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Elf the Musical Makes Major Plot Changes From the Movie (Some for the Better)
ComicBook.comStory by Ashley Turner
scrn logline
Broadway's Elf the Musical shakes up the beloved holiday classic with a host of plot changes, transforming the iconic film for the stage.
beat sheet
- The musical replaces iconic scenes like Buddy's adventures in the Empire State Building mail room and his snowball fight in Central Park with new story elements, including a subplot about Michael and Emily Hobbs' disbelief in Santa.
- Walter Hobbs, portrayed as a deliberately neglectful workaholic in the film, is reimagined in the stage adaptation as simply overwhelmed and forgetful, softening his character arc and his place on Santa's naughty list.
call sheet
Will Ferrell, Grey Henson, James Caan, Michael Hayden, Sara Bareilles, Elf (2003), Marquis Theatre, Waitress, L.A. Times, Us Weekly, ComicBook.com, Elf: The Musical