Broadway talent Matt Kopec has big, green, jingly, pointy shoes to fill. He’s the actor who’s been selected to portray Buddy in the touring musical adaptation of Elf, in a role that has become synonymous with Will Ferrell. Much of the show’s success will depend on his performance; if he can conjure the comic magic Ferrell brought to the part while making it his own, there’s a good chance this holiday froth could amuse audiences of all ages. It won’t take the depth of a Brando to win them over: Songs such as “Happy All the Time” and “Sparklejollytwinklejingley” suggest that Elf is probably not the deepest work to grace a stage, but expect the musical to channel the same mix of clever wit and Christmastime corn that turned the movie into a modern yuletide classic (the changes from the source material are mostly cosmetic). The tunes are penned by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, who somehow transformed The Wedding Singer from a cult movie into a winning stage musical.
Dec. 31-Jan. 5, 2013