Broadway at the Marcus Center presents: ELF THE MUSICAL

(L–R) Mark Fishback, Jackson Reagin, and Company in ELF THE MUSICAL at the Marcus Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee through December 1, 2024. Photo by Jeremy Daniel, 2024.

By Mary Boyle

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear," says Buddy the Elf.  Another way is to take the whole family to a holiday show; so, it stands to reason that by going to ELF THE MUSICAL at the Marcus Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee, you can do both!

Fans of Will Ferrell and Christmas movies likely recall the 2003 New Line Cinema film Elf, written by David Berrenbaum and starring Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, who lives in Christmas Town at the North Pole.  Much like Herbie in the animated television classic, Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Buddy has never felt that he quite fit in: he can't make toys as well as the other elves, and he is so much bigger than any of them.  Finally, Buddy learns the truth:  he is not an elf, but a human who crawled into Santa's sack one Christmas Eve at an orphanage.  Buddy's mother had passed away not long after he was born and, though the elves had raised him, he had a father who lived in New York City who never knew he had a son.  Now was the time for Buddy to meet him. 

While the premise sounds corny and, let's face it, it is, the film was not only funny, it was absolutely heartwarming, becoming an instant holiday classic.  The musical, with book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, music by Matthew Sklar, and lyrics by Chad Beguelin, essentially follows the film, but with music to move the story along, including the kind of big Broadway song and dance numbers you'd expect from a Broadway musical, costumes by Gregg Barnes inspired by that classic Rudolph cartoon, and scenic design by Christine Peters inspired by a snow globe. 

Santa (Mark Fishback) begins the tale of Buddy the Elf, who travels from the North Pole to find his father, Walter Hobbs (Ralph Prentice Daniel), a workaholic childrens book publisher who has no time for his wife, Emily (Marie Lemon), or their son, Michael (Theodore Lowenstein), even though it's the holiday season.  When Buddy arrives at Walter's NYC office, his secretary, Deb (Zuly Cabrera), thinks someone has sent a singing telegram, but Buddy insists that he is Walter's son.  Walter has security escort Buddy to Macy's where he works to help the other "elves" get ready for Santa.  While there, he meets and falls for Jovie (Tara Nicole Vinson), one of the other elves at the department store.  Meanwhile, Emily sends a sample of Buddy's hair off for DNA testing and discovers that Buddy truly is Walter's son.  While most people think Buddy is crazy, they also can't help liking him, but will his overabundance of Christmas spirit be too much for the big apple?

Directed by Sam Scalamoni, the musical feels as though it's geared more towards families with young children than the film; there is a little less focus on the relationship between Buddy and Jovie, and some of the more harsh encounters Buddy has in New York do not happen on the stage.  Trying to fill Will Ferrell's shoes is a really tall order and I wouldn't say that the film translated into a musical perfectly, but the cast is vocally strong and the most touching and magical parts of the film remain touching and magical in the musical, which makes it an excellent choice for families who aren't keen on Dickens' Victorian classic or the ballet, but are looking for a family-friendly holiday theatre experience in downtown Milwaukee.  

ELF THE MUSICAL runs through December 1st at the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Uihlein Hall, located at 929 N. Water Street in Downtown Milwaukee. Tickets may be purchased online at www.MarcusCenter.org, calling 414-273-7206 or by visiting the MPAC Box Office.  Groups of 10 or more can secure their seats by calling 414-273-7207.

About Marcus Performing Arts Center
A mission-based non-profit organization located in downtown Milwaukee, the Marcus Performing Arts Center (MPAC) brings high-quality arts and cultural programming to Southeastern Wisconsin. MPAC strives to act as an energizing force that connects the community to the world through collaboration, innovation, social engagement, and thetransformative power of the performing arts. Through multiple performance series, community events, andeducational experiences, MPAC brings a diverse range of celebrated artists to the region. A fixture in Milwaukee for over 50 years, MPAC is proud to be part of the Milwaukee Theater District as well as a dedicated War Memorial facility. Learn more at www.MarcusCenter.org.

Johnson Financial Group, with offices in Wisconsin and Minnesota, is a privately owned financial services company offering banking, wealth and insurance solutions through its subsidiaries, Johnson Bank, Johnson Wealth, and Johnson Insurance Services. For more information visit  johnsonfinancialgroup.com.

Broadway Across America (BAA) is part of the John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office, and Broadway Brands. Led by 22-time Tony-winning theater producer John Gore (Owner & CEO), BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 48 markets with over 400,000 subscribers. Presentations include Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton. Current productions include & Juliet, Hadestown, Hamilton, Hell’s Kitchen, MJ: The Musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Outsiders and Stereophonic.   

​Production Biographies
NETWORKS PRESENTATIONS (Producer) an industry-leading producer of touring theatrical productions, committed to delivering quality entertainment to audiences worldwide for more than 25 years. Current and upcoming productions include A Beautiful Noise, Beetlejuice, The Book of Mormon, Come From Away, Elf, Funny Girl, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Mean Girls, Peter Pan, and To Kill a Mockingbird. www.networkstours.com

WARNER BROS. THEATRE VENTURES (Producer), under the supervision of Executive Vice President, Mark Kaufman, was most recently represented on Broadway with the eight-time Tony Award-nominated hit musical Beetlejuice, based on the cult movie classic. Directed by two-time Tony nominee Alex Timbers, Beetlejuice featured an originalscore by Eddie Perfect and a book by Scott Brown and Emmy nominee Anthony King. In addition, Theatre Ventures ’Olivier Award-winning musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory recently toured North America following its successful runs on London’s West End, Broadway and an Australian production at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre and Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre. Additional projects include a successful summer 2018 production of the musical version of Dave, directed by Tina Landau at the Arena Theatre in Washington, DC, and a musical adaptation of 17 Again, which premiered at NAMT (National Alliance for Musical Theatre) in fall 2018. Presently in development is a stage version of the movie musical A Star is Born and a dramatic version of Dog Day Afternoon from playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. The division’s previous Broadway productions include Oscar winner William Goldman’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery, starring Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf; the record-breaking holiday hit Elf; theTony Award-winning musical The Bridges of Madison County; and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,which won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2015. Additionally, the division co-produced the original musical Secondhand Lions at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre.  Theatre Ventures also licenses third-party stage rights to the various properties held within the Studio’s vast library, including such productions as Hairspray, The Bodyguard, Diner, Top Hat, Singin’ in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, The Color Purple and 42nd Street, as well as the upcoming Broadway Vacation and Mr. Saturday Night.