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Where: Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St.
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday
Tickets: $25 to $62
Information: 402-345-0606, toll-free 866-434-8587 or online at ticketomaha.com
OK, now I get why fans in his native Iceland call Stefan Karl their country's version of Jim Carrey.
With his rubber face, long limbs perfect for accentuating physical comedy, and his way of chewing on and then spitting out a line, Karl does indeed put you in mind of Carrey.
Karl embodies not only Carrey but also the title character in the Broadway tour of “Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical,” which makes sense when you remember Carrey played the Grinch in the movie version of Theodor Geisel's classic children's story.
The stage musical opened Tuesday night at the Orpheum Theater for a 12-performance run, through Sunday. If Tuesday's audience of about 1,600 is any indication, little kids are going to love this show.
Karl is at least as good at making kids of all ages laugh as he is at fearsome snarls, all of which he uses in his self-admiring song “One of a Kind.” Karl doesn't really sing so much as growl his way through a song, and nobody seemed to mind a bit.
He gets some serious competition from the smallest member of the cast, Brooke Lynn Boyd as Cindy-Lou Who. Boyd has a big, brassy alto voice that belies her diminutive stature, and she made the most of it when she sang a heart-melting ballad to the Grinch, “Santa for a Day.” Cute kid.
Bob Lauder is also first-rate as the older version of the Grinch's kind-hearted dog, Max, who serves as the show's narrator. Lauder teams with Seth Bazacas, who plays Max as a pup, for a fun duet at the top of the show, “This Time of Year.” Like Lauder, Bazacas has strong stage presence, a pleasing personality and plenty of vocal talent.
Brance Cornelius, who plays Cindy-Lou's daddy, reminded me a lot of one of my favorite childhood comedians, Paul Lynde.
The set was done up in black ink lines on white cutouts to look like drawings from the storybook's pages. Costumes in black, red and pink popped nicely against all that black and white. Lighting effects effectively simulate snow until the show's climax, when the real stuff kicks in.
Lauder's big bass voice is perfect for delivering the show's best song, “You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which is lifted intact from the animated TV version of this show. And whoever thought to add an audience sing-along reprise of this song gets a tip of the cat's hat for good thinking.
Ensemble harmonies on “Welcome, Christmas,” also familiar from TV, were strong and nicely blended.
But, to get a little Grinchy for a moment, most of the songs added for the Broadway score are fairly undistinguished and less than memorable.
Never mind. As long as Karl galumphs around the stage as the Grinch, and Lauder teams with Bazacas as crowd-pleasing Max, and Boyd charms as little Cindy-Lou, kids and parents alike will welcome Christmas, anyway.
The show is a just-right 85 minutes, without intermission, so hit the restrooms before the opening curtain if you must.
Contact the writer:
444-1269, bob.fischbach@owh.com
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