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The musical is playing at the Fox Theatre through December 21.
ATLANTA — Kabir Gandhi knows the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Gandhi stars in Elf the Musical at the Fox Theatre. The show follows Buddy the Elf’s personal journey to finding himself and rekindling the spirit of Christmas.
“If you know the movie at all, it gives you the funny one-liners and the Christmas joy and spirit with that big Broadway feel,” Gandhi said. “The kids obviously love Santa Claus, but what’s really heartwarming is when you see adults waving with their kids next to them. And it’s like we’re all getting our inner children healed.”
Yara Martin plays Buddy’s stepmother Emily Hobbs. Martin said while she’s seen Wicked and Shucked at the Fox Theatre, she finally gets to perform for the first time in her hometown of Atlanta. She moved to the city during the pandemic nearly five years ago.
“I personally hadn’t done musical theatre in five years, so this project came out of nowhere,” Martin said. “I had kind of put it on the shelf. I said it wasn’t for me anymore and won’t do it anymore. So this project came as a surprise, on a whim I applied for it on a website.”
Martin trained at Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City. She said the Fox, which seats around 4,600 people, offers a unique venue to spread an important message.
“It’s never too late to grow. It’s never too late to change,” Martin said. “It’s never too late. I mean Buddy the Elf is 30 years old before he finds out he’s a human. He’s been living his entire life as an elf. So it’s never too late to change your life. The Fox still feels very close to you. It’s a really special feeling because I always have friends in the audience now. So it feels extra special.”
It’s also a full circle moment for Gandhi, a Northview High School graduate, who called everyday challenging yet inspiring. Gandhi, who attended Indiana University, plays a host of characters in Elf the Musical as part of the ensemble.
“We’re giving it to you with jump roping with tinsel, we’re tap dancing,” Gandhi said. “It combines that beautiful family and Christmas element with what people know and want from a Broadway show. I feel so fortunate to be here with these people. I think the amount of talent we have on that stage, from those two specifically and our child actors, is so magnificent. I hoped, wished and dreamed. It’s crazy to come back around and see I’m doing the thing I wanted to. From fourth grade till now, I’m living the dream out here.”
Both Gandhi and Martin offered some advice for aspiring actors looking to follow in their footsteps.
“You have to live without regrets, and sometime it pays off,” Gandhi said. “Sometimes you end up performing at the Fox in your hometown. There’s good juju with that.”
“Never give up on your dreams,” Martin said. “Just go for it, follow your joy. Follow your excitement and it might feel risky, but it’s really worth it.”
Elf the Musical plays at the Fox Theatre through December 21. The touring crew is then off to San Antonio, Texas to spread more Christmas cheer.
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