Playwright: Thomas Meehan, Bob Martin ( book ); Matthew Sklar ( music ), Chad Beguelin ( lyrics ). At: Cadillac Palace, 151 W. Randolph St. Tickets: 800-775-2000; www.BroadwayInChicago.com; ( $25-$139 includes taxes/fees ). Runs through: Dec. 15
Mix a touch of A Christmas Carol and with a pinch of Miracle on 34th Street and you're halfway toward Elf the Musical, an amiable if predictable piece of feel-good family fluff, performed in this national tour by an engaging and energetic company. Judging from the audience, this may be the first Broadway musical for many kids and it's a fine choice, whether or not they've seen the 2003 film from which this show is taken. Elf the Musical will engage kids four and up and help them grow into theater-lovers, one hopes. It's competitively priced, too, with balcony tickets from $25 ( including taxes/fees ).
Now, I'm a Scrooge about the sugar-plums-and-treacle season ( as I call holiday theater fare ), so I'm only minimally familiar with the movie, but I believe those who know it will find this a worthy musical adaptation, even though there are several major changes in the plot and notwithstanding that Will Blum as Buddy the Elf is nothing at all like Will Ferrell. Then again, Ferrell can't sing and dance the way Blum can in his far-more-cherubic turn as Buddy, flashing a mega-watt smile nearly non-stop.
There are two things about the show that surprised and pleased me. First, the early scenes provide a number of good adult-level jokes that kept me interested. In them I detect the experienced hand of veteran Broadway book writer Thomas Meehan ( Annie, The Producers ), who collaborated on the stage adaptation with Bob Martin. The second thing, probably more important, is the score. Now, half the songs are pleasantly forgettable but accomplish the things ( character and plot ) they need to do, but the other half rekindle the flame of big-band jazz in high Broadway Stomp style. You can't help but tap your toes to "Nobody Cares About Santa" and "The Story of Buddy the Elf." The small nine-piece pit orchestra, under conductor Nate Patten, features three brass players and three woodwind players to drive that neo-swing era sound, and it's good.
Of course, I wouldn't be a critic if I didn't have quibbles. The show is about an elf who must learn to deal with the human world ( if you consider New York City part of the human world ). But Buddy doesn't. He retains his sweet naivete to the end without ever showing signs of adapting his special qualities to human ways. It would deepen the show if Buddy were to meet his humanity halfway. Second, the special effects involving Santa's sleigh just gotta have more dazzle. Even for a touring show, they're lame. Bring in some Broadway technical magic, please.
But kids don't care about quibbles, and even I can get past them when the band begins to cook.