ST. CLAIRE, MI—-If there is one thing an audience expects of a holiday musical, it might be a show that is jolly.  Or perhaps sparkly . . . twinkly . . . maybe even jingly.  What if you could see a show that is all of those things?

Head to see Elf the Musical at Boardwalk Theatre in St. Clair.  Based on the movie Elf, Lisa Copley directs this family friendly musical comedy (book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin; music by Matthew Sklar; lyrics by Chad Beguelin) which is full of wonder and innocence.

The show opens with Santa himself (Sean Michaels), telling the story of an Elf named Buddy (Caleb Sager), who is self-admittedly happy all the time, but is noticeably different from the other elves. When Santa eventually admits to Buddy that he was an orphaned human, Buddy decides to head to New York City to meet his real father.

The father in question is Walter Hobbs (Jeff Hinkle), a workaholic publisher of children’s books. Walter is skeptical of Buddy’s story, and calls the cops to deliver Buddy to the “north pole,” but the closest thing in New York City is the Christmas display in Macy’s department store.

Buddy fits right in with the store “elf” crew decorating for “Santa’s” big arrival, and falls head over heels for Jovie (Emma LePlante), a cynical girl who is decidedly void of Christmas spirit. But, after causing a commotion at Macy’s, Buddy ends up at the Hobbs home, where he is devastated to find out that even Walter’s wife and 12-year-old son do not believe in Santa.

Buddy then innocently causes a commotion at Walter’s office, and Walter kicks him out for good. A disenchanted Buddy wanders the city, and nearly forgets about his special date with Jovie, who can’t quite accept his apology and leaves Buddy alone.

Things come to a boil when Buddy returns to Walter’s office; he saves Walter’s job by offering his own life story for publication, which inspires Walter to take a stand for his family, including Buddy.  They also find out that Santa’s sleigh has been spotted in the city, disabled by a lack of Christmas spirit. Everyone—including Jovie—gathers in Central Park, where Buddy leads them all in a Christmas sing-along, generating enough Christmas spirit to get Santa’s sleigh moving.  The show ends at their Christmas celebration one year later, during which time Buddy and Jovie have married and had a baby!

The story itself is not overly complicated with intersecting storylines; Buddy’s story arc is driven by his childlike joy and naiveté, and sometimes his childlike disappointment.  His abundant spirit is so contagious that he wins over Jovie, Walter and his family, and everyone on Walter’s staff.  Sager as Buddy mixes delight and wonder with some awkward moments and self-awareness that make it impossible not to love—and root for—Buddy at every level. In one delightful scene, Buddy grabs two hand bells from a red kettle ringer in the park, and proceeds to perform the entire “Carol of the Bells” in very dramatic fashion.

The music throughout the show is fun but not overly “Christmasy.”  The best musical energy is found in the ensemble numbers, such as “Sparklejollytwinklejingley” and “Just Like Him” in Act I, “Nobody Cares About Santa” and “The Story of Buddy” in Act II, which feature full-chorus vocals, and plenty of color and movement. Another highlight was the solo number “Never Fall In Love (With An Elf)” sung by Jovie (Emma LePlante).

Another factor in the merriment of this production is the set and media design (Tom Vertin, Abbey Kuhns).  Bright colors define Santa’s workshop, and simple, cartoon-like shapes and silhouettes are used throughout the cityscape, the office and the home. The stage is ringed with a frame of snowflakes, but the use of projectors and screen panels on the side walls of the venue essentially extends the backdrop to the entire house, and enables the audience to see Santa’s sleigh flying through the skies.

This production of Elf the Musical is sure to delight viewers of all ages, including children as young as elementary age. It runs Thursdays through Sundays until December 23, 2023, including Saturday and Sunday matinees.  Tickets can be ordered at ThumbCoastTheaters.com.