Buddy (Ricky Jones) meets his dad (Bennett Cale), who is on Santa’s naughty list. PHOTO BY JACK GRACE.

WAILUKU – The hilarious, fish-out-of-water comedy “Elf: The Musical” will be staged at the Historic Iao Theater through Dec. 9.

If you’ve never seen this hit Maui production, it’s the tale of Buddy the Elf, an orphan baby who accidently crawled into Santa’s bag and was raised at the North Pole.

When Buddy discovers he’s human, he sets out to find his long-lost father, who happens to be on Santa’s naughty list and doesn’t believe in the spirit of Christmas.

Buddy ventures through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gumdrops, and through the Lincoln Tunnel to New York City.

The local cast stars Ricky Jones, who returns in the title role, singing delightfully silly songs like “Sparklejollytwinklyjingley,” “Buddy the Elf” and “Nobody Cares About Santa,” the latter with the aid of several drunken bad Santas. After all, according to Buddy, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”

Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 8, 2 p.m. on Dec. 1 and 8, 6 p.m. on Dec. 2, and 3 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Historic Iao Theater. Tickets range from $20 to $40. To purchase tickets for any Iao Theater event, call 242-6969 or order online at www.mauionstage.com.