Elf – The Musical at The Grand Theatre
This Broadway-borne adaptation of the 2003 movie comedy has come back to grace London’s Grand Theatre! The story of Buddy —a man raised as one of Santa’s elves, then departs on a quest to find his workaholic father—has been turned into a musical! I must admit; as a wee lad, I didn’t buy into the hype of the motion-picture original, but the benefit of hindsight has done it good. This is the second time that Elf has been mounted on the Spriet Stage by the Grand Theatre in London.
Elf – The Musical at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario
However, that was then and this is now; adapting an already saccharine story to the musical format seems like a recipe for a sugar crash. I’m happy to report that Elf: The Musical hits all the right notes!
The story revolves around Buddy, growing up at the North Pole, he is surrounded by elves and believes himself to be one. Lacking talent in toymaking and being considerably bigger than the other elves, Santa has to tell him the truth that he is human after all. Wanting to know more about his roots, Santa encourages Buddy to find his true father (who has slipped onto the ‘naughty list’ for losing his Christmas spirit) and sends him off to New York City. Throughout the journey to find and re-ignite the waning Christmas spirit, Buddy falls in love, learns more of life’s lessons and saves his family from falling apart.
Entertaining Cast
This upbeat and playful rendition of Elf is led by Victoria native, Izad Etemadi as the man-presumed-elf Buddy. He is harmonized with Michelle Bardach as Jovie; the actor is a remarkable singer, even if the character would tell you otherwise in the play. Also, present are Shane Carty (Walter), Ma-Anne Dionisio (Emily) – one of the strongest singing voices in the cast, Riley DeLuca (Michelle), Charlotte Moore (Deb), and Aadin Church as the big man up north, Santa Claus.
Elf – The Musical at The Grand Theatre in London
I would be remiss to neglect to mention the Children’s Chorus of ten up-and-comin’ young-uns from around the London area ranging in age between 11 and 17. The 9-piece orchestra provides live music from the orchestra pit, an undaunted octet of musicians, conducted by Alexandra Kane.
Izad Etemadi was delightful in his portrayal of Buddy the Elf. Funny, childlike and always entertaining, he took The Grand Theatre’s young audience members to the land of make-believe. His energy and enthusiasm brought a lightness to every scene. His chemistry with Bardach (Jovie) was awkward – as it should be for a man-child falling in love – but their duet was endearing.
Glittering Set Design
The set design cuts no corners. Glitz and glamour are the names to clamour; here we have a snowy-white hall decked with bells and whistles to bring the city that never sleeps to life. The set is larger than life, and indeed, larger than the Grand’s usual sets. The Grand Theatre’s Elf -the musical had one of the largest sets seen on the Spriet Stage for years, requiring double the amount of scenic artists to create.
Aadin Church (Santa) and Izad Etemadi (Buddy)
I can assure you it is also a lot shinier than the standard; there is lots of glitter. How much? Imagine FORTY-FIVE Pounds of Glitter. Plus fifty pounds of fake snow – they truly did create a winter wonderland!
Where the production dropped the (snow)ball is in the costumes. Most were simple and some ill-fitting, they did not shine as much as that beautiful stage set. This was disappointing (as the 2013 production had very Dr. Seuss-styled elf costumes).
It is no doubt that artistic director Dennis Garnhum has delivered one of the most fun and joyous Christmas specials the Grand has staged in years
ever seen at the Grand Theatre in London Ontario
I really hope I’ve convinced you all to see this show because Elf – The Musical was a joy to watch! Over 20,000 seats have been sold and more are now available. Due to popular demand, the production has extended its run to the very end of the year –December 31st! That is eight more performances, over five more days! Tickets begin at $35 and are available at www.grandtheatre.com. Such a commendable effort deserves your full attention, readers. Don’t let ‘em down; it’s Christmas!
The Grand Theatre’s Christmas spirit doesn’t end at the stage, and neither should yours. The London Food Bank is back for a sixth consecutive year, courtesy of the Business Cares program. On this #GivingTuesday, it’s wonderful to think of the good you can do just by bringing a few dollar bills. With 100% of the proceeds going directly to The London Food Bank, consider this your reminder to give as many need your help this holiday season! #Sparklejollytwinklejingley!
Hayden Ibbott is a second-year Game Design Student at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. With an established love of gaming, he also has a strong interest in live theatre. He often writes guest reviews of productions at The Grand Theatre and The Stratford Festival. You can read his most recent reviews of the Stratford Festival on DownshiftingPRO.com
His attention to detail is what makes his reviews authentic and fun.