NEW YORK—Haul out the holly and pull out the tinsel: Broadway gets into the Christmas spirit with the second Broadway revival of “Elf: The Musical.” First seen in 2010, the holiday staple has a book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin and is based on the film of the same name.
On a snowy Christmas Eve nearly 30 years ago, an orphaned baby boy crawled out of the window of an orphanage and into Santa Claus’ sleigh, which was parked nearby. The tiny stowaway hid deep inside a gigantic bag of toys. Santa (Sean Astin), who had stopped to deliver presents to deserving boys and girls, didn’t discover the tiny stowaway until he until they'd returned to the North Pole.
Upon seeing the child, the North Pole elves took him in, named him “Buddy,” and raised him as one of their own. As the boy grew, he learned the art of toymaking and was schooled in all things Christmas, especially the joy the holiday brings.
Decades later, adult Buddy (Grey Henson) learns that he isn’t an elf. His human mother gave him up for adoption before her death and his father didn’t know of his existence. Buddy journeys to New York City to find his father, Walter Hobbs (Michael Hayden), who works for a company that publishes children’s books. Walter’s almost total fixation on work and resulting neglect of his wife, Emily (Ashley Brown), and young son, Michael (Kai Edgar), has landed him on Santa’s naughty list.
After Buddy’s first encounter with Walter doesn’t go well: His disbelieving dad has no time for a full-grown man in an elf costume who claims to be his son. Buddy wanders into Macy’s department store and finds the overworked staff putting up Christmas decorations.
Completely in his element and determined to make this an experience for everyone to remember, Buddy enthusiastically joins in their efforts. In the process, he reintroduces the Christmas spirit to the employees. He also finds himself completely enchanted by Jovie (Kayla Davion), one of the store’s employees.
However, it eventually becomes apparent that Buddy’s rose-colored version of what Christmas should be isn’t always welcomed by jaded New Yorkers. Many are more concerned with just trying to get through their day. In fact, New York City has lost so much of its Christmas spirit that Santa’s sled has trouble maintaining altitude in the area. The heaviness of people’s hearts threatens to bring it down and ruin the holidays for everyone.
“Elf: The Musical” wants nothing more than to share seasonal joy and provide a welcome respite from the overwhelming holiday hustle and bustle. It’s a fun, lightweight confection about remembering the important things in life—making sure to spend time with those you care about, and building family connections, both old and new.
The show takes more than a few pokes at how cynical the Christmas experience can be, like Walter’s boss (Astin, who also plays an acerbic Santa). There’s also the hilarious number “Nobody Cares About Santa,” where a group of exhausted department store or sidewalk Kris Kringles gather at a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Eve and bemoan how bad their jobs have become. It’s wonderfully choreographed by Liam Steel.
Standouts in the cast include Henson as Buddy, a happy-go-lucky sort who plunges headlong into situations where he’s sure everyone will feel the same way he does and doesn’t always understand when they don’t. Hayden is the perennially stressed Walter, who carries himself as if he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The enjoyable score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin offers a heartwarming mixture of holiday-themed tunes. Who can’t help but love a number entitled “Sparklejollytwinklejingley”? Others are a bit more poignant, as Davion sings in “Never Fall In Love (With an Elf).” Ably paced by director Philip Wm. McKinley, the musical is pure fun.
Thanks to a story neatly wrapped up in a bow, a guaranteed happy ending, a hard-working cast, and a penultimate scene that shows once and for all the importance of believing, “Elf: The Musical” is a delicious holiday treat.
