Fans of the 2003 Christmas movie “Elf” can now follow Buddy’s journey to Broadway, where “Elf the Musical” is playing for a limited time this holiday season.

Gray Henson plays Buddy, the elf made famous on the big screen by Will Ferrell as the human boy raised by elves who travels to New York to find his biological father.

Henson, who was nominated for a Tony for his role as Damian in Tina Fey’s Broadway adaptation of “Mean Girls,” has starred in shows like “The Book of Mormon” and “Shucked.” But the pressure of playing a role people already know and love proved a challenge, he said.

“People expect a certain performance, but I think they are pleasantly surprised by the difference,” Henson said recently. “And immediately, once you don’t see me in exactly what Will Ferrell wore in the movie, you’re like, ‘OK, he’s the same guy I know, but he’s different.’

“Honestly, I have to stop thinking about the movie for my performance just because I don’t want to try to do a Will Ferrell impression.”

The actors said they put their own spin on each role, including that of Jovie, Buddy’s grumpy love interest who works as an elf in a department store, played by Broadway veteran Kayla Davion. She ultimately finds Christmas joy through Buddy.

“In the most direct terms, I am black,” she said. “I like to bring my Chicago side to it, which is a very relaxed version of myself. And honestly, my sassy side is very direct, which is pretty cool for this role.

In this adaptation, Santa Claus is played by Sean Astin, known for “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Goonies”. Buddy’s stepmother, Emily Hobbs, is played by Ashley Brown, who originated the role of Mary Poppins on Broadway in 2006.

The manager of the store where Buddy is accidentally introduced as an elf in the Christmas section is played by Kalen Allen, an actor, singer and content creator who regularly appears on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

“I think part of me almost felt like I might never be able to get on stage again,” Allen said of his time on television. “I felt like I was being called home.”

Feeling at home is a strong theme as Buddy attempts to build a relationship with his estranged father, a high-strung corporate employee on the naughty list portrayed by Michael Hayden, and succeed in the human world.

“He’s a fish out of water. It’s bull in a china shop,” Henson said. “And everything you love about the movie is really in our show. But obviously we sing and dance, which adds 10 times more joy to the holidays.

Davion said many audience members told him they cried while watching “Elf” on Broadway because “the spirit of Christmas is so real.”

Allen said the show teaches people that “Christmas is about so much more than just presents.”

“It’s about connection,” he said. “It’s about families, it’s about friends.”

Henson said that because the stage version is a musical, “it’s a little more emotional.”

This is the third time “Elf” has taken the Broadway stage, following its debut in 2011 and revival in 2012. Its current incarnation runs through January 4.

Fans of the film may notice some plot changes and missing scenes, but in their place are big musical numbers, tap dancing, stage skating, and a snow-filled theater.

But it does include one of the film’s most famous scenes, plates of spaghetti.

“(It’s) still real spaghetti. But instead of syrup, we use honey because it’s better for the voice,” said Kai Edgar, 13, who plays Buddy’s little brother Michael.

Like the movie, the play ends with Santa’s sleigh taking flight after receiving enough magic and holiday cheer to fuel it, and Broadway audiences can experience it firsthand as the sleigh flies off the stage and over the orchestra seats.

“The fact that we are able to bring so much wonder and magic every night never gets old,” Allen said.