SITE GUIDE
REVIEWS
REVIEW ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
On TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us
A CurtainUp New Jersey Review
Elf
|
I'm an orphan just like Annie. — Buddy
|
L - R - Paul C. Vogt and James Moye (Photo credit: Matthew Murphy)
|
Elf may not be one of the best adaptations from film to stage, and it most certainly isn't a great or even a very good musical. However, if you leave the theater without a smile on your face and feeling good for having been there then there is something seriously wrong with you. For whatever reason, almost everything that I perceived was wrong and had rubbed me the wrong way with the show the first time around needs to be reconsidered.
As close to a perfect holiday attraction for the whole family as one can get (barring the obligatory resurrections across the continent of A Christmas Carol, Elf has a story that just doesn't place any value on being credible on any level, but it embraces its aspirations and all of its absurdities to the fullest. I admit to feeling a bit foolish in reversing my first opinion, yet I can see how the current production has worked its joy-filled magic. In every way, this staging and the performances surpass the 2010 show that I reviewed for CurtainUp.
A main part of my enjoyment and my involvement this time comes from the honest sincerity that can be seen as well as sensed by the goofy almost giddy actions of James Moye as the naive and incurably optimistic Buddy. Moye, a North Bergen, N.J. native with numerous Broadway credits, is a charmer. He's a fine singer who effortlessly dominates the musical as we follow his endearingly awkward attempt to unite with his human family in New York City. Another plus is the stringent performance by veteran, award-winning Broadway performer Robert Cuccioli as Walter Hobbs who amusingly completes his task to get off of Santa's naughty list for being a mean-spirited executive in a children's book publishing company as well as an uninvolved parent.
Helping him to achieve his role as a caring and loving head of the household with gusto are Heidi Blickenstaff as his determined wife and the terrific young actor-singer Jake Faragalli as their son Michael. Other standouts are DeMone as the confounded manager the North Pole department at Macy's; Jessica Sheridan as the Mr. Hobb's bubbly secretary and Kate Fahrner as the pretty Macy employee whose resistant heart is ready to be softened by Buddy.
While none of the songs stand out, they do compliment the silly business, and there is lots of it along with the musical's sentimental side. Book-ended by a jolly story-telling, joke-propelled Santa (an exuberantly jolly Paul C Vogt), this production doesn't cheat on spectacle: Santa in his sleigh flying high over Central Park, the chaos created by Buddy in Macy's toy department, the elegance of the skaters in the ice rink at Rockefeller Center, and the interior of a Chinese restaurant where eight weary Santas have gathered for dinner and for a little tap dancing on the side. Choreographer Josh Rhodes'dances are distinguished by their effervescence and without being show-offy. For show-offy we love the shower of snowflakes that brings this funny and fantastical musical to a close.
|
Elf Book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin Music by Matthew Sklar and Lyrics by Chad Beguelin Direction by Eric Ankrim Choreography by Josh Rhodes Cast: Paul C. Vogt (Santa), Madge Dietrich (Mrs. Claus), James Moye (Buddy), Michael DiLiberto (Charlie), Alicia Charles (Shawanda), Robert Cuccioli (Walter Hobbs), Michael Coale Grey (Sam), Patrick O'Neill (Matthews), Michael DiLiberto (Chadwick), Heidi Blickenstaff (Emily), Jake Faragalli (Michael), Jessica Sheridan (Deb), DeMone (Macy's Manager), Kate Fahrner (Jovie), Michael Fatica (Fake Santa), Patrick O'Neill, Michael Di Liberto (Policemen), Cleve Asbury (Mr. Greenway), Heather Parcells (Charlotte Dennon) Scenic Design: Matthew Smucker Costume Design: David C. Woolard Lighting Design: Charlie Morrison Sound Design: Randy Hanson Production Stage Manager: Gary Mickelson Running Time: 2 hours 20 minutes including intermission Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, N.J. (212) 239- 6200 Tickets $28 - $99 Previews began 11/26/14 Opened 11/30/14 Ends 01/04/14 Review by Simon Saltzman based on performance 1l/30/14 |
|
Subscribe to our FREE email updates with a note from editor Elyse Sommer about additions to the website -- with main page hot links to the latest features posted at our numerous locations. To subscribe,
E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com
put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message -- if you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country. For a feed to reviews and features as they are posted add http://curtainupnewlinks.blogspot.com to your reader Curtainup at Facebook . . . Curtainup at Twitter |
|
REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): >Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email and state if you'd like your comments published in our letters section. . .also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review. You can also contact us at Curtainup at Facebook or Curtainup at Twitter |
|
Book of Mormon -CDOur review of the show
Slings & Arrows-the complete set
You don't have to be a Shakespeare aficionado to love all 21 episodes of this hilarious and moving Canadian TV series about a fictional Shakespeare Company
