Submitted photos / Susi Thompson Buddy (James Major Burns, left) and Jovie (Emelia Sherin) are shown in a scene from “Elf: The Musical.”

YOUNGSTOWN — Musicals based on movies or musicals that have successful film versions come with an obstacle — how to meet or disregard the expectations the audience has for how the characters should be portrayed.

“Elf: The Musical,” which opens Friday at Youngstown Playhouse for a two-weekend run, is based on the 2003 film “Elf,” which earned more than $175 million in theater and featured one of Will Ferrell’s most memorable performances as Buddy the Elf.

Director Nathan Beagle called the movie “a modern classic, but Beagle said neither he nor actor James Major Burns felt bound to try to mimic Ferrell’s portrayal.

“The original film, it was supposed to be a Chris Farley movie, which would have made it a very different film,” Beagle said. “You have to take into consideration, whoever your Buddy is, they’re not Will Ferrell. You have to come up with a different approach. And taking that approach, OK, I could cast Buddy any which way that I want.”

Burns has a wide range of local credits from comedic roles in “Shrek the Musical” and “The Little Mermaid” to more dramatic characters in “Dreamgirls” and the Playhouse’s September production of “The Color Purple.”

“I kind of left it up to him (how to play Buddy),” Beagle said. “He’s a very talented guy. Sometimes my preconceived notions were very different from his approach, but I gave him agency over how to come up with his character. You have to trust your actors. James is a very seasoned comedic actor as well as a dramatic actor. He’s very versatile.”

Featuring music by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin and a book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, the show tells the story of an orphan who stowed away on Santa’s sleigh and is raised as an elf at the North Pole. When Buddy learns as an adult he is not an elf, he travels back to New York in search of his father.

“I really love the movie,” Beagle said. “I felt it was a story that people could relate to and would enjoy. There is a lot of catchy music in it, and it’s really just a very heartwarming story. Much like any Christmas story, it has elements of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and other films you might have seen other than ‘Elf.’

“It’s a hero’s journey. Its about someone finding themselves and who sort of learns that what he knew a about himself was not true, and he decides to go on this adventure to figure out who he is.”

The music echoes that feeling.

“A lot of the songs hearken back to Christmas classics you’ve heard before,” he said. “There are elements that sound to me like Charlie Brown (Christmas ). There are these little Easter eggs in the lyrics that are really funny and relatable. It’s a very modern take on Christmas.”

In addition to Burns, the cast features Emelia Sherin, Terry Shears, Mikey Zoccali, James Matig, Ashley Milligan Smith, David Waldman, Denise Sculli, Eric Chevlen, Wayne Bonner III, Raquel Allison, Joanna Andrei, Lilly Andrei, Trudi Herrholtz, Eric McCrea, Patricia Shears, Brandi Valley, Georgie Zordich and Mekhi Dawson.

The creative team includes Rosie Bresson, music director; Emelia Sherin, choreographer; Dante Bernard, stage manager; Wendy Akers, costume designer; Sindy Hanna, scenic designer; Leslie Brown, scenic and projection designer; James Oakry, lighting designer; Aaron Graneto, sound designer; Johnny Pecano, technical director; John A. Smiley, collaborative accompanist; and Wayne Bonner III, assistant choreographer and dance captain.

A gift from the Monday Musical Club will fund the orchestra, featuring Anthony Ruggiero, keyboard 1; John A. Smiley, keyboard 2; Dave Wolbert, bass; Jesse DeLorenzo, percussion; Brandon Ritchie, trumpet; Robert Bo Violette, trombone; Jake Jeges, reed 1; and Summer Canter, reed 2.

If you go …

WHAT: “Elf: The Musical”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 12

WHERE: Youngstown Playhouse, 600 Playhouse Lane, Youngstown

HOW MUCH: $18 for adults and $15 for students, senior citizens and military. Tickets are available online at youngstown

playhouse.org and by calling 330-788-8739.