“Elf the Musical” is the theatrical equivalent of pouring maple syrup on spaghetti; kids may love it, but nostalgia aside, it’s too sickly sweet to have broad appeal for adults. Based on the 2003 film starring Will Ferrell, the 2010 stage adaptation returned to Broadway last year, directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, and a new national tour based on this production is now playing a limited run at the Auditorium Theatre.
With music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin, the Christmas cheer is dialed up to 11 in the familiar story of Buddy, a human raised in the North Pole who travels to New York to find his birth father. The title of the opening number, “Happy All the Time,” pretty much sums up the mood. Performed by Santa Claus (Andrew Hendrick) and the elves (average-height adult ensemble members shuffling around on their knees), the song introduces Jack Ducat’s Buddy, the happiest elf of them all.
This production didn’t change my mind about the key problem with this musical: it’s not as funny as the movie, because Buddy’s song-and-dance schtick doesn’t seem as incongruous in a setting where all the characters, even the jaded New Yorkers, regularly break into song. Most of the tunes aren’t particularly memorable, with the exception of a few unwelcome earworms. However, I’ll concede one element that kind of works in musical form: it makes sense that Buddy is the one egging on the company in many of the major numbers, because this emphasizes his role in helping his newfound family and community rediscover their love for Christmas and each other.
Ducat makes an endearing Buddy, with childlike enthusiasm that comes off as more believable than Ferrell’s performance, thanks in part to his youthful look and mannerisms. Buddy’s complete oblivion to innuendo adds a note of adult humor to this overall family-friendly comedy, and his exaggerated physicality should play well with younger viewers. The rest of the cast does fine with the material at hand, though many of the roles are underdeveloped or caricature-like. Buddy does share a few sweet moments with love interest Jovie (Felicia Martis), but she doesn’t get nearly as much stage time.
The production design is suitably loud and jolly, from the rainbow palette of the elf costumes to the tinsel-bedecked halls of Macy’s (scenic and costume designs adapted from the original by Tim Goodchild). As with most Broadway tours in recent years, the visuals rely heavily on video projections, in this case designed by Ian William Galloway. The opening scenes at the North Pole evoke the animated elements of the film — a style that Galloway unfortunately retains when the action moves to New York, resulting in an unrealistic and busy look. However, it’s a nice touch that Santa’s sleigh physically flies in the end, while fake snow sprinkles the house.
Even though I enjoyed the movie as much as most millennials, the musical makes me feel a bit Grinch-like, so take my grumpiness with a grain of salt. On opening night, the audience included people in festive holiday sweaters, T-shirts with quotes from the film and at least one pair of elf ears. Based on the ovation, it seemed that a good time was had by most.
Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.
Review: “Elf the Musical” (2 stars)
When: Through Dec. 14
Where: Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive
Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes
Tickets: $40.00-$110.00 at broadwayinchicago.com
