Kline is the fourth actor to play the bartender in the 11-year history of “Christmas on the Rocks,” following Ronn Carroll, Tom Bloom and most recently “The Love Boat” bartender Ted Lange.

The problem with Richard Kline is that once we go with Kline’s quest for a life of generosity and connectedness, it’s clear that Lohrey has set herself an almost impossible task. The “short history”, ...