Elf The Musical at CPT

Yesterday I went to see a matinee of Elf The Musical at CPT and it was so much fun. This show tells the story of Buddy (Ben Heder), who has been raised as an elf at the North Pole after crawling into Santa's bag when he was a baby. After discovering that he is really a human instead of an elf, he decides to travel to New York City to find his Dad (Andrew Gemperline) and ends up giving Christmas cheer to his new family, his girlfriend Jovie (Niki Waite), and all of New York City. The singing and dancing in this show is fantastic and I especially liked the choreography in "Sparklejollytwinklejingley" as Buddy helps the tap dancing Macy's employees decorate the store for Santa and "A Christmas Song" as Buddy takes Jovie ice skating in front of Rockefeller Plaza (on a rink that was so realistic it actually looked like the actors were skating). Santa Claus (Randy Honaker) narrates the story as if he were reading a Christmas book to the audience and I liked the use of a giant book with projections illustrating different scenes. The costumes worn by the elves, including Buddy, at the North Pole are colorful and whimsical and Santa's suit is incredibly elaborate (in contrast, I found the costumes worn by the New Yorkers to be rather bland and sometimes ill-fitting). Heder is really charming in the lead role, giving Buddy an innocence that is really heartwarming. I also really liked Waite as Jovie because she gives her a bit of vulnerability.  It is an adorable show and you would have to be a cotton headed ninny muggins not to enjoy it.  Unfortunately, the run ended yesterday but you can go here for CPT's 2019 season which begins with Lend Me a Tenor.