What with his weed habit and ingrained misogyny, and the part where he fathered children with someone other than Mrs. Claus, he is decidedly not the jolly old soul of lore. So this play with music, though it opens with a charming pair of singing elves, is an ill-advised choice for Santa believers. And in this too-earthbound production, Mr. Kotis’s clever, messy comedy is not as much fun as it might be for the rest of us. It often feels like it could use an enlivening dash of the magic stuff that the Ghost of Christmas Present sprinkles around. Not that he makes an appearance; this show has plenty of spirits as it is.

Source: New York Times December 16, 2018 17:37 UTC