The Frontmezzjunkies Interview with George Reinblatt & Suzy Wilde, the creatives behind Predictable Holiday Rom-Com: The Musical

By Ross

Just in time for twinkling lights and peppermint lattes, a new Toronto musical is turning every Hallmark-style holiday fantasy on its head, with songs, laughs, and just enough sincerity to warm even the grinchiest heart. From the creative minds behind Evil Dead The Musical and After the Rain, Predictable Holiday Rom-Com: The Musical is aiming to be a laugh-out-loud, song-filled stage spectacle that turns every cozy holiday movie trope—think small-town meet-cutes and Christmas tree lot crises—into a hilarious and original musical experience. Running from November 4 to 16 at The Second City Toronto, this playful Canadian production is crafted by two celebrated homegrown artists, George Reinblatt and Suzy Wilde, and it’s sure to bring festive feels to audiences of all ages.

To celebrate this fun and festive show, I had the pleasure of sitting down with George and Suzy for an interview. We talked about the magic behind turning holiday clichés into hilarious musical moments, the creative process of blending comedy with heartfelt storytelling, and what makes Toronto the perfect backdrop for such a joyful stage adventure.

FMJ: What inspired you to turn all those familiar holiday movie tropes into a musical? Were there particular movies that served as a starting point?

SUZY: My husband is a film composer and has scored a number of made-for-TV Christmas movies, and since I work in theatre, actor-friends of mine get cast in these films all the time. So I started watching these movies to be a supportive friend and spouse…But at some point, things turned, and I just kept watching them for absolutely no reason. The predictable holiday rom-com is honestly just the coziest thing to watch. You don’t have to work too hard; you can just put it on and relax. It has become a real guilty pleasure for me, so when George approached me about making our own version in comedy musical form, I thought it was a genius idea.  Some of my favourite TV Christmas movies are: Falling for Christmas, The Christmas Set-Up, A Sisterly Christmas, and Mistletoe Time Machine.

GEORGE: TV Christmas movies make you feel good. Musicals make you feel good. So it’s the perfect match as far as I’m concerned. For the longest time, fans of this genre could only enjoy it from their couch, so we wanted to create a fun communal experience where you could put on your ugliest Christmas sweater, grab an eggnog, and experience the joys of one of these movies live. And as for which holiday rom-coms inspired this show, the answer is all of them!

FMJ:  The show promises to be filled with humor and heart—how did you find the right balance between comedy and genuine holiday warmth? 

SUZY: It was really important to us that 1) this was a family-friendly show and 2) people who are real fans of these movies understand that we’re laughing with them, not at them. So we just leaned into poking fun at how predictable these movies are, rather than embellishing our plot with any kind of crudeness. The surprise-factor comes in music form, like when the chorus breaks into a fully choreographed cookie-baking contest, or when our protagonist sings about choosing between her big-city boyfriend and the handsome single dad she just met in “Should I Cheat?“.

GEORGE: This show is a love letter to all of these holiday rom-coms. But it’s also way funnier than you’d expect from this genre. And the reason we wanted to dial up the comedy so much is because we just wanted to make a fun holiday show that makes you laugh from start to finish. There are not enough holiday shows that are just pure fun, and this show will have you smiling for two straight hours.

FMJ: With 17 original songs, how do you approach creating such a large number of tunes that fit seamlessly into the story? Was there a particular song that was especially challenging or fun to write? 

SUZY: My favourite song to write was “Can’t he see I’m Prettier than her?“- an emotional climax for our antagonist, Amber. It’s presented as a heartfelt ballad, and performed with complete sincerity. There are a lot of moments in the show where our actors have to take themselves completely seriously while they sing these ridiculous songs. Those are probably the funniest moments for me!

GEORGE: All of these songs are as catchy as they are ridiculous. You can’t ask me to choose a favourite, I truly love them all.

FMJ: What do you think makes Toronto the perfect city for debuting a holiday musical like this? How does the local stage scene inspire your creative process? 

SUZY: Second City in Toronto has always been our dream venue for this show! We love being right in the heart of downtown at this legendary comedy venue, where tourists and locals can enjoy a great night out. Our story revolves around ( you guessed it!) a magazine writer from “the big city” who goes to visit her uncle in a small town over Christmas, so we love the idea of presenting the show to Torontonians who ( like our protagonist) dream of escaping the hustle and bustle during the holidays!

GEORGE: Suzy and I are both from Toronto. So while both of us have worked around the world, launching this show in Toronto means everything to us for multiple reasons. Because on top of this being our hometown, Toronto audiences are just the best audiences for comedy. So there is literally nowhere else we’d rather be debuting this show. And to do it at the iconic Second City is just icing on the cake.

FMJ: This show seems to lean into the idea that holiday clichés can be fun and relatable. What’s your favorite cliché or trope that you turned into a hilarious moment?

SUZY: I find it hilarious that in all of these movies, every character is completely consumed with the idea of the protagonists falling in love, and the question of “will they or won’t they?“.  There’s always a cheeky 7-year-old trying to get her single dad to decorate the Christmas tree with some random woman who showed up in town that day. Then that woman’s devious uncle (who looks suspiciously like Santa Claus —is he Santa Claus?) finds a way to get her to invite the single dad to the local Christmas market, where they almost kiss three times.  All the while, the local townspeople are looking on and smiling, just hoping that these two 30-something-year-olds will get together in the end.

GEORGE: I love how so many of these movies have a woman dating a jerk she shouldn’t be with, and then leaving him for a new guy she met in a small town. Because, as wholesome as these movies are, it’s also hilarious that so many of them include dumping a guy right before Christmas, which is the least wholesome thing you can do. In the show, we address this with a song called “Should I Cheat”, where our lead sings, “Sadly, this is the plot of most of these Christmas movies.”

FMJ: Finally, what are you most excited for audiences to experience when they see Predictable Holiday Rom-Com: The Musical? What’s the one thing you hope everyone takes away from it? 

SUZY: When I walk away from rehearsal every day, my face is hurting from smiling and laughing so much. I want people to come see this show so that they can have that same experience. 

GEORGE: We just want to see the audience smile. The thrill for us is seeing the crowd have a great time, and we honestly think this show is the most fun way to kick off your holiday season.

Whether you’re in it for the eggnog, the love triangles, or the twelve songs of Christmas chaos, Predictable Holiday Rom-Com: The Musical looks poised to become Toronto’s new favorite holiday tradition. And Toronto audiences are lucky to unwrap it first.