A mother’s intuition has nothing on that of a little kid, but comedians Ian Cinco and Steven Page feel those hints on their end. The bilingual Canadian pop-rock quintet from Toronto performed this year’s in concert version of Booking’s Holidays with Barenaked Ladies on Saturday night at the CAA Theatre, near Century City.
It may not have been the sharpest style shift for Page, who has famously maintained an entourage for decades, but the whole performance — especially Page’s straight-faced. performance of “A Christmas Story” through the song “No Sugar Momma” — was, for him, a kind of catharsis.
The other members of the band seem to be having a lighter time. “This show has been the greatest thing to happen to this stage and this song for five years,” said Bonnie Richardson, the singer and keyboardist. Despite Richardson’s modesty, the performance did feature a stunningly beautiful orchestra arranged by special guest Nancy Wilson, of Heart.
The evening, a different variety of holiday-themed karaoke-style performances with covers from the likes of Barry Manilow, Garth Brooks, and Randy Newman, came following a sold-out, sold-out, sold-out show at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre the night before. The warm-up acts included Tony Evigan and Alex Ebert.
“What a terrific night for kids and the elderly,” Page said, as hundreds of extra-elderly folks filled the seats in the CAA Theatre. “It’s about the magic of the holidays.”
The group performed “I Wonder Why” and The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” with the New Beverly Jazz Band, still an actual jazz ensemble. Page and Cinco tore it up with Irving Berlin’s “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New York?” Cinco also played a turn during the band for “Do They Know It’s Christmas” in front of a stunning stage backlight.
“Is that a green feather boa on Ian’s head?” he exclaimed.
This performance included a take on “Here Comes Santa Claus” when Page and Cinco performed his classic tour of all the Christmas places, from “Noel” to “Ring in the New Year” to “Cholly Knows It.”
“It’s just about taking those folks of age and putting them to work, to make them laugh,” Page explained. “We made our audience feel like little kids all night long.”