Courtesy of The Local Tourist

“It’s A Wonderful Life,” “A Christmas Carol” and How The Grinch Stole Christmas are viewing staples during the holiday season. This year, Dee Snider hopes to add his “Rock & Roll Christmas Tale” to the list.

Yes, Dee Snider, of the garish ‘80s hair metal band Twisted Sister, who sang the rebellious anthems “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” has written a family friendly Christmas Musical.

Dee Snider’s Rock & Roll Christmas Tale is about current day rockers trying to make it as a hair metal bar band called Däisy Cütter. Clad in full ‘80s makeup, spandex and platform boots, the rockers resemble Poison’s Brett Michaels circa Look What the Cat Dragged In and MÖTLEY CRÜE’s Nikki Sixx à la Shout at the Devil. But despite their passion and dedication to the ‘80s genre, they’re not exactly what today’s club-goers want to listen to. Desperate to achieve rock & roll stardom, the members of Däisy Cütter decide to sell their souls to Satan via a pact written by the lead singer and signed in the band members’ blood.

The deal with the devil seems to work, but instead of rock songs, Däisy Cütter find themselves belting out Christmas carols. What starts out as We’re Not Gonna Take It, for example, turns into O’ Come All Ye Faithful. The crowds pour in to hear them, but even though the carols are set in the key of hair metal, it’s not exactly what the band had in mind. As Dee Snider narrates the story, Däisy Cütter rebels against their Christmas success, while reconsidering their pact with Satan.

Not only does Dee Snider set the festive tone as the narrator, but he also has a small part in the musical directed by Adam John Hunter. Of course, he jumps in on a song or two as well. It would be a huge disappointment if he didn’t. The rest of the cast is rounded out by Chicagoans Bill McGough, Adam Michaels, Christina Nieves, Dan Peters, Wilam Tarris, Keely Vasquez and Taylor Yacktman, plus Milwaukee native Tommy Hahn.

The 90-minute show ends with a feel good message, but it isn’t overly deep and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s just a fun tongue-in-cheek call back to ‘80s rock, with Christmas songs, romance, comedy and an exorcism mixed in. The only thing missing was a truly great power ballad, which was an ’80s staple after all.

Don’t worry if you’re not a fan of the hair metal genre. While it certainly adds to the fun, it’s not a prerequisite to enjoy the show. Just ask opening night’s multi-generational audience, who clapped along (maybe even banged their heads) and waved their complimentary flashlights in the air before jumping to their feet to sing along as Dee Snider closed the show with Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

“Dee Snider’s Rock & Roll Christmas Tale” runs through January 4, 2015 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. Get your tickets at Broadway in Chicago.