I was reluctant to attend Harry Connick Jrs ˜The Happy Elf, performed by the Pennsylvania Youth Theatre and directed by Bill Mutimer, because of my experience seeing the movie from which the play originated.
My initial hesitation was a mistake, especially for those families looking for a wonderfully fun holiday experience!
This show contains loads of fun, all neatly packaged into a 90-minute well-directed and choreographed Christmas experience! If you cannot crack a smile at least once during this performance, I suggest the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future all pay you a visit this very night!
Upon entering this unique venue of The Charles A. Brown Ice House in Bethlehem, one is greeted by the inviting two-story set, colorful pathway, and snowflakes splayed onto the floor, all of which neatly set the stage for the whimsical show about to take place.
The show itself opens with a number performed by one of the groups dance teams, which alternate during the run.
They did a great job of it; in fact, each song and dance number was well-done throughout the show.
Appropriate parts were given to the young or less experienced dancers of the group during full-ensemble numbers, and the talents of the more experienced performers were cleverly showcased along with Harry Connick Jrs jazzy score.
We are soon introduced to our hero, Eubie, the Happy Elf, and to Molly, the girl he will meet in Bluesville. The pre-recorded voiceover by Harry Connick Jr. himself hints broadly at the story about to take place.
˜The Happy Elf is the tale of a demoted elf who decides to visit the small town of Bluesville, where everyone is on the Naughty list. He aspires to bring them loads of happiness, thereby prompting the children of the town to be good children and remedying their lack of visits from Santa!
He doesnt quite realize the difficult task at hand, however, nor the repercussions for breaking certain œelf rules.
In true feel-good style, however, all works out in the end! The townspeople change, the bad guy is punished, and the good guys are rewarded!
All of the actors in The Happy Elf do a fine job of portraying their respective characters. With such a large cast, its hard to mention them all, but a few key roles are worth noting.
The moment we meet the Happy Elf, for instance, there are immediate smiles all around! David Errigo Jrs portrayal of Eubie is very entertaining; he is funny, animated, full of energy and over-the-top happy, all without becoming annoying; a difficult task indeed! If per chance he had remained what appears to be a œshallow happy in the first act, it may have become too much. However, the character seems to mature by the second act, falling into a happy elf with an empathetic heart.
Eubies two close elf friends , played by Angela DeAngelo and Nick Flatto , both perform their respective roles with gusto and energy as well. Gilda seems the sweet happy version of the Elf and Hamm a loyal friend. This trio screamed to me of Disney-style, which made sense when I read the bio of Mr. Errigo, who has apparently worked for the famed rulers of entertainment!
Norbert, who embodies the human antagonist in The Happy Elf, (in contrast to the town itself, which seems the true antagonist), is played nicely by Brent Schlosshauer. He is spastic and crazy with his illogical dislike for Eubie, and comes across as a great kid-friendly œbad guy .
Molly, one of the Mayors daughters, and the girl Eubie befriends in Bluesville, is portrayed by Maggie Toner. She does everything right to convince the audience that shes a girl on the œnaughty list, and I do give her credit for her efforts. It is all-too apparent, however, that this girl receives loads of gifts from Santa each and every year!! Speaking of œnaughty, I thought it most amusing that when we meet the terrible children of Bluesville, the worst they are doing is standing around texting and looking bored!
My, what atrocious children!
There are many other roles worth mentioning, like the Mayor and his wife, stereotypical but well-played. I did, however, half expect the Mayors head to spin around to a œhappy face during the final scenes, so much was he a version of Tim Burtons mayor in The Nightmare Before Christmas! The boy who plays the raccoon, Mollys sister, as well as her œassistant friend, and so many more characters were delightful and enjoyable!
Is the show perfect?
Of course not. It seems a bit confusing to follow at times; there are loose connections and the œwhys (no pun intended- the Bluesville residents manufacture œWhys!) are not clearly answered all the time.
For instance, it is clear that Eubie should not have given away his hat, but most of his other œmistakes are lost to the audience.
There were also some songs which did not seem quite as œput together as others.
Our first encounter with Santa is odd, as well! The role by Ty-Hooker Haring is played nicely; hes just not the typical Santa one is familiar with, but a guitar-wielding, blues-singing Santa. Which is fine, but different!
Fortunately, although some of these things may seem significant, they in no way detract from the overall flow of the storyline or from the plot which drives along the action, nor do they make the show any less interesting.
As a mom, I did pay close attention to the children in the audience, and The Happy Elf kept their attention quite well. Attention waned right before intermission and at one time during Act II, but was quickly remedied by a number which included audience participation, a great idea for a kids musical!
The music is fun but not childish, the characters are whimsical, the wonderful costumes add so much flair, and the cast perform their hearts out with large amounts of energy, so much so that I have a difficult time believing they dont fall down exhausted at the end of every show!
If you want a show with a deep lesson you can walk away with, you wont find it here.
A feeling of nostalgia? Not here.
What about an in-depth look at the true meaning of Christmas? Keep looking!
But if you are looking for a family-friendly, fun-filled show full of music, dance, Christmas spirit and happiness, you have found it in PYTs performance of Harry Connick Jrs The Happy Elf! In the words of my seven-year old son, œThat show was great!
The Happy Elf runs through December 16 at The Charles A. Brown Ice House on Sand Island, Bethlehem, PA . Please visit their website for details, www.123pyt.org