn’t had the chance to experience them in my lifetime. However, I could feel the emotional weight of the gasps and whispered memories of my surrounding audience members when they recognized a location they savored in their childhoods. The shared passion that the audience had for this wonderful city ignited the room with tears of joy and feelings of compassion for one another supported by the intimacy of ACT Theatre itself and Dina Martina’s careful song. Dina Martina did an absolutely beautiful and powerful job of paying homage to the city in which she made her debut performance in 1989 at Seattle’s Center on Contemporary Art, honoring her humble origins while simultaneously connecting with her audience.

Dina Martina’s act is so touching because her distinct persona reflects the traits of each and every audience member. The falters and small mistakes in the way she speaks resembles the lacking clarity of Christmas-party hosts as they scramble to organize a dazzling celebration. The obscure structure and strategy of her storytelling mimics the excitement of family members when they attempt to recall a moment of their lives that they can’t keep themselves from sharing each year at the dinner table. The familiarity of her character and performance erases any lingering feelings of solitude during the holiday season and offers a space for watchers to feel carefree and joyful for a couple of splendid evening hours. I would love nothing more than to recommend this beautiful show to anyone who looks forward to savoring a worthwhile night of unparalleled humor, intangible light, and memories to cherish for the years to come. Dina Martina teaches us to admire the inevitable silliness of the Christmas season, to spend more time with the people we love, and to avoid taking any special moments for granted.

Lead photo by Giao Nguyen.

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