Elf the Musical at the Durham Performing Arts Center
Serves Up a Delightful Dose of Holiday Cheer

The National Tour of Elf the Musical at DPAC will star Mark Fishback as Santa and Cody Garcia as Buddy (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Since it first debuted in 2003, the movie Elf, starring Will Ferrell, has become a verified Christmas classic. And even though it's hard to believe that the film is nearing the two-decade mark, it's a fitting choice for a Broadway musical of the same name. Elf the Musical, under the direction of Sam Scalamoni, is onstage now at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) and is fully equipped to delight a whole new generation of viewers.

This so-good guilty pleasure of a musical opens with none other than Santa Claus himself (played by Mark Fishback), much to the delight of young viewers at Tuesday, Nov. 29th's, opening-night performance. Among the squeals of "It's Santa!" and "I know him!" the onstage Claus opens up his storybook and proceeds to tell the strange-but-sweet story of Buddy the Elf (portrayed by Cody Garcia).

For those few not in the know, Buddy is the adopted son of Santa, born of humans and raised at the North Pole. Once Buddy learns the truth of his identity, he ventures to New York City to find his biological father, workaholic Walter Hobbs (played by Christopher Robert Smith). As expected, Buddy doesn't quite fit into this world of jaded non-believers, but his belief in himself and in the power of Christmas end up making all the difference.

Elf the Musical stars Cody Garcia as Buddy and Tieisha Thomas as Jovie (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

The musical introduces Buddy through a silly song, "Happy All the Time," in which Santa expresses his frustration with Buddy's extreme cheer. And, from there, the fun just continues, thanks in large part to Cody Garcia. Garcia creates a Buddy that's as adorable, childlike, and endearingly believable as Will Ferrell himself. And, when Buddy finds himself at none other than Macy's at Christmastime, there's a frustrated (and scene-stealing) store manager, humorously played by Jerquintez Alonzo Gipson, to contend with. However, there's also sweet but world-weary Jovie (portrayed by Tieisha Thomas), a department-store "elf" whom Buddy falls in love with at first glance. And, as Buddy tries to win her affection, as well as the love of his hassled father, calamity, chaos, and a whole lot of Christmas cheer ensue.

The whole heartwarming story plays out with help from Connor Gallagher's quirky, energy-infused choreography and Christine Peters' cartoonish sets, which pay homage to some of NYC's most iconic sites. Viewers are treated to creative recreations of the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and even well-loved food carts, making the show a celebration of not just Christmas, but the city at Christmas. And, while this is a nice nod to the film version, the addition of songs and the colorful performances cast this tale in a whole new light.

Jaxon James and Caitlin Lester-Sams star as Michael Hobbs and Emily in Elf the Musical (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

In fact, there's a lot of "new" to love here. Tieisha Thomas' pint-sized Jovie adds enhanced depth and delight to her character. Plus, when you finally get to hear her sing, it's well worth the wait. Likewise, Jaxon James, as Buddy's little brother, and Caitlin Lester-Sams, as Buddy's stepmom, Emily, evoke a sense of camaraderie and chemistry that puts viewers in their corner and more firmly aligns them with Buddy and his mission.

To top it all off, there's snow, glittering Christmas lights, and over-the-top costumes (designed by Gregg Barnes). In short, there's everything you could possibly want or expect from a Christmas musical. If you need something fun, light, and every bit as sweet as Buddy's syrupy spaghetti, be sure to check out this "Sparklejollytwinklejingley" musical before it leaves the DPAC stage on Sunday, Dec. 4th.

The Durham Performing Arts Center will present Elf the Musical, based on the hit 2003 New Line Cinema movie, starring
Will Ferrell as Buddy, on Nov. 29-Dec. 4, as part of WRAL Greatest Hits of Broadway at DPAC (photo by Jeremy Daniel)

Matthew Sklar, Chad Beguelin, Thomas Meehan, and Bob Martin's ELF THE MUSICAL (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30-Dec. 4), directed by Sam Scalamoni, choreographed by Connor Gallagher, presented as part of WRAL Greatest Hits of Broadway at DPAC, and starring Cody Garcia as Buddy, Mark Fishback as Santa, Jerquintez Alonzo Gipson as the Store Manager, Jaxon James as Michael Hobbs, Caitlin Lester-Sams as Emily, Bobby Montaniz as Mr. Greenway, Nakiya Peterkin as Deb, Christopher Robert Smith as Walter Hobbs, and Tieisha Thomas as Jovie, plus (in alphabetical order) Shannon Conboy, David Couter, Will Daly, dance captain Joy Davis, Nico DiPrimio, Justin Glass, Evan Hussey, TJ Kubler, Juliana Lamia, Ryan Mulvaney, assistant dance captain Daniel Pahl, Emily Ann Stys, Emilee Theno, Nicole Zelka. and Cait Zuckerman (Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham). DIGITAL PROGRAM: https://issuu.com/dpac0/docs/dpac_elf_digital. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKLvt_pYg38&t=1s. WRAL GREATEST HITS OF BROADWAY AT DPAC: https://www.dpacnc.com/events/category/broadway. THE PRESENTER/VENUE: https://www.dpacnc.com/, https://www.facebook.com/DPACNC, https://www.instagram.com/DPACNC/, https://twitter.com/DPAC, and https://www.youtube.com/user/DPACLive. DIRECTIONS: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/directions. PARKING: https://www.dpacnc.com/plan-your-visit/parking. DPAC COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS: https://www.dpacnc.com/events/vaccination-and-covid-19-test-requirements. THE TOUR: https://elfmusicaltour.com/, http://www.networkstours.com/show/elf-the-musical/, https://www.facebook.com/elfthemusicalontour/, https://www.instagram.com/elfthemusical/, and https://twitter.com/ElfTheTour. TOUR CAST & CREATIVE TEAM: https://elfthemusicaltour.com/#cast. THE MUSICAL: https://www.mtishows.com/elf-the-musical, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/elf-488283, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elf_(musical). TICKETS: $28.50 and up, plus taxes and ticket fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-680-2787 or CustomerService@DPACnc.com. Kurt Benrud's Triangle Review Review Permalink. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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