Elf Control

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