CORNWALL, Ontario – The cast and crew of Elf the Musical Jr. met on Sunday, Nov. 25 to rehearse their upcoming holiday production, presented by Seaway Valley Theatre Company.
With an energetic cast of 45 actors between the ages of 6 and 18, and a story based on the hit movie Elf, Director Corey Disotell anticipates that the production will be a success.
“Because it’s a Christmas show at Christmas (time), it’s that much more magical,” said Disotell. “I think it’s really motivating the kids to do awesome.”
The performance follows Buddy, played by Haydn Preston, on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and his true identity. As a young orphan, Buddy mistakenly crawled into Santa’s bag of toys and was raised as an elf at the North Pole. With Buddy’s birth father on the naughty list, he is determined to renew the Christmas spirit within his family and the entire city.
The musical will be performed on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 1:30 p.m. at Aultsville Theatre.
Disotell said that he is certain the play will instill a great sense of holiday spirit in those who attend. He believes that audiences of all ages will enjoy the production.
In the past, Disotell directed a cabaret. For his first musical, he is thankful to have an amazing team, including the choreographer, musical director and volunteers. He is also proud of the cast that will be in the production and commends their spirits.
“From day one, their enthusiasm was infectious. I would say about half of the cast has been with us before and the other half are new,” he explained.
“We are always looking for people to come out and support us, whether it’s on stage or behind the scenes, or just coming to watch the shows,” said Disotell.
Disotell said that tickets are selling fast, with one of three shows almost completely sold out. Tickets can be purchased at the United Way Centraide SDG office, or online here.
