Presented by: The Christmas Spectacular
Reviewed: 17 December, 2025
The popular Christmas Spectacular has once again rolled into Adelaide as part of its annual national tour. The matinee performance was full of smiling and excited faces ranging from the very young to the very young at heart.
The show features stage illusions by Michael Boyd, Radio City Rockette inspired dancers and routines, and the shining star on the top of this celebration, vocalist and host Prinnie Stevens.
For a show that has been touring at Christmas time for a few years, you would expect something that is, well, spectacular. Unfortunately, this show lacks a lot of the energy and finesse needed to fully captivate the audience. With some unusual song choices, low energy dance routines and a waffling script, the show didn’t move at the pace it should have. The show’s creators, writer and directors should look at ways to pull an audience in and keep the pace cracking, especially with so many children in the audience. The addition of a live band would go a long way to give this production the energy it needs (did we really need to sit through a pre-recorded overture while nothing happened on stage?).
Michael Boyd beautifully performed a small selection of illusions throughout the show. Whilst a lot of the illusions performed are similar to ones we have all seen many times before, Boyd executed them with great showmanship and finesse. His snow routine was perhaps one the highlights of The Christmas Spectacular — a perfect trick on a hot summer’s day. Nothing beats smoothly performed magic, especially at Christmas time. Personally, I would have loved to have seen more from Boyd during the performance.
Prinnie Stevens sang her way through The Christmas Spectacular with her fine soul/RnB voice in fine form. In a variety of beautiful Christmas-inspired costumes, Stevens brought great Christmas cheer, especially in numbers such as Joy To The World / Joyful, Joyfuland what clearly is her party trick number, Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas (Is You).
One of the biggest highlights goes to the incredible artist who wowed the audiences with an impressive hula-hoop routine in the first half, and her stunning and mesmerising lyra pole spinning routine in the second half. More from this brilliant artist would have been good!
The Christmas Spectacular is certainly aimed as a family show, and it was wonderful to see the Thebarton Theatre filled with families ready for some Christmas cheer. Young and old, the audiences showed their appreciation to this show. The season in Adelaide has ended, but Prinnie Stevens did promise they would return next year.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: supplied
Venue: The Thebarton Theatre
Season: Ended
