Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Elf the Musical at Edmonds Driftwood Players sold out! Energetic talented Buddy actor. Pleasantly surprised there was a tap dance number at the end! Family-friendly #musical based on the movie. #theatre #Christmas #Xmas #Santa #elf #holiday #nyc
Synopsis from the Theatre: A title known the world over, Elf The Musical is a must-see holiday musical, based on the cherished 2003 New Line Cinema hit, Elf. Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh realities that his father is on the naughty list and his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern-day holiday classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner elf. After all, the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear.
Reviewed Performance Date: 11/19/22 Evening
Type: Musical
World Premiere: No
Live Band/Orchestra: 4 live musicians and a 5th musician running a program that fills in the rest of the orchestration parts.
Recommendation: See it if you’d like to take your kids to a musical this holiday season. Good luck getting tickets though. It’s all sold out online! Try the wait list.
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now?: Yes if it was an Equity production. I actually already saw the professional tour at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.
Equity Actors: None
Length: 2.5 hours
Intermission?: Yes
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned in Elevator Thoughts
- Favorite Line: “asparagus children … [are] self-conscious about the way their pee smell.”
Rant(s)
- Flow: Some of the acting flow was a little awkward and stilted. This production needs more time to cure. However, I attended the opening weekend and this problem will certainly improve as they continue to perform this show.
- Sound Balancing: The band and microphones should be louder. It also sounded like some actors weren’t mic’ed. If all actors can’t be mic’ed, a part of me thinks none of them should be mic’ed for better vocal blending.
- Scene Transitions: It was often distracting when scenes changed because the set needed to be switched out or props needed to be placed. I’m not sure how other community productions manage to avoid this distraction. That being said, I thought it was ingenious that the waitress bussed the restaurant tables in the background while the Santas performed their number.
Other Thought(s)
- Tap Dance: I’m always so thrilled when musicals have a tap dance number. I thought it was really weird though that it was at the end of the show. I don’t remember this weird placement in the professional tour production … but I could be wrong.
- NYC References: The many references to life in New York City made me want to move there more!
Theatre Company : Edmonds Driftwood Players
Venue: Edmonds Driftwood Players
Venue Physical Address: 950 Main St, Edmonds, WA 98020
Price: Cheap
Dates: November 18 – December 18, 2022
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Free street parking or free adjacent parking lot. The parking lot is usually full if you don’t arrive early. But street parking is plentiful and easy to find.
Social Media Posts: Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Buy a Ticket or Learn More:
- https://edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org/shows-tickets/
- https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=138761
Cast and Production Team: See under the multimedia below.
Other Video +/- Pictures: Pictures in video and under video by Dale Sutton from Magic Photo
@showsiveseen “#Elf The #Musical” sold out at Edmonds Driftwood Players! Energetic talented Buddy actor @thatjordanking. Pleasantly surprised there was a tap dance number at the end! Waitlist is available for this family-friendly #musical based on the movie. Review + Photo Credit: showsiveseen.com/2123 #theatre #Christmas #Xmas #Santa #holiday #nyc ♬ The Story of Buddy The Elf – Fred Armisenm & Ed Asner & Rachel Bloom & Max Charles & Larry Dorf & Kevin Shinick & Jim Parsonsm & Rachael MacFarlane & Mark Hamill & Gilbert Gottfriedm & Steve Higgins & Rachel Ramras & Kate Micucci
| Role | Name |
| Book | Thomas Meehan Bob Martin |
| Composer | Matthew Skylar |
| Lyrics | Chad Beguelin |
| Director | Craig Schieber |
| Stage Manager | Sean Morrone |
| Co-Producers | Katie Soulé Brian Fletcher |
| Music Directors | Mark & Nancy Press |
| Vocal Director | Christopher Puckett |
| Choreographers | Elizabeth Posluns Laura Mcfarlane |
| Lead Costume Designer | Melina Boivin |
| Costume Designers | Faye Matthingley Jenna Mcelroy |
| Sound Engineer | Jeff Vaughan |
| Lighting Designer | Richard Beckerman |
| Set Designer | Tom Williams |
| Sound Designer | Brian Fletcher |
| Properties Designer | Nancy Johnson |
| Assistant Properties Design | Rex Goulding |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Bethany Arneson |
| — | — |
| Buddy | Jordan King |
| Jovie | Sydney Penticuff |
| Walter Hobbs | Ben Fitch |
| Emily Hobbs | Sydney Kaser |
| Michael Hobbs | Calvin Stephens |
| Santa | Eric Hartley |
| Deb/Ensemble | Miki Murray |
| Manager/Ensemble | Lillie Paries |
| Mr. Greenway/Ensemble | Isaac Tian |
| Chadwick/Ensemble | Meagan Castillo |
| Charlotte/Ensemble | Keri Marie Hill |
| Matthews/Ensemble | Jonathan Olson |
| Perfume Lady/Ensemble | Erin Carter |
| Rose/Ensemble | Olivia Markle |
| Tiara/Ensemble Co-Dance Captain | Chloe Miller |
| Charlie/Ensemble | Jaret Miller |
| Fake Santa/Ensemble | Eric Wu |