Even the holliest jolliest Christmas elf has something he or she hates about the holidays. Whether it's getting a terrible gift from your Secret Santa or trying to navigate the bustling malls in search of the last few items on your list, Josephine Cleo is celebrating the things we love to hate about the "best" time of the year.

In her show, Holiday Snidings, Cleo is taking her snark and songs to the Wolf Performance Hall stage on December 10, telling stories, performing Christmas songs and three of her own original songs. The show will be fun for all ages — "nothing saucy, just sassy," said Cleo. Zach Havens, of the band To Tell, will accompany her songs on the piano.

"Christmas is just rife with opportunities to make fun of it — and I don't mean the religious aspect," she said. "I'm billing it as 'Celebrating the things we love to hate,' but it's not meanspirited in hate, it's the annoyances." Though the show may poke fun at some holiday traditions, Cleo compared it to "the grumpy old man with the heart of gold," adding that it was really about getting into the Christmas spirit.

Cleo said she draws some of her inspiration from working at a MAC makeup counter at a mall during the holiday season, when her co-workers would sometimes be up to half an hour late for their shifts because they couldn't find a place to park. "You think it's supposed to be this time of giving and goodwill, but (people) will ram your car to get your parking spot," she laughed.

"It's a show meant for fun, and I want people to come to laugh (because I'm funny), forget their troubles (because the show is engaging) and bond over the notso- great holiday headaches (misery loves company!)," she added. "I also hope they will walk away from the show having found a fresh new voice in London (mine) that aspires to reach the heights of the Divine Miss Midler," of whom Cleo is a huge fan.

Cleo is already on her way to Bette Midler-level stardom, having a small piece of the star's history on stage with her on December 10. After finding an online auction of one of Midler's microphones from a show Cleo herself had attended at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, "a split-second decision and mouse click later, and I am now the proud owner of Bette's Shure KSM9 handheld vocal microphone in champagne finish," she grinned.

"I said to myself that if I won the auction, it would be an omen that good things are to come, and that I am on the right path toward my dream of being a singer. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but if Bette started in Bathhouses, then surely I can begin my career at the Wolf Performance Hall!"

Cleo is a graduate of the Accounting program at Fanshawe, and is currently working as an Accountant in London. Though she is fairly new to our city's music scene, this is not her first time on stage. In May this year, she put on a show about her journey to becoming a singer. "I've known since I was 11 that I wanted to sing, but I just never ended up getting there," she said. Her May show had people in hysterics, and this Christmas show promises to be another excellent night of entertainment.

Part of the proceeds from Holiday Snidings' ticket sales will benefit London's Humane Society. Cleo has a dog and a cat from the Humane Society and said she thinks they do a great service for the furry citizens of our city. "A relationship with a pet is like no other. It's unconditional love," she said. "Anything that I can do to support (the Humane Society), I will." She is also encouraging people to bring donations of wet or dry cat food to the show, as well as monetary donations to purchase raffle tickets for some awesome prizes, including a MAC cosmetics gift basket and gift cards to Best Buy, Weezi and Grooves.

Tickets for Holiday Snidings are on sale at Weezi (2-204 Albert St.), Grooves (353 Clarence St.) and her website josephinecleo.com. Tickets are $20, and the show starts at 6:30 p.m.