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Singing loud for all to hear
Walnut Street Theatre presents ELF The Broadway Musical
There is a great deal to love about Elf, the 2003 film that has become a holiday favorite in the two decades since its release. David Berenbaum's tightly constructed, highly quotable screenplay follows Buddy (Will Ferrell, in what might be his most iconic role), a human raised among Santa's elves. With its steady balance of ironic yuks and heartfelt Christmas sentiment, it would be hard to argue against Elf's status as a classic of the season, likely to feature in the holiday film rotation for decades to come.
Some of what makes Elf so endearing exists within ELF The Broadway Musical, now running through December 29, 2024 at the Walnut Street Theatre. A faithful adaptation of the film's story, the musical finds Buddy the Elf departing from the North Pole upon the revelation that he is actually human, not elf, and arriving in New York City in search of his real father.
Searching for the point
High praise is warranted for the actors who bring this production to life under director Glenn Casale. Nic Rouleau embodies Buddy as an indefatigable force of Christmastime optimism, an amusing contrast to the cynical corporate maneuvering of his father Walter, played with straight-laced humor by Fran Prisco. The ensemble shines in their incidental roles as office workers, jaded New Yorkers, and Santa's elves, and the entire cast captivates during the intensely choreographed dances (choreography by Robbie Roy), despite the blandness of Matthew Sklar’s music.
Overall, the committed performances synergize with the attendant visual spectacle of a Broadway musical (sets by Robert Andrew Kovach) to create a good bit of holiday fun, appropriate for the entire family. But at the risk of sounding a bit Scroogey, the experience left me searching for the point.
“I know him!”
A responsible critic must admit their own biases, so here's one of mine: on a fundamental level, I prefer original media to adaptation. That isn't to say I dismiss all adaptations—after all, Dickens spawned The Muppet Christmas Carol and Hugo’s Les Misérables became a Broadway masterpiece—but ELF the musical does little with its source material besides transpose it from film to stage. There is no substantive reimagination in the script: virtually every punchline and story beat are carbon-copied from the screenplay, amounting to a presentation of familiar bits rather than a unique experience. The two feel inseparable, as if the stylized caps of the musical’s title are shouting at you to remember the original: “HEY, IT'S THAT MOVIE YOU LIKE!”
In the end, there is no reason to not go see ELF, but neither is there a particularly good reason to see it. For me, it was a fine enough evening of theater, but with tickets starting at $97 each, I wonder if fine enough is fine enough.
What, When, Where
ELF The Broadway Musical. Based on the film by David Berenbaum; book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin; music by Matthew Sklar; lyrics by Chad Beguelin. Directed by Glenn Casale; music direction by Chris Burcheri. $97-247 (a limited number of standby tickets are available for $25). Through December 29, 2024 at the Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. (215) 574-3550 or walnutstreettheatre.org.
Accessibility
Walnut Street Theatre is a wheelchair-accessible venue with ADA-compliant water fountains and restrooms on the orchestra level. The Walnut also offers assisted listening devices with loop technology. For more accessibility info, call the box office at (215) 574-3550.
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