ELF on Broadway!

From the moment the scrim morphs from icy blue to Christmas tree green, you are transported to Santa's Workshop. Santa (Wayne Knight) tells us the story of ELF while cracking a few jokes about turning off cellphones and opening candy.

As Buddy, Jordan Gelber gives 150% in every scene and though his joy for the role shoots into the mezzanine, his vocal inflections become a little grating near the end of Act I. He redeems himself in Act II with a handful of sensational one-liners and some dashing dance steps. His "Carol of the Bells" rendition is one of the highlights of the show.

Leslie Kritzer is an introverted Jovie who simply blends in until you see her beaming smile in "A Christmas Song," the ice skating scene. This show gives us more background on Jovie than the original film, as we learn that she moved from LA and she's spent nearly two years alone until she met Buddy. Oh yeah, and she absolutely sings her face off in her darling red party dress in her Act II solo "Never Fall in Love".

Beth Leavel goes above and beyond the call of duty in the relatively small role of Emily. The character who was simply 'there' in the film becomes a force to be reckoned with under Leavel's command. She's clearly trying to pull focus, but it works just the same. Her sarcastic expressions and quick delivery stand out in Act I, but by Act II you'll think she's your drunk Aunt who shows up for the holidays to share a bottle of chardonnay with herself. She has fantastic chemistry with Mitchell Sink who plays her son Michael. The song "I'll Believe in You" where their blending voices plead to Santa to give them Christmas Day with Walter is a particularly heartfelt moment.

Michael Mandell, in the role of the Macy's manager, simply steals the show. Talk about doing a lot with a tiny role! His physical humor and his sassy, snappy attitude contrast perfectly with Buddy's overwhelming joy as they argue about Santa's arrival at "The North Pole".

The scenery is colorful and sparkly, just as you would expect. The use of projection is particularly effective in showing movement as Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City. The whirling desks in office scenes are a little "9 to 5" for my taste but they get the job done. And a Rockefeller Center scene will leave you wondering "how did they do that" as the characters skate across the ice rink.

Act I is very similar to the film you know and love, but as I sipped my diet coke out of my ELF souvenir mug after intermission, I couldn't help but feel that I was watching a different story. Act II takes a few liberties with the story, though it still achieves the same result. Every show has that one number that you just want to end and in this show it is "Nobody Cares About Santa" where a Chinese restaurant full of part-time mall Santas lament the lack of Christmas spirit in New York. Otherwise, the score is memorable and endearing. You'll definitely leave the theatre humming a few of the tunes.

Fans of ELF will not be disappointed. You get all of the things you loved with a few updated references. Instead of cramming cookies into the VCR, this Buddy pours a bottle of syrup into the DVD player. It's like a venti peppermint mocha-it's so sweet that it makes you sick-but you love it anyway.

Roundabout Theatre Company's Sondheim on Sondheim

Sondheim on Sondheim is a compilation of Stephen Sondheim’s work, but this production explores a completely different take on the idea of a musical revue. A block of television screens allows Sondheim himself to come into the Studio 54 theatre as he discusses his history as a musician and the inspirations behind his work. The large block of screens separates into smaller clumps to show several images at the same time. The screens that are not in use also fold into a rotating staircase to become part of the set, as if the actors are physically walking among Sondheim’s ideas and thoughts.

The most praised singers of Sondheim’s work are often referred to as ‘interpreters’ and this cast headlined by Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams, and Tom Wopat certainly includes some phenomenal interpreters. Norm Lewis, Leslie Kritzer, Erin Mackey, Euan Morton, and Matthew Scott complete the cast. This company (no pun intended) of eight is perfectly divided into a younger and a, let’s say more experienced, half. This works perfectly, especially in the song Waiting For the Girls Upstairs from Follies in which two older couples sing an octet, reflecting on their younger selves.

With such a luminous cast, we expect powerhouse performances from the above-the-title Cook, Williams, and Wopat, but some of the most remarkable performances come from the lesser known players. Norm Lewis delivers Being Alive more passionately and with more life than any actor who has played Bobby in Company on the New York stage. He is not just another magnificent voice—he carries a tremendous emotional weight, driving the piece forward as a performance, not just a song. Another pleasant surprise is Erin Mackey’s Do I Hear A Waltz from the musical of the same name. This singular soprano number in the show soars above the heavy ballads and comedic tunes, truly showing off her impeccable range. Her performance is nothing to scoff at either as she flawlessly delivers this delightful song from an otherwise flop of a musical. If Mackey is smart, she will follow Barbara Cook’s every move and learn from her, one of the musical theatre’s most stellar sopranos, and she too could have a bright future in the business.

Vanessa Williams is fabulous as always, particularly in the cast rendition of Children Will Listen from Into The Woods where she is featured in a duet with Tom Wopat. This song may actually be even more poignant in this production than in its original source material due to the context. It comes after a very emotional discussion by Sondheim of all the times his mother told him he was a mistake and how that affected his life. This eleven o’clock number paves the way for Cook to sing the emotional climax of the show.

Barbara Cook, a Tony winner and acclaimed cabaret singer, is certainly the highlight of this production, clearly for her vocal and performance qualities, but also for her sheer star power. Her wealth of experience, both in the theatre and in her life, add a great deal of weight to some of the show’s heavier numbers. Her rendition of In Buddy’s Eyes from Follies tells the story of a woman who, although she is aging, will always feel young in her husband’s eyes. Cook’s Send In The Clowns is simply the best I’ve ever heard and could draw a tear even from the most stoic of audience members. Coming after a discussion by Sondheim of the importance of his teacher Oscar Hammerstein II, this iconic song is truly a tribute to anyone who has ever been a mentor or touched a young life.

This production of Sondheim on Sondheim is perhaps most poignant in its exploration of generations from legends, to current stars, to newcomers. The one downside to this otherwise impeccable production is the absence of perhaps the most revered Sondheim interpreter—Bernadette Peters. But who knows, with Peters’ previous work with Tom Wopat and his unique take on the title character from Sweeney Todd in this production, maybe the pair will headline the next Broadway revival of the tale of The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.