Die Hard Xmas
19 December 2025
Museum Of Comedy
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
As we’re hurtling towards Christmas, the Museum of Comedy hosted a short two day run of Die Hard Xmas: The Musical Parody. The small scale production really packs a punch, adding an eclectic discography and lots of sexual energy to the action packed movie plot. During a company Christmas party at Los Angeles’ Nakatomi Plaza, terrorists take party goers hostage in a criminal plot to steal valuable bonds from the vaults. New York City police officer John McClane is visiting his estranged wife and slips away from the party just in time to take on the terrorists to save the day.
The show starts at the Christmas party, where McClane’s wife Holly kicks the show off by singing about the upcoming show itself, and about how horny she is for her estranged husband to return, really setting the tone for the naughty hi-jinks about to ensue. Self-referential and expositional, this enthusiastic beginning for the chaotic show is a perfect opener, warming up the audience and boasting a plethora of cheap jokes. When John McClane arrives at the airport, he is picked up by Argyle, played enthusiastically by Kareem Lewis, who proceeds to narrate the happenings in short but brilliant little interludes between scenes, while Niek Versteeg’s McClane brings turbulent cowboy energy to stage. An absolute highlight is Cal Buckley’s Ellis, Holly’s coked up colleague who boasts so much frenzied intensity, it’s a miracle he doesn’t explode right on stage! A brilliant performance that sizzles with the frantic energy of an ambitiously reckless young businessman flying off the handle.
From office party madness to singing and dancing criminals in Lederhosen, the show really leans into the kitschy energy any good musical parody should. It’s a laugh-out-loud fever dream of a show filled with hilarious lyrics set to well known party classics, not afraid to go full madness to bring the plot to life with sparklingly vivid hilarity.
It’s not truly Christmas until Hans Gruber takes a screaming dive off Nakatomi Plaza, right after a riotous Yippee Ka-Yay sing-along! Here’s to hoping this show returns for a longer run next year!
