{"id":15750,"date":"2014-12-14T13:35:55","date_gmt":"2014-12-14T21:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=15750"},"modified":"2014-12-16T08:49:15","modified_gmt":"2014-12-16T16:49:15","slug":"elf-adaptation-is-funny-musical-almost-impossible-not-to-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/elf-adaptation-is-funny-musical-almost-impossible-not-to-like\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Elf’ adaptation is funny, musical, almost impossible not to like"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Woody’s [rating: 3.5]<\/span><\/p>\n

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Eric Williams (right, as Buddy) surprises Tyler Altomari (as Michael) by pouring maple syrup on his food in \u201cElf the Musical.\u201d Photo by Amy Boyle Photography.<\/p>\n

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Santa (Ken Clement), Buddy (Eric Williams) and the chorus (with elf-actors on their knees) have a merry time in \u201cElf the Musical.\u201d Photo by Amy Boyle Photography.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

When you come right down to it, I\u2019m generally a non-believer.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t believed in the Tooth Fairy for a long time. Ditto the Easter Bunny and the Energizer Bunny. Double-ditto unicorns and centaurs.<\/p>\n

Santa Claus? You must be kidding.<\/p>\n

But ask me about a bumbling bozo brought up by elves at the North Pole who reunites in Manhattan with his human birth father and I\u2019ll tell you, with a giant smile, that I wanna believe, brother, I wanna believe.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because Buddy, hero of the gag-filled \u201cElf the Musical,\u201d is so bouncy, so entertaining, so goofy.<\/p>\n

Eric Williams, who plays Buddy in the touring company production at the SHN Curran Theatre in San Francisco, makes it virtually impossible not to like the character or believe in his good-natured, innocent spirit.<\/p>\n

But to make sure my senior reaction paralleled those of theatergoers a few decades younger, I checked with the three kids I chaperoned to opening night.<\/p>\n

Hannah, my 7-year-old granddaughter, was concise: \u201cI liked the play better than the movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was referring, of course, to the 2003 comedy-fantasy Jon Favreau directed (starring Will Ferrell as Buddy).<\/p>\n

She found the main character in the show \u201creally funny,\u201d but questioned the tale\u2019s modernity. \u201cI don\u2019t believe that Santa has an iPad!\u201d she exclaimed afterwards.<\/p>\n

At least one urbane allusion had flown over her head.<\/p>\n

Santa supposedly had stopped using reindeer after complaints from PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.<\/p>\n

Questioned Hannah, \u201cWhat\u2019s a PETA? I know what a pita chip is, but what\u2019s a PETA?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hudson, son of Hannah\u2019s mom\u2019s partner, was astute enough at 13 to discern minor blips. \u201cBuddy forgot to button his vest,\u201d he said about one of the many quick costume changes, \u201cand it was obvious when he fixed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He liked the show over all, though, especially its colorful costumes and multiple painting-like sets \u2014 despite finding the Buddy character \u201ca little too dumb.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he also thought \u201csome of the language might be a little harsh for little kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hudson\u2019s younger brother, Kota, 11, clearly was the most sanguine of the trio. He appreciated 100 percent \u201chow they integrated the musical numbers with the story,\u201d<\/p>\n

I loved watching my young companions\u2019 reactions as much as I seeing the prime performers \u2014 all of whom were first-rate (most outstanding, besides Williams, were Harper S. Brady, who played Buddy\u2019s half-brother, Michael, and Lexie Dorsett Sharp as Buddy\u2019s stepmother, Emily).<\/p>\n

Brady, who alternates with Tyler Altomari in the role, and Sharp were marvelous in two potent duets \u2014 \u201cI\u2019ll Believe in You\u201d and \u201cThere Is a Santa Claus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also superb was Maggie Anderson as Jovie, Buddy\u2019s love interest. Her comic solo, \u201cNever Fall in Love (with an Elf),\u201d was brilliant.<\/p>\n

A show-stopper.<\/p>\n

The two-hour Christmasy musical will end its short local run Dec. 28, although it could easily become a perennial.<\/p>\n

Because it oozes with charm.<\/p>\n

Its 14-person chorus is as perpetually energetic as the aforementioned bunny, palpable in a scene of multiple dancing Santas and another when the elf-actors dance on their knees and create a Rockettes-like sequence.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the combined imaginations of choreographer Connor Gallagher and director Sam Scalamonai.<\/p>\n

Upbeat music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin and a nine-piece orchestra conducted by Roberto Sinha help keep things blissful, with drummer\/percussionist Aaron Drescher offering up the most perfectly timed, dramatic instrumentation.<\/p>\n

For adults such as me, the show \u2014 which debuted on Broadway in 2010 \u2014 contains just the right amount of clever cynicism.<\/p>\n

Such as when one department store Santa complains that today\u2019s kids seem compelled to text while sitting on his lap.<\/p>\n

Some adults, however, might prefer to take the family brood to \u201cNutcracker\u201d again. Or re-read David Sedaris\u2019 tale of his being a Macy\u2019s elf, \u201cSantaland Diaries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some undoubtedly will pay attention to the youngsters.<\/p>\n

The 15-minute intermission, Kota gushed, \u201cfelt so long \u2014 I couldn\u2019t wait for it to end so the show could start again. \u2018Elf\u2019 made it onto the charts of my favorite plays. It was quite delightful. I\u2019d see it again in a heartbeat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cElf the Musical\u201d plays at the SHN Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St., San Francisco, through Dec. 28. <\/em>Evening performances, Sundays, 5:30 p.m.; Tuesdays through Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Matinees, Sundays, noon; Mondays through Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 2 p.m. Tickets: $45 to $160 (subject to change). Information: (888) 746-1799 or shnsf.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Woody’s [rating: 3.5] When you come right down to it, I\u2019m generally a non-believer. I haven\u2019t believed in the Tooth Fairy for a long time. Ditto the Easter Bunny and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15750","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-woody-weingarten"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"