'Elf The Musical' review — have a holly jolly time on Broadway
Read our review of Elf The Musical on Broadway, the stage adaptation of the 2004 Will Ferrell Christmas film, running at the Marquis Theatre through January 4.
A goofball Grey Henson is embodying an iconic Christmas role, Buddy the human elf, on Broadway. So is Elf The Musical at the Marquis Theatre as sweet as the freshly baked cookies left out for Santa?
Not to sound a little salty, but Elf The Musical (directed by Philip WM. McKinley) can overstuff itself with misfired quips upon quips, mistaking fluff for quality. Trading sincerity for schtick can deflate the humor (often nostalgic nods to the movie) when desperate to grab laughs. Although the musical is critical of the corporate grind of Christmas, a referential script can border into product placement. High-wattage star Sean Astin, as Santa Claus, finds his charms trapped in cloying references — ironically underlining how Astin himself effectively doubles as corporate antagonist Mr. Greenway.
Still, amid the humbugs is happiness. When this all-ages musical does land, it hits the sweet spots, bountiful with jabs at NYC culture, sight gags, and Liam Steel’s outsized, jaunty choreography. Additionally, the cast are a cornucopia of Christmas delights.
Among those charmers is Kai Edgar, who matches Henson’s energy as Buddy’s half-brother and wins hearts with “I'll Believe in You.” Michael Hayden is built to play the austere workaholic father, Walter, who’s destined to melt into holiday redemption, while Ashley Brown brings her warmth as Buddy’s stepmother, Emily. Jovie, the love interest, gets paltry story material, but Kayla Davion showcases pipes that can shatter icicles in “Never Fall In Love With An Elf.”
Despite the stuffiness of Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan’s book, Chad Beguelin’s lyrical modesty matches with Matthew Sklar’s pleasant score, and the showstopper “Nobody Cares About Santa,” about mall Santas, takes the cake. Elf The Musical also deploys a late-stage surprise: a dazzling liftoff that neatly ties a bow on the production.
Elf The Musical summary
Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan’s script adapts the original 2003 Elf film written by David Berenbaum. When a young orphan boy stowaways on Santa Claus’s sleigh, Santa and the elves raise him in the North Pole and call him Buddy, who grows up with a sugarcoated optimism. With Santa’s blessing, a grown-up Buddy departs the North Pole to venture to the unfamiliar human world of New York City to find his biological father.
Tomfoolery and drama ensue when Buddy is disappointed in his father’s un-Christmasy, workaholic spirit. But despite being a fish out of water among humans, Buddy forms a bond with his stepmother, half-brother, and love interest Jovie, and spreads the joy of Christmas.
What to expect at Elf The Musical
Elf The Musical is family-friendly. When entering the Marquis Theatre, it is populated with parents and their children, many dressed festively for the occasion. It’s inevitable that the theatre will be aglow with wondrous gasps when it starts snowing inside. It’s not paper snow — it felt cool in my hands.
Tim Goodchild’s scenic design, blending with his vibrant costumes and Ian William Galloway and Mesmer Studios’ computer-generated video design, appear to take inspiration from the atmosphere of illustrated picture books and vintage comic imagery of New York City.
What audiences are saying about Elf: The Musical
As of publication, Show-Score has an 80% audience approval rating for Elf The Musical. Members generally described it as, "Festively-fun, Delightful, Great acting, Funny, [and] Absorbing."
- “Fun show for fans of the movie... nothing groundbreaking. Fun for the holiday season.” - Show-Score user Lauren Feinstein
- "This musical is 'safe,' family-friendly holiday fare you anticipate once November hits and the city rushes you into the spirit of the season. I found [most of the] songs bland and unmemorable..." - Show-Score user GirlFriday
- "It's still pretty entertaining, it's not very funny, but its dry humor is pretty good." - Show-Score user Zachary Trenkle
Read more audience reviews of Elf: The Musical on Show-Score.
Who should see Elf The Musical
- Elf The Musical contains plenty of slapstick jokes for the kids and innuendos for the parents.
- Admirers of Grey Henson’s performance as Damian Hubbard in the Mean Girls musical would like to see him as Buddy the Elf.
- Adults who grew up with the original 2003 movie, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Will Ferrell, should revisit the movie as a stage musical. Some may have also seen the 2014 stop-motion short Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas, an abridged telling of the musical.
- Fans of Sean Astin’s legacy as Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of Rings film trilogy would be drawn to see him as Father Christmas himself.
- Those who follow comedian Kalen Allen will also get mileage from his comedic chops as an overzealous manager.
Learn more about Elf The Musical on Broadway
Yes, Elf has enough sugary charm to put you in the mood to sing “A Christmas Song.” The material can be hit or miss, but Elf The Musical is a sweet holiday escape.
Photo credit: Elf The Musical on Broadway. (Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)
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