Theatre Review :: Elf The Musical at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, MD

Jeri Tidwell Photography

It’s that time of year as the weather begins to get a little nip in the air and Spooky Season decorations give way to more festive lights and inflatables, and Mariah Carey emerges from her deep freeze to tell us all she wants for Christmas is us. After last year’s not-Christmas specific family show The Sound of Music, Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Maryland revisits a modern holiday classic, Elf the Musical, based on the hit 2003 Will Ferrell movie, Elf. It’s just the respite we need from the sometimes crazy world we live in (and the last time the show was produced in 2021, we were just emerging from the dark days of COVID shutdowns so this show is becoming a sort of escape from the real world for a few hours).

If you know the movie, then you will not be disappointed with the show which follows the basic storyline with a few changes. Here, the story is told by Santa Claus himself (in the movie it’s Papa Elf), relating the tale of a baby (with the sad backstory of a mom who died not long after he was born) who crawled into Santa’s toy sack and wasn’t discovered until the Big Man returned to the North Pole from his midnight flight around the world. Santa kept the baby, and the elves raised him as one of their own … and the eternally happy Buddy never seemed to realize he was a bit taller than everyone else. He also was not very self-aware in the toy making department, slacking a bit more than the other elves who had to come behind him and complete his allotted tasks (happily, though). But Buddy overhears elves Charlie and Tiara talking about him not being an elf, and Buddy finally realizes he’s human. Santa tells him the truth about his time in the North Pole, and suggests he go to New York City to find his real father, a man named Walter Hobbs. Buddy says goodbye to his friends and heads South, and is overwhelmed when he reaches the Big Apple. But he finds the Empire State Building where Walter works and, not really up on human etiquette, just barges into the office and calls Walter ‘Dad’.

Jeri Tidwell Photography

Of course, Walter thinks the grown man in his office is nuts and has him tossed out, but the police bring him to Walter’s home since Buddy said he was Walter’s son. There he is taken in by Emily Hobbs and son Michael, and Walter is none-too-pleased when he finds the ‘lunatic’ in his home. But he agrees to let him stay the night, unaware that Emily has already taken a strand of Buddy’s hair and a stand of Walter’s, and sent them off to a lab (her brother conveniently works there) for DNA testing. It’s a match, and Walter now has to accept that he has a son that he never knew about from a college fling. But can he? Walter is dealing with his own work issues, needing to come up with a book idea for the publisher he works for by Christmas Day … or he’s fired. Walter’s staff is of little help and Buddy keeps getting in the way, but Buddy also has a distraction in Jovie, a beautiful young woman he met while ‘working’ at the ‘North Pole’ at Macy’s. Jovie is stand-offish and snarky, but Buddy is enthralled and she finally agrees to go eat food with him (or go on a date, as regular people would say), and he begins to thaw her cold, hard exterior … until he forgets that he promised to make her one Christmas wish come true — dinner on Christmas Eve at Tavern on the Green. There’s also the issue of Santa, who crash lands in Central Park because not enough people believe in him, which powers his sleigh (he had to ditch the reindeer because of PETA). With Buddy now able to prove to Emily and Michael, and eventually Walter, that Santa is real, will they be able to convince the citizens of New York to believe so he can get his sleigh off the ground? Will Buddy be able win Jovie back after such a major disappointment? Will Walter be able to take a stand with his boss? Will Buddy return to the North Pole or stay with his newly discovered family? It’s Christmas, so expect some magic to make things right!

Just like with the movie, if you feel you’re missing some holiday spirit because of the pressures of the world, then Elf the Musical is sure to lift your spirits for a few hours, and perhaps you can carry that joyful feeling in the theatre back out into the world. Right from the start, with Shane Lowry’s festive decorations adorning the room, you begin to feel your spirits lift (particularly charming are the three-dimensional pictures in each corner of the room). As the show gets under way, the colorful costumes (coordinated by Sarah King and Janine Sunday) and lighting (Lynn Joslin) really help transport you to this holiday world, both at the North Pole and New York City. There is also a nice use of more drab colors at Walter’s office and home, with Buddy in his bright green elf outfit standing out as a beacon of Christmas. Not even putting Buddy in a business suit and tie can dim his enthusiasm. The production design, lighting and costume departments work together perfectly to help tell the story visually, while the cast moves through the story, deftly helmed and choreographed by Mark Minnick. Minnick expertly uses the Toby’s in-the-round staging to guide the actors and the audience from one setting to the next with the lighting and set-pieces that glide on and off the stage, directing our attention to a character or characters on one part of the stage or stairs in their own light while a new set is being put in place in the darkness. It’s almost magical how the stage can be transformed from an office to an ice rink in almost the blink of an eye. The musical group numbers including the large ensemble also have a lot of joy and energy, and it’s always amazing to watch a large group make their way through a dance number in the intimate space without any mishaps, even when they might have large props in their hands. Speaking of the intimate space, this is something that truly sets Toby’s apart from seeing the show in a regular theatrical setting. Here you can see the actors’ expressions clearly, each one of them needing to be totally invested in the scene taking place, making us believe they believe what is happening in front of them. In this setting, no one can just get away with standing in place and waiting for their next cue, and the Toby’s cast never disappoints with making whatever is happening on stage feel real, allowing the audience to feel that they are part of the story as well, so a big shout out to that ensemble (who play many roles from elves to New Yorkers): Valerie Adams Rigsbee, Brandon Bedore,Joey Ellinghaus, Vince Gover, Alaina Jenkins, Amanda Kaplan Landstrom, Alexis Krey-Bedore, Ariel Messeca,Patricia “Pep” Targete, Spencer Teal, and Anwar Thomas.

As for the main cast, most of the players from the 2021 production have returned to reprise their roles. Jeffrey Shankle perfectly captures the innocence of Buddy, always giving him a childlike wonder in everything he sees and experiences even though he is an adult of 30. He also has a terrific voice to deliver Buddy’s songs with a depth of emotion, whether completely joyful or a bit forlorn, using his acting skills to make us totally believe in Buddy’s story. As mentioned in the 2021 review, the role of Jovie seems to be smaller in the musical than in the movie, but MaryKate Brouillet once again brings her charm — snarky and sweet — to the role and gets to really show Jovie’s emotions in the Act II number ‘Never Fall in Love (With an Elf)’. Brouillet makes Jovie’s transformation from that girl with her walls up to a girl with real, deep emotions feel totally believable, and she makes us root for Jovie and Buddy to come together by the end of the show.

Jeri Tidwell Photography

David Bosley-Reynolds again brings the workaholic Walter to life, showing the stresses he’s under at work and not needing this ‘weirdo’ in his life. Walter could easily be the villain of the piece (well, technically he is) but Bosley-Reynolds also brings some humanity to the role so that the audience can sympathize with his situation at work and home. Who wouldn’t be stressed by someone showing up on their doorstep claiming to be a child they never knew about? Walter is basically the Scrooge (or Grinch) of this story, and having Buddy in his life — like those three ghosts or little Cindy Lou Who — is going to be the thing that can make him appreciate his family and the spirit of Christmas. Janine Sunday is also terrific as Emily Hobbs, not a total sceptic about Buddy’s claims but still unsure as to how the family will deal with his arrival. But one event changes her attitude completely and Sunday makes Emily’s joy totally believable. She also has a magnificent voice that she gets to show off in her songs ‘I’ll Believe in You’ and ‘There is a Santa Claus’, both sung with Michael. David James gets to show three different personalities with the characters of elf Charlie (happy but dubious about Buddy’s belonging at the North Pole), a police officer (genial and happy to help Buddy get home) and Walter’s boss Mr. Greenway (cranky and demanding).

New cast members also do some excellent work. For the role of Michael there are three boys rotating in various performances. For this performance, Noah Frieman took on the role and he was a total delight. His Michael wants nothing more than to just spend one day with his dad, but even at his young age he already has the ‘hardened New Yorker’ persona down pat. But he also imbues Michael with a childlike joy when he learns he has an older brother, and he is the first to believe Buddy’s story and accept that perhaps he is telling the truth about Santa. His voice is also spectacular, harmonizing perfectly with Sunday in their two songs together. This kid has a future in performing if he chooses to stay on that path. Jordan B. Stocksdale takes on the role of Santa, and he brings a lot of humor to the role, expertly tossing off some of Santa’s witty asides (this show is easily adaptable to include current references, like a joke about the Peacock streaming service), and perhaps at his wit’s end with Buddy’s incessant happiness (as demonstrated in the song ‘Happy All the Time’). Stocksdale completely looks the part, he’s funny, and he’s caring when it comes to Buddy’s truth, making him the perfect Santa Claus. Asia-Ligé Arnold pulls double duty as Mrs. Claus and Walter’s assistant Deb. In both roles she shows that those characters are the women really keeping things running while letting Santa or Walter believe they are the ones in control. Arnold makes us see that without the Missus or Deb, Santa and Walter would not be as up on their game as they think they are. There really is not a single weak link in this cast, and you can feel their joy in performing this show for an audience.

Don’t forget, this is dinner theatre so a big component is the dinner buffet, starting with the salad bar. On the main dinner buffet there are the assortment of salads and cheese, with Buddy’s Broccoli (some of the most delicious broccoli this writer has ever had), Sweet Corn Niblets, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples, Redskin Mashed Potatoes, Santa’s Spinach Phunque (the house specialty), Cheesy Pasta Bake, Steamed Shrimp, Lemon Roasted Chicken, World’s Greatest Meatballs, Baked Tilapia, and the carving board with Steamship Round, Baked Virginia Ham and Roasted Breast of Turkey. You can finish you meal with a sundae from the ice cream bar in the lobby, or have your choice of cake (this time it was cheesecake or German chocolate cake) … or both cake and ice cream! No judgment. And as with each show, there is a special drink, the Showstopper. For this production of Elf the Musical, the specialty drink is The Cotton-Headed-Ninny-Muggins, a frozen hot chocolate topped with thick whipped cream and gum drops, with or without a splash of Bailey’s Irish Cream. A totally yummy dessert drink to end you meal or enjoy at intermission. And you get to keep the collectible Elf the Musical glass (a clean one is supplied to you).

If the hectic pace and never-ending news cycle of the world is getting you down, if the holiday rush is frazzling your nerves, you can not go wrong with taking a few hours for yourself, your family and/or your friends to make the trip to Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Maryland to enjoy a delicious meal and a wonderful production that is sure to lift your spirits and put you in the holiday mood.

Elf the Musical runs through January 4, 2026. Toby’s next production is the rock ‘n’ Roll musical Rock of Ages, on stage January 9 – March 15, 2026.

Elf the Musical – Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia, MD

Toby’s Dinner Theatre

 
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