I saw it last night and really enjoyed it having not liked it in 2010. I felt the new Buddy worked a lot better, to have that awkwardness and being less attractive then Sebastian worked well for the look but also his comedic timing was spot on. Kritzer was lovely as well.
It's kind of weird to me that they're using advertising materials with Sebastian since he doesn't resemble the new guy AT ALL. And I think the new guy just has a funnier look.
I HATE when Broadway producers get CHEAP with moves like using old ads...you would have thought that they would have learned not to do that since the terrible results of when they tried that with the ANNIE revival of 97. It's soo disrespectful of the actor who deserves a full-fledged show of support from those making money off his full commitment. His agent should take a lessor cut of their commission, as well.
I guess I can answer my own question. I saw it last night, having not seen the previous engagement.
I thought Jordan was a little hokey as Buddy - I know that's what the role calls for - but I feel like he almost overplayed the character. There was less charm than I feel Buddy should have.
That said, I think Leslie Kritzer was wonderful - what a voice. I was a little distracted by the wardrobe choices as they seemed to accentuate her, let's say, her squatness. I wanted to see it mostly because I love Beth Leavel. I felt she was under-utilized, but what the heck, her duo with Mitchell Sink in "There is a Santa Claus" was worth the price of admission. Mitchell was adorable in his Broadway debut. A sweet, angelic voice. And Wayne Knight was funny as Santa. He seemed to be having a lot of fun.
Ultimately, it was a fun night out and the crowd seemed happy. A quick note - I was sitting with a friend in the fourth row - aside from one person next to us, the row was completely empty.
In case anybody cares... I obtained uh... materials from the show that allowed me to listen to it in full. The biggest change so far (I'm not done listening) is that the original opening number "Christmastown" is cut, and has been replaced with a completely new composition.
I saw it tonight and had a blast. I loved it the first time around and listen to the OBCR often. The score is strong and the show doesn't take itself too seriously.
As noted above, the opening number is new. I liked the old one better, but this one is fine. It gives Wayne Knight, as Santa, more to do. The song has him complaining about how he can't take the constant cheer of the elves- including a lyric about "how they sing till they're blue-ish/sometimes I wish they were Jewish."
Kritzer blows Amy Spanger out of the water vocally, and she added lots of extra notes to "Never Fall in Love With an Elf."
I wasn't crazy about the new Buddy. He was more like Ferrell in the film, but he just couldn't sing very well. Sebastian may have been a little bland, but he played it sweet and cute, and his singing was awesome. Gelber plays it like Josh Gad in Mormon. It was annoying, but I got used to his performance.
Thank God for Beth Leavel. She is so hysterically wonderful and it was more than enough to set my little gay heart aflutter.
The show is just fun, fun, fun (and SO much better than A Christmas Story).
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
I saw it last night as well. I LOVED the show the first time around and this time honestly it was still enjoyable but less so.
This largely has to do with the new Buddy, Jordan Gelber. He was simply not good, and I really didn't think he understood the character. He did these vocal inflections that took away from the innocence of his character. He went from cute to creepy very quickly. Bland or not (I did not find him so) I thought Sebastian totally got this aspect and there was none of this in the first iteration. Most importantly he could sing the part, which Jordan sadly did not last night.
Wizzer mentioned Josh Gad. I actually think he would have been perfect for the part. He brought an innocence to his part in Mormon that would have been perfect for Buddy. That would have been great casting.
That said it was a testament to the show (and the score that I really love) that I still enjoyed myself.
Many of the side characters really shown. Deb, the Macys store manager all repeatedly stole the show. Leslie Kritzer was fantastic and I loved her different take on Never Fall In Love with an Elf.
And then there is Beth Leavel. She is a total joy. I want her to sing "There is a Santa Claus" every Christmas because it really is that good. She was in fantastic voice, and just lights up every scene she is in. I also liked the new kid a lot this year. Nice voice and cute stage presence.
Wayne Knight was fine, but it is really isn't much there for him to do even with the new number put in.
Overall I still like this show, but less so than the first iteration. I still maintain that the score is great, and find the show to be a lot of fun. I know some may disagree, but I will take this and A Christmas Story every year!
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joined:6/8/08
Posted: 11/11/12 at 12:57pm