Elf the Musical

My Christmas show repertoire mirrors that of most Minneapolitans, in that I make a trek to the Guthrie for A Christmas Carol. An honorable, warm-and-fuzzy tradition, to be sure, and one I plan on repeating this year, but I was anxious to add something a little lighter, a little goofier, a little more giggle-prone to this year's festivities.

Enter, Elf the Musical, at the Ordway. Decorated in Elf-inspired fashion, complete with cut out snowflakes, ribbons, and snowmen, the lobby of the Ordway itself has a certain North Pole-at-Macy's appearance. The pianist playing all the Christmas favorites and the steady supply of hot chocolate and wine options make even killing time pre-show a bit of a festive endeavor.

This is one of those theatre experiences that does not inspire a great deal of pre-show curiosity, I admit. I've seen the movie a dozen times, thus, I can envision a musical version of Will Ferrell's wide-eyed slapstickery pretty easily. But that also proves to be a substantial hurdle for the actors as they are fully aware that every single body in every single seat has a preconceived notion of who Buddy the Elf is and how he should interact with our non-North Pole world.

The show doesn't veer from the movie often, why fix what isn't broken? Fans of the movie will recognize familiar quips peppered between songs. All the one-liners made famous by Ferrell make an appearance. I admit, the novelty wears off after a few scenes, but that doesn't make the show less enjoyable.

The music is reminiscent of the movie's score, chipper, bell-happy, and brimming with just enough saccharine sweetness to loosen up the Scrooge tendencies and indulge in a bit of gooey theatrical fluff. The lyrics are pretty forgettable aside from some smartmouth quips in Deb's solos and a couple of numbers in the second act. But the tunes are peppy and festive and comfortably support the uncomplicated storyline and no-need-to-worry-this-will-have-a-happy-ending vibe of the show.

I found the most engaging scenes/songs to be the truly original ones, the ones that weren't repackaged nicely from the movie but written exclusively for the stage production.  The disgruntled santa number,  "Nobody Cares About Santa," was the most amusing, and best choreographed piece of the night. Jovie's solo, "Never Fall in Love [With an Elf]" was also a quirky, sweet add-on the script, even if the romance between Buddy and Jovie never quite sold me as particularly strong.  I also enjoyed the way the cast painted the picture of how Buddy's story became a children's book, the pace and lyrics of that piece were spot on and Walter's dismissal of his humbuggery in favor of embracing his new son was sweetly done.  It's no Ebenezer Scrooge transformation, and the emotional transitions have to be assumed, not seen, but it was hard to be a curmudgeon over a song that involved that much dancing on office furniture.

Elf is a movie many, many people love, myself included. The musical is a funny, feel good, kid-friendly interpretation that stays in line with the film almost in lockstep. It won't surprise you, but it will leave you smiling and craving sugar. Adults will enjoy this and kids will L-O-V-E it, so I recommend indulging in some Christmas frivolity in St. Paul sometime soon.

Elf runs through December 30th at the Ordway and you can purchase tickets online or by calling 651-224-4222.

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