There’s a reason candy canes have a twist of peppermint — to cut the sugar. That’s why the best Christmas classics, from “It’s a Wonderful Life” to “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” are so satisfying: They have a dark undercurrent that makes the payoff all the sweeter.
“Elf,” the holiday musical that opened on Broadway last night, is a giant spoonful of uncut sugar.
Based on the 2003 hit movie, the show tells the tale of Buddy, who, after being raised by elves at the North Pole, reunites with his human family in New York. He teaches them a thing or 10 about the true spirit of Christ-
mas, and even finds love with a sardonic department-store worker.
The screen Buddy was played by Will Ferrell, who brings a naughty, slightly sleazy quality to everything he does. Here, we get the sunny, milquetoast Sebastian Arcelus. He’s appealing and works very hard, but lacks the gleefully anarchic strain that made Ferrell’s Buddy such a cathartic force of nature.
But then, everything has been toned down several notches. Book writers Bob Martin (“The Drowsy Chaperone”) and Thomas Meehan (“Hairspray,” “The Producers”) can’t seem to tell the difference between childlike and childish. It’s all very tasteful and safe, when the show should conjure semi-lawless energy. After all, Buddy is well-intentioned but also single-minded in his quest for fun.
Here’s a telling change: In one of the movie’s best gags, Buddy runs through a revolving door over and over; he gets so dizzy that he throws up (laughs); then he goes right back in (more laughs). In the show, Buddy goes through the door three times, emerging winded but happy. That’s it — and it completely misses the point.
Luckily, the main cast members are easy to like. Amy Spanger is spunky as the girlfriend who doesn’t like to sing — not the ideal part in a musical. George Wendt (“Cheers”) bookends the show as an amiable Santa, and Valerie Wright is delightful to watch in the office scenes. Beth Leavel (another “Drowsy Chaperone” alum) is very funny as Buddy’s new stepmother, with dry mannerisms that often recall Jane Lynch.
Too bad they all feel underused.
The show looks good, thanks to Gregg Barnes’ colorful costumes — the elf outfits are particularly snazzy — and David Rockwell’s evocative sets. But Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin’s score, while efficient, lacks the juice they brought to the underrated “The Wedding Singer.” Casey Nicholaw’s direction and choreography are similarly restrained, and only rarely summon the inspired mayhem the show needs.
Guess we shouldn’t hold our breath for a satisfyingly savage musical version of “Bad Santa.”
elisabeth.vincentelli
@nypost.com