Contributor Review by Brittany Sullivan: The Happy Elf

Photo from Montgomery College

Harry Connick Jr. visited Rockville on Saturday and was interviewed by Montgomery College student Brittany Sullivan, one of the writers for My Life At MC, an uncensored and unedited blog by nine students who write about their experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

On Saturday, November 13, 2010, Harry Connick Jr. made a star-studded appearance to Montgomery College to help promote his new children’s musical, The Happy Elf. Montgomery College and Adventure Theatre teamed up together to present a new, live stage production that told the story of Eubie, a North Pole elf who must bring Christmas joy to the sad little town of Bluesville to ultimately win a coveted spot on Santa’s sleigh team. Other big names in the industry helped to make this production possible including Tony Award-winners John Rando and Michael Rupert.

Harry Connick Jr. explained “this is a really exciting project, and it is my first time writing children’s music; however, it is still a work in progress.” The Happy Elf originated as a song, and later adapted into an animated TV special. Connick adds: “The stage version gets more deep into the character than the TV special. The show has a deeper meaning, it’s thicker.”

This was Connick’s first time to Montgomery College but he was “thrilled about The Happy Elf coming here,” citing Dr. Pollard’s ambition and the healthy campus environment.

This will be The Happy Elf’s last workshop before it attempts Broadway in New York. Each workshop allows for the cast to make their own interpretation of the script. “This will be the second innovation of writing the script,” explained Connick, “but that’s the great thing about theater; that’s how it works.”

When asked which character most resembled him, he chose the main happy elf, Eubie. “I am very impulsive and enthusiastic,” stated Connick, “but sometimes I can have a short attention span. However, I think there is a little Eubie in all of us.”

This hour and fifteen minute production had both its pros and cons. The vocals by Clint Johnson and Elliot Dash were spectacular, and had the smooth richness required to conquer the jazz melodies. Also, the set and lighting helped capture the audience and bring them into Santa’s workshop and the town of Bluesville. However, there were small glitches in the sound department, and the vocals by Valerie Issembert and Nova Y. Payton were pitchy at times. For a play that was filled with so much talent I felt that it compared to the typical Montgomery College production. The songs were not extremely catchy, and when asked to perform one of his songs he wrote for the play, Connick had trouble remembering the lyrics and required assistance from Clint Johnson.

The Happy Elf is a production that is sure to amuse children, but if it wishes to perform on Broadway there is much room for improvement. It will continue to play at Montgomery College at the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center through November 28, 2010. For more information you can visit www.montgomerycollege.edu or www.adventuretheatre.org.

Brittany Sullivan

This is a contributor review. We welcome submissions on all sorts of things — shopping, restaurants, performances, art, cultural events, and more. Rules: it should be in Rockville, and you should try to be nice. Get in touch with us, [email protected], if you would like to submit something!

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