‘Elf’ brings heart, humor and fun to DHT

‘Elf’ brings heart, humor and fun to DHT

(Courtesy Diamond Head Theatre)

BY STEFANIE NAKASONE / snakasone@staradvertiser.com

“Sparklejollytwinklejingley!”

Not since “Mary Poppins” has a musical number had such an amusing — and lengthy — title.

Cast members in Diamond Head Theatre’s production of “Elf: The Musical” say “Sparklejolly,” vibrant and upbeat, is one of their favorite songs in the show.

They think the audience will love it, too.

“It’s a big show-stopper production number, which of course are my favorite to watch,” said Dusty Behner, who plays love interest Jovie. “It’s really fun and spectacular.”

Based on the classic 2003 Christmas film starring Will Ferrell, “Elf” tells the story of Buddy, a man who grows up in the North Pole believing he’s an elf. When he learns he’s not one of Santa’s little helpers, Buddy travels to New York City to reconnect with his cynical, citified birth father (who never knew Buddy was born), bringing along his high spirits and love of Christmas.

In one scene, Buddy brings that holiday joy to Macy’s, helping glum workers decorating the store get into the Christmas spirit with “Sparklejolly,” which encompasses the brightness and wonder of the season.

ALONG WITH the colorful songs and dances, there’s plenty of heart in the play, which opens its monthlong run tonight at DHT.

“It’s really about family and love and finding your place in the world and wanting to belong to something,” said director Greg Zane.

Most people are familiar with the film version of “Elf,” which was a smash hit at the box office and has become a holiday staple on television. But most in Hawaii have probably never seen the musical, which debuted on Broadway in 2010 for a limited holiday run and has also toured nationally. A Broadway revival ran last year, and that’s when DHT artistic director John Rampage saw it for the first time.

“Honestly, within the first 15 minutes I thought, ‘This is so perfect for Diamond Head Theatre. It’s a perfect show for our audience,’” Rampage said. “We’re always looking for brand-new shows that come available, things that are family-friendly, especially at Christmas.

“There really aren’t that many good Christmas musicals, and the good ones are recycled and recycled and recycled. So when something new like this comes available, I thought, as soon as possible I’d like to get this for the theater.”

The very next day, Rampage had a meeting with the licensing houses. And only a year later, here it is.

THE PLAY stars guest actor Jami Keck as the innocent and lovable Buddy.

Director Greg Zane was tasked with auditioning a few actors for the lead role in New York, where the ‘Iolani School graduate now lives. Keck came into the picture when Zane talked with choreographer Jim Cooney, a good friend of Keck’s.

“Where am I gonna find a 6-foot-2-plus-tall singer-dancer-actor?” Zane asked, as Keck tells it. Cooney recommended the tall and talented Keck, 33. After a few rounds of auditions, Keck landed the role, canceled his holiday plans and prepared for a Hawaii Christmas.

“Christmas in Hawaii, can’t beat it!” Keck said. He arrived in the islands Nov. 11. “I’m from Michigan and live in New York, so I’m used to (bad) weather this time of year.”

As Buddy, Keck is certainly kept busy — he leaves the stage about three times during the show — but he’s enjoying every moment of it.

“This is probably the most fun character you can play,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want to run around and be an overgrown elf and just be totally innocent and excitable and enthusiastic about life and Christmas? It’s a lot of physical comedy, a lot of singing and dancing, I’m all over the place … but it’s a dream role.”

It’s a role Keck was ready to play. The self-described goofy and Christmas-loving actor recalled how a friend saw “Elf” on its opening night on Broadway, then told him, “Oh my god, you have to go see this show. It’s you on stage. You’re going to play that role someday.”

UNLIKE HER jaded character, Behner loves Christmas. And again, it comes naturally: The two-time Pookela-winning actress was born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, a small town just outside of Fairbanks.

“I love Christmas musicals and I love Christmas shows and I love Christmas movies,” Behner said. “It reminds me of home a little bit, too. … There’s candy cane streetlights all year round.”

Audiences familiar with the movie will recognize some classic lines in the play. But this production is different, and that’s the way it should be, Zane said.

“It would really be folly of us to try to re-create Will Ferrell and the movie because Jami is his own person, his own Buddy,” Keck said.

There’s plenty of funny to go around, including “Sparklejolly” and other sardonic musical numbers, like “Nobody Cares About Santa,” which features “a gang of Santas and one Chinese waitress,” Zane said.

The Santas, fresh off their shifts, bemoan how kids nowadays just don’t care about jolly old St. Nick.

“They’re totally over the children, totally over their jobs, sitting in a Chinese restaurant because it’s the only place open on Christmas Eve in New York, apparently,” Keck said with a laugh.

And then they break into song and dance, in what Keck describes as an “angsty ‘West Side Story’”-like number.