The following is an interview with Jim Blanchette regarding the production, Happy! Merry! Joyous!, at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Blanchette about the genesis behind the production, what he hopes that audiences may take away from the show’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Your solo production, Happy! Merry! Joyous!, will be appearing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival this summer. What can you tell us about the genesis behind the production, and how would you describe its premise?
Jim Blanchette: I have been a caroler for most of the last 35 years. I’ve had the thought of working my experiences into a show for some time now. Originally, I thought I could get a few people together and do a light-hearted caroling show. However, the more I worked on the script, I discovered that it was a much more personal story. So, I had to try to make caroling, a notorious group activity, into a one-person show.
BD: What can you tell us about your shared creative process in working with director Corey Lynn Howe and producer Lisa K. Wyatt to bring this comical and poignant show to life on the stage?
JB: Corey and I have collaborated on several projects in the past, our biggest being a Fringe parody show called The Best of Albuquerque Fringe. She has proven to be a trusted partner with a directing style that is very collaborative. She’s one of my favorite people to make theater with. Lisa K. Wyatt has been my closest collaborator since we were cast as husband and wife in a play and then decided to continue to be husband and wife from then on. Throughout our life together, we have performed together, directed and written for each other, and spent years singing together. Working with both of these women never feels like work. It’s always play time.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that this story may connect with audiences, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it may inspire?
JB: People love to hear carolers, but many just think people come together and start singing holiday music. I think that’s a common theme for any people in the arts. Audiences see the results, but they are unfamiliar with the work it takes to get there. Of course, that is not just limited to the arts. People in all walks of life experience diminishment from others who have no idea they level of commitment and work it takes to present your best and most professional face to the world. My hope is that when people see how the sausage is made, they will gain an appreciation for how the art.
BD: What makes the Hollywood Fringe Festival the best venue for Happy! Merry! Joyous!?
JB: The Hollywood Fringe Festival, indeed all Fringe festivals around the world, are incubators for fresh and innovative ideas. Certainly, no one was clamoring for a one-man play about the life of a caroler. However, Fringe is made for this type of production. Fringe is where you throw stuff up against the wall and see what sticks.
BD: The show will be appearing at The Madnani Theater through June 26, 2026. Are there any future plans to perform the show at other venues?
JB: A future iteration of the show is certainly our dream. We would like to craft a following where this show becomes a holiday tradition, particularly for those who like a little irreverence and some salty language mixed in with their holiday cheer.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about and purchase tickets for Happy! Merry! Joyous!?
JB: We have several performances left at this year’s festival. Tickets can be purchased at here. Fanbase Press readers can use the code FANBASE to get a half-price ticket.
