Who’s Cheryl Moritz?

Why, she’s just one of the most dynamic actors to ever hit the Lehigh Valley stage.

Who better to play Cindy Lou Who in “Who’s Holiday!” than Moritz?

“Who’s Holiday!” opened Dec. 4 and continues through Dec. 13, main stage, Nineteenth Theatre, Civic Theatre of Allentown. The Dec. 4 opening night performance was seen for this theater review.

“Who’s Holiday!,” written by Matthew Lombardo, is a parody about Cindy Lou Who, the fictional little girl in Dr. Seuss’s book, “How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas!” (1957) and animated TV special (1966). In “Who’s Holiday!,” Cindy Lou is all grown up and living in a trailer on Mount Crumpet.

Lombardo won a copyright infringement case in 2017, brought by the estate of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, allowing “Who’s Holiday!” to be staged.

“Who’s Holiday!” is recited by Cindy Lou Who (Moritz) almost entirely in rhyming couplets.

The Civic production is directed by Will Morris, who brings out the best in Moritz with excellent stage blocking and enunciation emphasis.

Technical Director-Scenic Designer Sam Roff and Scene Artist Jan Joyce create a sort of Hobbits meets “I Love Lucy” vibe.

Costume-Lighting Designer Paul Halada and Hair-Wigs Designer Kim Danish give Cindy Lou a Cyndi Lauper meets Joan Jett look.

Sound Designer Randall Utsch fills the large room.

The show is recited in character by Cindy Lou Who almost entirely in rhyming couplets. Moritz lights up the stage with a wacky effervescence that is irresistible. Even the off-color banter of the script seems cute in Moritz’s wink-wink, nudge, nudge delivery.

It’s the first show to be presented in the Nineteenth Street Theatre for in-person audiences since March and one of the few, if any, theater shows presented on stage in the Lehigh Valley region since the onset of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health protocols.

Moritz reprises her role as Cindy Lou at Civic where “Who’s Holiday,” a one-act, one-hour-long show with no intermission, had its Lehigh Valley premiere in Theatre514 during the 2019 holiday season.

“Who’s Holiday!” transfers well from the small Theatre514, which has approximately 80 seats, to the large Nineteenth Theatre, which has about 500 seats.

The Theatre514 stage is the floor at the front of stadium-type seating, compared to the Nineteenth Theatre stage, which is elevated and seems to be three times as large as that of the Theare514 stage area.

With Civic’s annual “A Christmas Carol” production not being able to be staged in 2020 because of coronavirus protocol indoor capacity restrictions (previous year’s performances are available online), the Nineteenth Street Theatre main stage became available. It made sense and was a courageous decision by Civic to stage “Who’s Holiday!” in the big house.

The set from the 2019 “Who’s Holiday” production is the same, with spaces on the main stage between the three set pieces of kitchen area, audience left; living room, audience right, and entrance door, center.

It’s a big stage and auditorium for a one-person show. Fortunately, Moritz has a big personality. She commands the stage, striding one end to the other, frolicking and having fun with her character’s persona in direct-address to the audience.

Moritz is such a joyful presence as Cindy Lou Who. And, not only is Moritz’s memorization of the scads of monologue in the script downright impressive, her delivery and timing is impeccable. She throws herself into the part. Moritz is phenomenal.

Moritz raps and sings, too, including two Christmas standards, with her urging the audience to sing along “through your masks.” Moritz is a great ad-libber.

It was great to see a show on a stage in-person. Civic has a limited number of seats available, approximately 60, for each performance. Face masks are required and social distancing is observed. Theater-goers have temperatures taken in the lobby. Civic volunteers wear face masks and face shields.

If you are hale and healthy, and want some hearty laughs for the holidays, venture forth to the Nineteenth Street Theatre in Allentown’s West End Theatre District for “Who’s Holiday!”

As with Charles Dickens’ words in “A Christmas Carol,” Civic knows “how to keep Christmas well.”

Again, to quote Dickens: “May that be truly said of us, and all of us! ‘’

“Who’s Holiday,” Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St, Allentown, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, 12; 7:30 p.m., 11 p.m. Dec. 11; 2 p.m. Dec. 13. Tickets: www.civictheatre.com; 610-432-8943