Writer, Heather Jones, took her family inside the hallowed halls of The Second City to see the musical holiday extravaganza.
Review: ‘What the Elf?!?’ at The Second City
As you walk into the iconic Second City building, surrounded by walls chequered with decades of familiar comedians, you are reminded that you are standing in a Toronto institution. You can feel the history whispering in the corners, and the energy buzzing in the walls. Countless audiences have sat, drink in hand, laughing until they couldn’t breathe at the sharp, and often risqué, wit jumping off the stage. Having the opportunity to share this Canadian rite of passage with our children before they are of a proper satire-appreciating age was a true blessing.
The Second City’s current family production ‘What the Elf?!?’ lives up to the high-energy standards of its grown-up shows. The ever-moving cast burst with enthusiasm, and the simple to follow story and upbeat music drew in the smallest patrons, while still providing small nods of political satire and pop culture references for the more seasoned Second City folks in the crowd.
The story follows the journey of Zelma, a spunky elf aspiring to break the gingerbread ceiling and become Head Elf. She is accompanied on her adventure by Saucy, a sassy reindeer, and the Hottest Toy of the Season, A.K.A. Carl the Hatchimal. Along the way, they meet friends, foes, and foes-turned-friends, including struggling bunny coal miners and misunderstood ogres. Punctuated by outbursts of song, the show sends messages of confidence and perseverance to Zelma, and to the children following along with her.
No Second City show would be complete without some improv and audience participation. What do you get when you combine the under 10 crowd and open suggestions for a scene? In this particular performance, what we got was a reindeer in speedos, giving himself a musical pep talk before heading out on an important date. As it turns out, child-driven improv is just as funny when handled by talented, quick thinking actors. The belly laughs from the grown-ups in the crowd prove that humour need not be off-colour to be funny (though we did appreciate the odd joke said with a wink aimed just at us.)
The ensemble cast does a fantastic job playing multiple parts each, transitioning seamlessly through distinct characters. Using only minimal prop and costume changes, the actors were able to clearly distinguish between roles without confusion. If is hard to believe sweet Carl the Hatchimal was a jerky elf in charge just moments before. The cast also handled the somewhat risky move of asking for prompts from small children, and treated their awkward pauses and challenging answers with respect, while managing to maintain the upbeat flow of the show. Anyone who has ever tried to get a straight answer from a 4-year-old can appreciate that this was no small feat.
The high energy and simple story, combined with classic Second City humour, made for a show all ages can enjoy, and the length of the show is perfect for little ones who start getting antsy after a while. It was the perfect way to spend a family afternoon.
Heather Jones is the mom to two fantastic boys and a writer at BabyPost.com and Urbanmoms.ca. When she’s not laughing in the aisles, she’s returning the favour with her witty and honest articles about the weird, wonderful, and often facepalm, moments of parenting.
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