"One of a kind"

That's Mr. Grinch -- one of a kind!

I had the pleasure of seeing it Wednesday night and was completely delighted. It's a trifle, just 90 minutes long. And it's more than a little corny in places.

But Stefan Karl played The Grinch and Stefan Karl is certainly, as the song says, "One of a Kind!" He has a great voice and a lanky frame he used as though he were a diabolical Dick Van Dyke. The Tribune review refers to him part Harvey Fierstein, part Christopher Walken and part Richard Nixon, and I don't disagree.

Aside from delighting grownups like me, this Grinch was a hit with kids, too. Stefan Karl successfully played a bad guy called "Robbie Rotten" on a popular children's show called Lazy Town, so he knows how to reach his audience.

He is the hit of my Christmas season. Don't ask me why, I don't know the reason. Perhaps his head isn't screwed on right. It could be, perhaps, his shoes are too tight ...