The North Pole visits Tacoma Musical Playhouse
Tacoma Musical Playhouse’s “Elf: The Musical!”
Winter winds blew through Tacoma on opening weekend, as if priming us for TMP’s whimsical presentation of “Elf: The Musical!”. It was something truly special for the whole family, with Jon Douglas Rake directing Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan’s musical adaptation of David Berenbaum’s 2003 “Elf”, which originally debuted on Broadway in 2010.
Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin scored this enthusiastic story, in which the Claus’ and their elves find themselves the caretakers of an orphan baby, who mistakenly crawled into Santa’s toy sack one Christmas night. Buddy finds out he’s not an elf and sets off to find his father. His expedition begins as a head first dive into an NYC December devoid of holiday spirit. Cast and crew carry us through such a hilarious and energetic journey of discovery, we cannot help but be swept away by this becoming Yuletide classic.
Joseph Woodland assumes the tremendous responsibility of setting the stage as Santa Claus himself. He does so with a nonchalant ease that borders dangerously on indifference, which may seem out of place for Jolly Old Saint Nick, until we find out there is a big problem. People have stopped believing in Santa. In CHRISTMAS! Mr. Woodland pulls from the mundane and distracting aspects of our daily lives, keeping his jovial spirit lying just under the surface. We still hold some hope as he sits to read us the story of “Elf”.
Buddy, like all elves, is happy all the time, even though he’s really not that good at being an elf. He moves slightly slower than the rest when making toys, and he’s a bit big for his bed. Cameron Waters is an absorbingly goofy Buddy. I know his grinning muscles must have been sore after the show because, like the rest of us, he was smiling the entire time. Mr. Waters is a brilliant energy on stage, jibing well with each member of the large and diverse cast. His over the top optimism captivates the youngsters in the audience while reminding the adults how to be a kid.
The Empire State Building is where Hobbs Jr. finds his dad, Walter Hobbs. This affluent children’s book publisher is too busy for his own good, let alone his family, yet Buddy is able to to tell him the news. Andrew Fry’s nuanced performance of Hobbs Senior strikes such a semblance to the Businessman Grouch I caught myself cringing; a little too familiar with the character, as I’m sure some of us are. However, Mr. Fry can be tender, too. The heartwarming transition to Mr. Hobbs’ sensitive side surely jerked a few tears, and a shifting behavior towards his family reminds us of just how good the Grumps in our lives can be.
The wisely cast Karen Early Evans and Andrew Hovey pair well for the rolls of Walter’s wife and son, Emily and Michael. They do a splendid job capturing that special bond between a mama and her boy. Andrew’s budding young talent is a treat to witness on stage, and Karen’s opera seasoned vocals are absolutely stunning. Michael and Emily Hobbs make quick work of adjusting to Buddy’s all around eccentric attitude, providing our protagonist a minor reprieve from his trying trip to a cheerless NYC.
Walter’s assistant, Deb, is played by the lively Brittany D. Henderson, and the fictional award for ‘best performance of single word line’ goes to her. Trust me. You’ll know it when you see it. Overall Britany’s perky energy played well about stage as many characters, but the Office Gopher is something to cherish.
Two top writers working for Mr. Hobbs, Matthews and Chadwick, tend to churn up vegetable centric plot lines for their children’s books and it’s not going over well with the big boss. Roycen Daley and Joel Larson fill the rolls of this comedic duo, bouncing off each other like two professional ping pong players. Either as Matthews and Chadwick, or random New York City slickers, Roycen and Joel keep their boisterous performances shining through and through.
New York bustles Buddy to the ‘North Pole’ at Macy’s where he comes to find a workshop bereft of joy. Peter Knickerbocker, who plays the disgruntled Macy’s Manager, is a show highlight, though his character is a bit of hardball that fails to grasp the Christmas spirit. Keola Holt plays a disenchanted department store elf who captures Buddy’s attention and eventually his heart. Jovie, Holt, surprises us with her smooth vocals and a sweet disposition.
Others deserving honorable mentions: John Miller as Mr. Greenway, Jerrod Phelps in his Toy Shop Supervisor ensemble role, and Whitney Shafer’s varied character performances. Mr. Miller’s solo was a smash, and Mr. Phelps’ all natural elf falsetto could have shattered glass, but Mrs. Shafer really pulls us in with each character she portrays, always telling us the story we came to hear. As the cast’s dance captain, she puts on a marvelous tap routine in the song, “Sparklejollytwinklejinglly”.
It’s rare to find so much talent on one stage, yet Tacoma Musical Playhouse’s “Elf: The Musical” is a stack of presents underneath the tree! Despite a few opening weekend hiccups, every scene has something engaging for adults and children alike. I would so very much like to encourage all of you to see the show, but tickets are already sold out. Still, you can visit TMP’s website at the link below and try to get your name on the nice list. If you believe hard enough, perhaps Santa will help make your holiday wish come true.
Elf: The Musical!, by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, Jon Douglas Rake & Jeffrey Stvrtecky, Tacoma Musical Playhouse, 7116 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA 98406
Fridays and Saturdays @ 7:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays @ 2 p.m., through Dec. 22nd.
Tix: https://tmp.org/index.php/2019-2020-tmp-mainstage-single-tickets/ or (253) 565-6867