Christmas in Rockefeller Heart Tree Lighting and Kelly Clarkson

Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas, now being introduced in a reside musical adaptation on the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, was initially a warm-hearted muppet tv particular from the Jim Henson Firm, loosely impressed by the O. Henry story, “The Reward of the Magi”.  It debuted on Canadian tv in 1977 and within the U.S. on HBO in 1978. It aired once more later efficiently within the 90’s on Nickelodeon and ABC.

This reside adaptation, co-authored by director/choreographer Christopher Gattelli and producer Timothy Allen McDonald, with songs by legendary songwriter Paul Williams, places all of the muppet magic of the unique onstage, plus an entire lot extra of it.

Sadly, simply recreating a filmed puppet present with reside performances isn’t sufficient to make a profitable stage musical.  The main muppet characters at the moment are being portrayed by reside actors. What was charming and harmless when finished by puppets appears unduly naïve and emotionally skinny when introduced by actual adults with black noses. Adults who’re muppet followers due to the raucous comedy of The Muppet Present, and who benefit from the winking, mature information behind the jokes within the Piggy/Kermit relationship, will discover none of these pleasures on this childlike, harmless story.

Additionally, this adaptation is slavishly loyal to the unique teleplay. It provides no new dimension to the characters or the story, in both the libretto or the songs. To attraction to all ages, Into the Woods put an grownup perspective on its fairy tales, and Avenue Q workforce layered an grownup sensibility onto their muppet characters.  Such an enlargement of idea is sorely wanted right here to maintain the grown-ups awake.

What was tightly crafted as a brief movie is now twice as lengthy, and appears stretched too skinny. The muppets enliven the meager story and simplistic dialogue with their antics as background characters. However conceptually, the present barely rises to the extent of mediocre youngsters’s theater.

The story revolves round a boy otter, Emmet, and his mom, Ma, who’re on the lookout for a method to purchase one another a Christmas current once they don’t have the funds for to take action.

Emmet, who isn’t a very attention-grabbing character within the unique movie for any motive apart from being a speaking otter, is given a honest however equally bland embodiment right here by Andy Mientus. As Ma, the candy voiced Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone is as touching as the fabric permits her to be.

There are good turns by all of the supporting actors, together with Kevin Covert as Mayor Fox, Emily Rohm as Gretchen Fox, and Sawyer Smith as Madame Squirrel, amongst others. The 2 actors who actually captured my consideration have been Steven Huynh because the dimwitted Wendell Porcupine, and the ever-talented Sharriese Hamilton, who delivers a G rated, musical striptease that was essentially the most pleasant actor second of the night.

In the perfect musicals, the story is pushed by the needs of the central character, who will get to specific what she or he desires in music. Sadly, on this adaptation in addition to the unique, Emmet is dragged passively via this story for a very long time earlier than he appears to need something. Worse but, he by no means will get to sing about it instantly.  It’s a obvious shortcoming of the unique materials which ought to have been addressed.

I’ve been a fan of Paul Williams for years, however his songs listed below are all what musical theater conductor and trainer, Lehman Engel, referred to as “allure” songs. These are songs which stand alone for a pleasing second, and supply a break from the motion. However they neither advance the story nor instantly categorical the emotional journey of the characters, as nice theater songs have to do.

The opening quantity, “The Bathing Go well with That Grandma Otter Wore,” about how a fats otter’s pelt obtained became numerous helpful issues, was initially very humorous, coming from the mouths of puppet otters singing about their skinned relative. Nevertheless it loses most of its comedian influence when sung by very human-looking actors. That’s adopted by a string of country-tinged, mildly humorous tunes, none of which categorical the inside lives of the characters.

This present clearly wants a couple of new musical theater songs that might emanate from the important thing emotional moments within the story. After twenty-seven years of energetic growth on this undertaking, this inventive workforce ought to have realized that a very long time in the past. However apparently, they will’t see the forest for the pretend fur.

What’s most entertaining about this manufacturing are all of the muppet characters, each new and outdated, who’re dropped at life by a stage filled with tremendous gifted actor-puppeteers. The opening second, wherein a woodpecker units the tempo for the band, makes it clear that the puppets would be the actual stars of the present. The brand new opening quantity, “Waterville”, options faucet dancing bunny rabbits who had me guffawing. A gaggle of goofy flying squirrels have a enjoyable music with Emmet, “Belief that Department,” which is the one quantity that elevates the story thematically.

The muppet bits within the expertise present itself are all actually humorous. A imply piano participant drives the dancing bunnies to go at breakneck pace in revenge for having invaded her backyard. A troupe of acrobatic squirrels manipulated by unseen operators is a delight of black artwork puppetry. One sensible sight gag entails a deer mesmerized by a highlight as if it have been seeing a automotive within the highway. It actually stopped the present with laughter for a really very long time. Sadly, the central story isn’t improved by all of the furry humorous enterprise.

The Henson Firm clearly desires a perennial household stage present for the vacations. However until the inventive workforce finds its musical theater rudder, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas will stay strictly a Saturday morning child’s present, and drift alongside in growth till, because the music goes, “the river meets the ocean”.

Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas performs now via December 31^st on the Studebaker Theater, 410 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago.  For tickets go to fineartsbuilding.com/Studebaker/, or name 312-753-3210.