did praise Ben Forster as Buddy for his "anarchic glee." The New York Times critic described the original Broadway production as "tinseled in synthetic sentiment, performed with a cheer that borders on mania, and instantly forgettable." The performance in late 2017 in Aurora received a mostly positive review in the Chicago Sun Times, who said the "immense energy" of the show could be overwhelming, with Kyle Adams as Buddy. The Salt Lake City performance received a mixed to positive review from the Deseret News. A BroadwayWorld critic praised it in 2017 in Boston, and observed that children in the audience seemed to love the production and pay rapt attention, with Erik Gratton in the title role praised for his performance as Buddy. The English production was well-reviewed by the Manchester Evening News in 2017. Box office The original production of the musical broke records at the Hirschfeld box office three times, grossing over a million dollars in one week. It was the third best-grossing show for the 2010 Thanksgiving weekend, behind Wicked and The Lion King. Awards and honors References Notes External links Official Tour Website 2014-15 Official website Elf the Musical at the Internet Broadway Database Elf: The Musical at the Music Theatre International website Warner Bros. Theatrical Elf (franchise) 2010 musicals Broadway musicals Musicals based on films Musicals by Thomas Meehan (writer) Christmas musicals Elves in popular culture