Stage Review - A Very Die Hard Christmas (Seattle Public Theatre)
Stage Review - A Very Die Hard Christmas
Presented By: Habit Comedy / Seattle Public Theatre - Seattle, WA
Show Run: November 14 - December 21, 2025
Date Reviewed: Monday, November 22, 2025
Run Time: 1 Hour, 15 Minutes (including a 15-minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Doug Knoop
True confession time. As a longtime Seattle native theater goer, I have never seen “ A Very Die Hard Christmas.” Of course I have seen the 1988 movie starring Bruce Willis (I’m old enough to have seen it in a movie theater, thank you very much), and I’ve seen The Habit’s “Jurassic Parking Lot” and their Indiana Jones parody. For whatever reason, this show eluded me.
Until now. I have seen your show, Mark Siano and company, and I am on to your game. I now know why your tickets sell out almost immediately after they go on sale, why this show has become a Seattle holiday staple. It is one of the most wildly satirical and entertaining holiday shows I have seen, and it deserves to run in perpetuity.
For those unfamiliar with the movie (and what cinematic rock have you been living under?), it follows New York cop John McClane, who arrives in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. There he proceeds gets tangled up with a group of terrorists in a high rise office building.
The show excels at blending late 1980s culture, fashion and music with dialogue and key moments from the movie. The attention to detail is amazing, evoking the source material on a budget. I especially enjoyed the opening of the second half of the show, the villain’s final “fall” (no spoilers here), and director Siano guiding the audience through the merry mayhem.
Top among the show’s assets is Jason Marr as McClane. He’s got Willis’ smirk and squint down pat, and handles his oversized squirt gun like a pro. Rebecca Olson perfectly captures Hans Gruber’s euro-chic menace, while Ron Darling’s scenic design and Alissa Cattabriga’s costumes perfectly evoke the time and place.
Oh, and let’s not forget the hard working ensemble that quote ‘80s song lyrics with ease while wearing multiple costumes and dancing up a storm (I’m not sorry to say that certain Janet Jackson tracks are back in my listening rotation).
I’d say “get your tickets now,” but the show is sold out, with the rush list giving you your best chance at getting in. Good luck and Yippie-kai yay to you all.
The Habit Comedy production of A Very Die Hard Christmas runs on stage at Seattle Public Theatre through December 21. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.seattlepublictheater.org/.
Photo credit: Truman Buffett Photography
