ELF ON BROADWAY

"Child actor Kai Edgar steals the show as Buddy's half-brother Michael, shining alongside Ashley Brown as his mother Emily. Edgar's vocals easily match the skill and technique of his seasoned Broadway costars, and when blending in duet with Brown's inviting vibrato, it sounds like a choir of angels."

(Theater Mania)

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"Among those charmers is Kai Edgar, who matches Henson's energy as Buddy's half-brother and wins hearts with 'I'll Believe in You.'"

(New York Theatre Guide)

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"But it's a testament to the strength of the performers...that the smaller-scaled numbers also connect--such as...'There is a Santa Claus,' an exuberant duet for Buddy's stepmother (Ashley Brown) and half-brother (Kai Edgar)."

(Time Out)

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"Kai Edgar (is) a scene-stealer with a precocious belter's voice."

(Culture Sauce)

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"Young Kai Edgar looks to have it all going for him as Buddy's stepbro."

(New York Stage Review)

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"Among others, there's a knock-out duet ('There is a Santa Claus') sung by two of the production's finest singers (Ashley Brown and young Kai Edgar as the mother and son in Buddy the Elf's newfound family)."

(Deadline)

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"As a tribune for the kids, Kai Edgar, in his Broadway debut as son Michael, is a steady engine of the narrative, and more impatient with the lacking adults around him than waiting passively for their love or discipline."

(The Daily Beast)

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"Despite Henson's endearing portrayal of Buddy, young lad Kai Edgar almost steals the show as his adoring brother. This is his Broadway debut, and it is impressive."

(Stage and Cinema)

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"Young Kai Edgar (Michael Hobbs) is also extraordinary in his Broadway debut. He melted my heart when he sang 'I’ll Believe in You.'"

(Vivere New York)

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"Who would have thought a duet with young Kai Edgar, just right as her adolescent son, would provide a showstopper? No special effects, no big production number, just two people--what's better than that?"

(Theater Pizzazz)

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"Very much contributing to the fun are supporting players Jennifer Sánchez, as the dipsomaniac secretary who teaches Buddy to make snow; Kalen Allen, as the store manager who sparks two musical numbers, one in each act; and Kai Edgar, a highly capable child actor who holds his own against the clowning of Henson."

(New York Stage Review)

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"Unsurprisingly, Walter has no time and no use for his new son – an innocent goofball sporting a bright green elf suit – but he also horribly neglects his loving wife Emily (Ashley Brown, both lovely and sassy) and his teenage son Michael (played at my performance by the adorable, strong-voiced Kai Edgar).

 

Some of what’s best in the show, musically, centers on Walter’s neglected family. Composer Matthew Sklar and lyricist Chad Beguelin serve up a gorgeously bittersweet tune, 'I’ll Believe in You,' as Emily and Michael write a letter to Santa, followed much later by the exuberant 'There Is a Santa Claus,' which follows the moment when Emily and Michael catch a glimpse of Santa’s (faltering) sleigh over Manhattan."
(Cititour)

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"Her duet with young Kai Edgar, 'There Is a Santa Claus,' is a showstopper that brims with emotional resonance."

(Times Square Chronicles)