BWW Reviews: ELF is MAGICAL at San Francisco's Curran Theatre

Get up off your couch; pass through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and head on down to the Curran Theatre to see everyone's favorite Elf - Buddy! This family friendly Christmas spectacular is going to bring the whole family into the holiday season with a hop skip and a Christmas carol with the whole cast of Elf. Playing now through December 28, Santa, Buddy and the whole cast of Elf are sure to bring Christmas joy to every girl and boy - and adults!

Elf is the warm and humorous fairytale of Buddy, an orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. Buddy is raised as an elf, unaware that he is actually a human, until one day he overhears the other elves talking about him and confronts Santa, demanding answers. When he finds out the truth, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father Walter and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father, a workaholic children's book publisher, is on the naughty list and his step-brother doesn't even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. Along the way he falls in love with jaded Macy's holiday worker Jovie and romance blooms amidst the magic of the season.

Hodges and Hodges were brimming with holiday cheer as we headed to the Curran Theatre for the opening night of Elf. The city of San Francisco was all decked out for the holidays. There were Christmas trees in every window downtown, but the biggest one was outdoors in Union Square which also boasts an ice skating rink and warm beverages for those willing to brave the elements. Twinkly lights made even the Tenderloin sparkle.

Linda: Full disclosure: Elf is one of my favorite holiday movies.

Nick: Really!? I had no idea it was one of your favorites.

Linda: Yeah, I give it 4 F's. It's a fun, frothy and fizzy holiday frolic.

Nick: Well, then opening night was filled with an extra bit of Christmas spirit for you.

Linda: Indeed. And the proscenium was beautiful when we walked into the theatre.

Nick: I know. I loved all the stunning colors. The relaxing icy blues blending into the luscious purples - the large glittering white snowflakes - it was all amazing.

Linda: Christine Peters modified the original Broadway set for this tour and it was her pop of inspiration to design it like a children's pop-up book. At the beginning of the musical, Santa (Ken Clement gives Catskill comedians a run for their money) is reading the story of Buddy the Elf to the audience. The musical becomes the story that Santa is telling to us. It was very effective.

Nick: Costume Designer Gregg Barnes, who was behind the phenomenal costumes in Kinky Boots (Tony nomination) and Aladdin, is a four-time Tony Award winner for costume design (Flower Drum Song, Drowsy Chaperone, Legally Blonde, Follies Revival). Bright and bubbly - vivid and vibrant - these Christmas costumes just make you want to smile.

Linda: The visual vocabulary, to use his words, translated well. The green of Buddy's elf costume stood out against the monochromatic darker tones that the New Yorkers wore, instantly creating the impression that New Yorkers are walking around the City devoid of any Christmas spirit.

Nick: I think there's a story there.

Linda: Yes, called Elf, LOL!

Nick: Was it director Sam Scalamoni's idea to have all of Santa's elves on their knees with oversized elf shoes in place to make them all look shorter than Buddy?

Linda: Not sure, but it was fun. They didn't bother to hide their real feet, as was done in Shrek the Musical. There, Lord Farquaad had fake legs, while his real ones were hidden by his cape. Here, the elf ensemble wore white stockings to blend in with the snow up at the North Pole.

Nick: Buddy the Elf is played by the loveable and goofy Eric Williams whose over-the-top exuberance and flamboyancy were on full display. The beauty of Buddy is his naiveté, which means that he doesn't react the way that his grumpy New York dad expects him to. No one believes he's from the North Pole. They think he's a homeless person at first.

Linda: The first person to start to believe in the magic of Christmas is Jovie, Buddy's love interest. She's played by Maggie Anderson and in a show about transformation, hers, along with dad Walter's (Jesse Sharp), is the biggest. "Never Fall in Love," which is her big number in Act Two, was poignant and real. She's got a great voice.

Nick: I couldn't agree more. There was such character to her voice as she sang; I was very impressed, whereas Williams is more actor and comedian than great singer. There wasn't a lot of chemistry between them, but it was the right mix for a family show.

Linda: Now, I have to talk about a great little duo in the show, which was special to me - the mother and son pair, Emily (Lexie Dorsett Sharp) and Michael (that night, Harper S. Brady).

Nick: They were great together. I know that you and I are a tough act to follow (;-), but Sharp and Brady were perfectly matched for this production. They played off each others' energy and built momentum, acting as the perfect foil for grumpy dad, who never takes time off from his publishing business job to spend time with the family. You could tell that when they sang their duets - "I'll Believe in You" and "There Is A Santa Claus" - that there was a palpable change in the audience. I loved them together.

Linda: They didn't do a lot of dancing in the show, but the rest of the cast sure did.

Nick: David Chase's dance arrangements and Connor Gallagher's choreography was flawlessly executed. They created some memorable moments with the dancing Santas number, the dancing elves and the dancing Macy's workers!

Linda: The numbers were vibrant and fun and very intricate. And they had some great songs to work with (score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin) like "Happy All the Time," Sparklejollytwinklejingley" and "A Christmas Song." The ensemble was sharp and snappy. A special shout-out to Whitney Hayes, who plays Deb, Walter's assistant at the publishing firm. It's a small role, but she makes the most of it.

Nick: So, the crux of the story is that Santa's had to make some modifications to the way he delivers all his toys. Because of animal rights group PETA (which brought a big laugh) he can no longer use reindeer to power his sleigh and must depend on a given city's belief in the magic of Christmas to lift the sleigh for his midnight rides.

Linda: That's where Buddy comes in to save Christmas and in the process they all find love and the true meaning of the holiday.

Nick: Corny but cute. With enough adult humor to make this enjoyable holiday fare for all.

Linda: People seemed so happy as they left the theatre!

Nick: Yes, I'm happy to report that there is definitely enough holiday spirit in San Francisco to lift Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve this year! But just to be sure, we highly recommend that you finish up your cookies, syrup, candy canes, candy corns, and candy and hurry to the Curran Theatre to see Elf between now and December 28.

ELF

Book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin
Music by Matthew Sklar
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Directed by Sam Scalamoni
Now through Dec 28, 2014
www.shnsf
Photos courtesy of Amy Boyle Photography

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