Photos provided by Evan Zimmerman for Murphymade

Given all that’s going on in the world right now, Christmas cheer can be hard to come by, but thankfully, “Elf: The Musical” is flying its way around America on Santa’s sleigh, direct from a Broadway revival.

Much like the original movie starring Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel was the exact elixir everyone needed in the post-9/11 era, the brand new tour is destined to beat all forms of the winter blues for anyone turning up at the landmark Auditorium Theatre through Sunday, December 14.

These days, the show stars Jack Ducat (Buddy), Felicia Martis (Jovie), Jeff Brooks (Walter Hobbs), Yara Martin (Emily Hobbs) Ryan Duck or Camden Kwok (alternating as Michael Hobbs) and Andrew Hendrick (Santa), amongst a substantial ensemble, who all do a reliable job translating the all ages tale for the stage.

Though not an exact carbon copy of the film, “Elf: The Musical” retains its key elements thanks to a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (“Annie,” “The Producers”) and Bob Martin (“The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Smash”), alongside songs by Tony nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (“The Prom,” “The Wedding Singer”), while updating many of the early 2000s cultural references to ensure continued relevance.

Either way, the account of a young orphan boy accidentally crawling into Santa’s toy sack and being raised as an elf at the North Pole is nothing short of timeless, plus it turns out to be quite touching and just as uproarious when the extremely child-like 30-year-old goes to New York to find his birth father and attempts to integrate into the Hobbs family.

Nonetheless, there are a multitude of obstacles, such as being constantly misunderstood while working at a department under the dynamite Darius J. Manuel as the militant, nameless store manager, followed by his father’s book publishing company, featuring a delightful Katelyn Lauria as the zany assistant Deb and the convincing Hendrick doubling as the Ebenezer Scrooge-like Mr. Greenway.

In between, Buddy has better luck at being an older brother than trying to start a previously non-existent love life, yet nonetheless presses on with hugs and hope during every clever little plot twist.

Throughout the hijinks and heartaches, there are plenty of tricky circumstances to nearly put a damper on the holiday, until a certain “Elf” saves the day in an astonishing way that will surely keep the Windy City “singing all season long.”

“Elf: The Musical” continues at the Auditorium Theatre through Sunday, December 14. For additional details, visit ElfMusicalTour.com, AuditoriumTheatre.org and BroadwayInChicago.com.

Related Articles

Drury Lane gives the joyous, reflective and humorous gift of “Elf: The Musical” into the new year Broadway-bound “Boop!” bolstered by invincible Jasmine Amy Rogers, fuel from David Foster at CIBC Haunting and humorous, Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” bedazzles the landmark Auditorium Theatre “The Sound Of Music” is once again one of the Nederlander Theatre’s “Favorite Things” “Hadestown” a red hot, redemptive, Tony Award sweeper fit for the gods “Hell’s Kitchen” heats up and puts Nederlander Theatre in Alicia Keys’ “Empire State Of Mind” “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas” lights a “Ring Of Fire” around the Marriott Theatre “Oh, What A Night” whenever “Jersey Boys” harmonize through Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons