Go! review

After a rough day’s work on the last day of the year, a grumpy young man eschews all of his party invitations to spend New Year’s Eve alone with a cold beer, a remote control and his recliner.

But an unexpected visitor, a young woman selling light bulbs designed to cure Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), reminds him of a Hans Christian Andersen story, “The Little Match Girl,” in  a book left behind by his ex-fiance.

Willfully stranded in his apartment, he delves into the book and finds empathy with the freezing little girl who can’t go home for fear of being beaten by her father for not having sold any matches that day, and rather than face him, she freezes to death in the snow.

Such is the story behind “Striking 12,” New Stage Collective’s part in the holiday roll-out.

More of a song cycle than a play, “Striking 12” takes place on a concert stage with a five-piece band with the musicians playing both themselves and the characters that crop up.

Singer Lara Courtney plays all the female bits, including the light bulb saleswoman, the match girl and various girlfriends of Alan Patrick Kenny, NSC’s artistic director and keyboard player, who is also the man with the book and the ex-fiance. Drummer Mikhail Roberts, who recently played in Know Theatre’s “Thrill Me” and NSC’s “Radiant Baby,” is the drummer and miscellaneous male characters. The dialogue doesn’t always seem to serve the narrative, at least directly, but the apparent jovial patter among the musicians also informs the parallel stories, adding yet another layer of context.

It might have all been a little too precious, however, if the music wasn’t really good, but the combination of pop, jazz and show-style tunes are cleverly written and expertly played, allowing these actors a chance to show another side of their musical talent.

• WHAT: “Striking 12” by GrooveLily
• WHERE: New Stage Collective, 1140 Main St., Cincinnati
• WHEN: Through Dec. 31
• COST: $20, general; $16, seniors; $12, students
• MORE INFO: (513) 621-3700; www.newstagecollective.com