Elf Review: Christmas Fun for All Ages

Elf Review

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” – Buddy.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer should also include going to see Elf in its limited run at the FOX Theatre in Atlanta, because it’s the perfect way to kickoff the holiday season.

If you’ve seen Will Ferrell’s Elf, you probably can guess the storyline of this musical, and while it does follow the film – there are a few surprises for even the die-hard fan. However, if you’re not familiar with the film, here’s a description of what awaits you.

ELF is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern day Christmas classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner ELF.

Daniel Patrick Smith’s performance as Buddy was amazing. He did an incredible job at mimicking Will Ferrell’s mannerisms, and he truly embodied the joy that his character was emulating. While I’m not familiar with his previous work, I can’t say that there would be anyone that could do a more perfect performance for this role.

The play also starred Maggie Anderson (Jovie), Harper Brady (Michael), Ken Clement (Santa), Michael Fisher (Store Manager), Drew Martin (Mr. Greenway), Gabrielle Mirabella (Emily), Audra Qualley (Deb), Nicky Torchia (Michael), and D. Scott Withers (Walter) – all of which gave delightful performances.

As far as content, it is kid appropriate, but it does have a few subtle jokes that will have older crowds giggling as well. They did have a little technical hiccup last night which caused a brief pause of the play, but Santa played it off in a way that made everyone chuckle.

Overall, I really enjoyed Elf. It was the perfect way to ease into December and the holiday season that seemed to sneak up on us out of nowhere! And while I can’t say I was in love with the music (didn’t leave the theatre humming any tunes), I did leave smiling, and that was enough for me.

You can pick up tickets for an Atlanta show from now through December 6! They can be purchased through the FOX Theatre Box Office or online at www.ticketmaster.com!

Elf Review

Grade: B+

Photo Credit: Chris Bennion

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