Since late November, the Archbold Theatre at Syracuse Stage has been transformed into a vivid, snowy, metropolitan wonderland. “Elf The Musical,” a Syracuse Stage production performed in partnership with the Syracuse University Department of Drama, is in the midst of its run that will end Jan. 6  — just in time for the holidays.  

The musical, based on the 2003 Christmas film starring Will Ferrell, as Buddy, has large shoes to fill. Czerton Lim, the scenic designer for the show, said one of the main challenges the cast and crew faced was finding a balance between content from the movie and fresh ideas.  

“One of my philosophies in doing shows where it started out as a movie is identifying what of the movie do we have to put onstage that is a direct reference,” Lim said.  

For Lim and Director Donna Drake, that moment was clear: the scene in Rockefeller Center, where Buddy, and his love interest, Jovie, share a romantic evening ice skating. Lim said he based his set design off this moment, working with the choreographer and lighting designer to ensure that the scene was captured perfectly.  

“Once we give that to the audience,” Lim said, “they will follow us anywhere we take them.”  

The scenic designer and director of “Elf The Musical” said one of the most important scenes to adapt from the film was Buddy and Jovie’s ice skating date at Rockefeller Center. Courtesy of Syracuse Stage

After selecting which moments from the movie were essential to perfect, Lim said he tried to step away from the film, and let the script, stage directions and music tell him what the production means and how the world looks through Buddy’s eyes.  

For Caleb Grochalski, a senior musical theater major at SU who serves as an understudy for Buddy, seeing the world through the protagonist’s eyes has given him the opportunity to play around with the role more creatively.  

“It’s a lot of fun to create something yourself as opposed to trying to copy what Will Ferrell did, or trying to copy what the original guy on Broadway did,” Grochalski said. “It’s such a unique thing to be creative and to say ‘no, I’m going to do my own version of the story.’”  

Rounding out the creation of Buddy’s world are the colorful and celebratory costumes, which Jessica Ford, the costume designer, said were a challenge to create. Ford estimated that the show required between 145-160 different costumes. But for Ford, standout costumes aren’t actually the goal. She said that when costumes are truly great, the audience won’t even notice them. They will simply appear as an intrinsic aspect of the world the show has created.  

Behind the elaborate costumes and set pieces, Grochalski said what really makes the musical special is its heart.  

Grochalski — who has performed as Buddy five times during the show’s run — said that one of his favorite parts thus far was having young children come up to him afterwards, hoping for a photograph or a hug. He said that Buddy’s joy and optimism is so infectious that it’s impossible to leave the theater without a smile and a dose of Christmas spirit.  

“Seeing a show that is so wonderfully optimistic and real can spark a unique chord deep in your soul,” Grochalski said, “that you can share that with other people in your life.” 

Published on December 11, 2018 at 6:01 pm