Elf The Musical, based on the cherished 2003 New Line Cinema hit, features songs by Tony Award nominees, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway, The Wedding Singer), with a book by Tony Award winners ,Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).
Arts Enter Cape Charles will be performing Elf the Musical this Christmas. Auditions are scheduled for Sunday, September 23rd at 1:00 at the Palace Theater. Please bring a brief monologue that you can recite or read, and a short song you can sing acapella. We are looking for a full range of characters, both young and old, from experienced to first-time actors. Don’t be shy, if you sing in church, you will certainly be able to sing for this show.
For more information, contact Wayne Creed at waynepcreed@yahoo.com, or contact The Mirror at capecharlesmirror@gmail.com.
Roles
Santa Claus
Santa Claus has a lot on his plate during the Christmas season, and it is starting to show. He is annoyed with the Elves, tired of lying to Buddy and sad that people seem to be losing their Christmas spirit. He is still the same jolly old St. Nick underneath it all, but the job is getting to him. This is a great role for a character performer who can play an older (and somewhat cranky) man while trying hard to keep his holiday spirit.
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: Bb3
Buddy
Buddy is the perfect elf! He’s good-natured, he means well, and he’s happy& all the time. There’s only one problem. He’s not an elf – he’s an adult human. This role is perfect for a young man who is an excellent actor and good singer who has the energetic earnestness and comedic timing that Buddy needs. It’s helpful to cast an actor who is taller than the other Elves. This will help differentiate Buddy and adds to the humor of the show.
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: B3
Elves
The Elves are Santa’ s special helpers who love their job making toys to meet their Christmas Eve deadline. These roles are great for younger performers, or for those who can embody a youthful spirit, enjoy singing and work well together as a group.
Gender: Both
Charlie
Charlie is in charge of monitoring the other Elves, making sure every present is wrapped and every bow is tied. Cast a young performer with a good speaking voice, someone who is comfortable taking command of the stage and has authority over the rest of the Elves, but always remains friendly.
Gender: Male
Shawanda
Shawanda is a dependable and caring elf. She will do whatever she can to help out others, including Buddy, even though she accidentally reveals that he is a human. Cast a good actress with a clear speaking voice for this very important moment in the story.
Gender: Female
Sam
Sam is one of Walter’ s Office Staff who is in a bind at the top of the show. A young performer with a good speaking voice and strong character choices will do the trick.
Gender: Male
Walter Hobbs
Walter Hobbs, Buddy’s real father, is so focused on keeping his job that he is not making time for his family. He can be stern and unemotional at times, but ultimately he learns to recommit to his family. Cast a great actor with a strong, authoritative presence, but be sure they can also show his softer side
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: B3
Deb
Deb, Walter’ s secretary, has the big responsibility of keeping her boss and the whole office happy. She does this by sharing her positive attitude with everyone. This is a plum role for a young woman with a pleasant demeanor, yet efficient work ethic, who is a solid actor with a good speaking voice
Gender: Female
Emily Hobbs
Emily Hobbs is Walter’s devoted wife who would prefer her husband to spend a little more time at home. She is a problem solver and an excellent mother who is doing everything she can to provide a positive family dynamic. Cast an excellent actress and singer who effortlessly conveys a sense of maturity and warmth.
Gender: Female
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Michael Hobbs
Michael Hobbs is the smarter-than-average 12-year-old son of Walter and Emily. He quickly befriends his new adult brother, Buddy, and does everything he can to make sure Buddy becomes a permanent part of the family. Look for a solid young actor and singer with an unchanged voice.
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Security Guards
Security Guard #1 and Security Guard #2 are a stern duo from Walter’ s office, making sure everyone who enters has permission. Cast a duo that works well together and fits the bill for a tough pair.
Gender: Both
Saleswoman
The Saleswoman is the first person to greet Buddy as he enters Macy’ s. She’ s the consummate salesperson: smiling, overfriendly, and always trying to sell something. This is a great ensemble role for a young woman with little stage experience.
Gender: Female
Manager
The manager is a terrific featured acting role for a performer with good comedic timing. As the manager of Macy s, he s doing everything he can to make sure all the employees stay in line.
Gender: Male
Jovie
Jovie works as a store elf at Macy’ s, but don’t be mistaken, she doesn’ t quite exude the Christmas spirit. She’s kind of cynical, a bit rough around the edges, and now the target of Buddy’s complete adoration. This is a fantastic role for a young woman with a strong singing voice and acting chops.
Gender: Female
Vocal range top: Db5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Santa’s Helper
Santa’s Helper works as a Macy s Employee and announces when each kid gets to visit with Santa. This is a good ensemble role for a performer with a loud voice.
Gender: Both
Fake Santa
Fake Santa is a poor replacement for the real Santa. He s an employee of Macy s who is a bit rough around the edges. Fake Santa should be played by a performer who is unafraid of being a little over-the-top and has good physical control of his body.
Gender: Male
Policemen
Policeman #1 and Policeman #2 are a friendly pair of cops who return Buddy to the Hobbs household. These are perfect featured roles for two ensemble members.
Gender: Both
Sarah
Sarah is a staff member at Walter’s office. This is a nice role for a less experienced actor with a good singing voice.
Gender: Female
Mr. Greenway
Mr. Greenway is one of the crankiest businessmen around. He is the big boss, so look for an older student with a commanding presence to tackle this acting role.
Gender: Male
Chadwick and Matthews
Chadwick and Matthews are staff members at Walter’s office who are doing everything they can think of to save the day and make their boss happy. Cast a pair of good character actors who work well with each other and are able to drive the action of scenes.
Charlotte Dennon
Charlotte Dennon is a TV reporter with a big personality. She does her best to keep her professional persona in public and doesn t like being shown up. This is a great role for a young woman with professional charisma and someone who can make strong acting choices.
Gender: Female
Finale Soloists
Finale Soloists #1,#2,#3 and #4 are good roles to highlight four of your strong solo singers.
Vocal range top: B4
Vocal range bottom: B3
Darlene Lambert and Emma Van Brocklin
Darlene Lambert and Emma Van Brocklin are on the scene in Central Park and are convinced of Santa s magic after Buddy reveals their past Christmas gifts. Look for two young ladies with nice singing voices and some acting experience to take on these small, but featured roles.
Gender: Female
Ensemble
The Ensemble, including New Yorkers, Comforting New Yorker, Macy s Employees, Macy s Employee #1, Members of the Rockefeller Crowd, Office Staff, Business Woman, Flyer Guys, Teenager, Jogger, Carolers, Passerby, Children and Parents are all important roles for creating the distinct worlds of the North Pole and New York City. These roles can all be double cast from your ensemble, and it’ s important to remind your young performers that the stronger and more specifically their character choices, the richer and more vivid the story becomes.
Gender: Both
Synopsis
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.
‘Shawanda is a dependable and caring elf. ‘ ?????
GTFOH!
There have never been any African/Swahili elves in any Christmas tradition in the my 68 years.
Damn, Liberals!
Blue,
Where in the description:
“Shawanda is a dependable and caring elf. She will do whatever she can to help out others, including Buddy, even though she accidentally reveals that he is a human. Cast a good actress with a clear speaking voice for this very important moment in the story.
Gender: Female”
Does it identify the character as being African/Swahili?
It certainly can’t be her name; can it?
Shawana’s origin is African-Swahili. Here, it means graceful.
Derivatives of Shawana include the names Shawan, Shawanda, Shawanna, and Shawnta.
The origin and meaning of the name Shawana is inherited by all variant forms.
It has No origins in Christmas…
So, you believe that all the characters in the “Christmas tradition” were Caucasian?
No, not in the legend of Santa Claus.
Would a ‘Rose’ by any other ‘Name’ smell the ‘Same’?
It is All about Political Correct madness. To make the colored folks feel included. They have not even integrated yet, after 50 years of integration.
Hoss, dude, what it is, and not to kick sand in your face here, or to diminish you in any way, which is not at all my intent, but elves aren’t Anglo-Saxons, if you know what I mean, nor are they even human when you come right down to it, elsewise they wouldn’t be elves, so you can’t expect them to have American-sounding names, because having their own country, they aren’t Americans.
And which Christmas tradition has elves in it, Hoss?
That sounds like one I would be interested in.
That’s the Celtic version the Irish and Scots celebrate, isn’t it?
They’re the ones with sprites and the lady of the lake and the leannán sí and Birgit the Goddess, so why not elves?
Which would explain why they have Gaelic-sounding names like Shawana, or Shawan, Shawanda, Shawanna, and Shawnta, or Birgitte Silverbow, for that matter, given that elves are noted for noted for their martial prowess.
So, Shawana The Finest Urku would be acceptable…………………..or not acceptable?
Just askin’.
Oh, dear Blue Hoss. Bless you heart. If you truly believe in Christmas elves, surely you can believe in elves of every nationality!
Mention colored folks and here you come….The Madam Queen!
As Christmas IS, traditionally, a Caucasian tradition, we don’t have any Swahili elves.
I will give you an example….James Bond was invented as a White Secret Agent, there is No way he could be cast as a Colored man, except by liberal loons.
WOLF! WOLF!!!!!!! WOLF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blue,
I leave you to your pitiable life. Nothing I or anyone else may write can add to or take away from your miserable existence.
Why, because he simply pointed out that an African elf was included so that colored folks don’t feel left out? You think he is miserable because of the truth. Look at how many movies have been remade with black leads in the last 15 years. Why would a whole movie need to be remade just so that colored folks can be cast in the lead roles? There is nothing pitiful about the truth.
We are all born ignorant, but Liberals work really hard to stay that way.
The charge of “racist,” which the Hussein Obama campaign leveled against Hillary Clinton’s husband Bill, is like one of the rocks the perfect people were going to hurl at Mary Magdalene to stone her to death because she was not perfect like them.
Blue Hoss looks around himself in the world he too is a part of, and he wonders at things he sees, as do many people in America, and then he expresses what he wonders at, for which he is condemned like Hillary’s husband Bill, as a racist, and is then dismissed as having a pitiable life.
Such it is in the reality of modern America today, Fred Watkins.
The moral of that story is keep your eyes closed, your mouth shut, and if you are going to have an opinion, before you have it, check with the internet to be sure it will be socially acceptable because Jesus is now hanging from a tree and so is no longer around to say let he or she who is perfect in every way throw the first stone.
Madam X, elves are elves – they don’t have nationalities.
They’re not human, you see, and so, have no need for human baggage such as nationalities.
And they have elven names like Aldon, which is essentially a female name, but in the Quenya language, it belongs to men and means ‘tree,’ Aredhel, Arwen, Calen, Elanor, Elbereth, etc.
But, Madam X, the beauty of being an American citizen is that if you want to assign nationalities to your elves, then you have the God-given right to do so, and I think that you will find that all the veterans in here who fought for your freedom to have elves be any nationality you want them to have, like Italian or German or Kenyan or whatever will have your back whatever your choice, and no one can make you think otherwise.
Said another way, your elves don’t have to be the same as anybody else’s elves, and that is a fact.
If you lived in some third-world ****hole with a tin-pot dictator in charge, it might be different, but so far, we’re not there yet, so have your elves be whatever your heart desires them to be.
Dear Mr. Hoss, are you familiar with the story of the Magi?
An interesting question, Madame X.
I am familiar with that story.
The Magi, often called the Three Wise Men, were Persians, Zoroastrians, actually, a light-skinned people who came down from the Iranian plateau in search of Jesus.
Their ignorance is bliss.
I will keep my powder dry, my blades sharp and my eyes on target.
As time has passed, they tried to squeeze one black man in with the other two Zoroastrians. Take a look at modern nativity scenes, one token black man.
That, Kenny Parks, is what is known as marketing strategy.
You broaden the demographics, you get to sell a lot more nativity scenes, and unless you broaden the demographics, your business selling nativity scenes is going to go downhill, because face it, how many times in their lives are people going to be out there buying a new nativity scene?
They’re only used once a year, so they don’t really wear out.
So you got to broaden the demographic to continue to make money selling them.
If they can get enough Chinese people interested in Christmas, they will change the story to get a Confucian wise man in there alongside the black dude, who I think is from Phoenicia, losing one more of the Persians in the process, and that will get them into a whole new untapped marketplace which will probably give the nativity scene industry stock a good goose, making this the time to start scouting out some bargains in that sector of the market before the crowds start rushing in as they always do at the merest hint of a new investment opportunity opening up.
I somehow can never quite understand why individuals who are racist, homophobes, etc… hide behind a pseudonym. If you feel so very stronly about your position, OWN IT!! I think that all races, ntionalities, and genders have a right to be included. The true meaning of Christmas lies not in the ‘trditions” of elves and Santa, or Christmas trees. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is for ALL people! That is my belief and I have no problem owning it. Remember my name is, in fact, Nioaka Hamilton Marshall. Now I challenge ” Blue Hoss to reveal his ( or her) true identity. Bet you won’t.
Buddy Bell
Do you remember, Nioaka Hamilton Marshall, when the Hussein Obama campaign accused Bubba Clinton, Hillary’s husband, of being a racist?
I do:
BARACK OBAMA CAMPAIGN CALLS BILL CLINTON A RACIST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPNdIrnwyfE
What is known as “Christmas” today was originally a “pagan” celebration that took place right after it was clear that the winter solstice, the “darkest” night, had been passed and the light of the sun was returning.
Thus, it was a celebration of renewal.
The days were going to be longer, life was going to return to the land, as it still does each spring.
It was important for earlier people, who lacked Apple I-phones and other hand-held devices coupled to the internet to know that the winter solstice had been passed, for many reasons, actually, some of them psychological, as once the solstice was passed, you were no longer going into the dark time, you were coming out of it.
If you lived past the solstice, you had cause for joy because it meant you would likely see another turn of the wheel.
The Christians, who didn’t like pagans, took over the celebration and made it about the birth of the SON, not the return of the SUN, so they could stamp out paganism, especially in places like Ireland, where the people venerated female goddesses, which greatly offended the Romans with their male-oriented religion of Christianity.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
For those who wish to believe it is, so it is, plain and simple.
Amen, Paul.
As to Santa Claus, however, Mike, that dude is straight Pagan, with his origins traceable back to a Norse diety Odin, who was often depicted as leading a hunting party through the skies, during which he rode his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir.
In the 13th-century Poetic Edda, Sleipnir is described as being able to leap great distances, which some scholars have compared to the legends of Santa’s reindeer.
Odin was also typically portrayed as an old man with a long, white beard, like Santa Claus is today, HO, HO, HO!
During the winter, children would place their boots near the chimney, filling them with carrots or straw as a gift for Sleipnir, so that when Odin flew by, he would reward the little ones by leaving gifts in their boots.
In several Germanic countries, this practice survived despite the adoption of Christianity.
As a result, the gift-giving became associated with Santa Claus, also called Old St. Nicholas, except nowadays, with electric heat and no chimneys, people hang stockings rather than leaving boots by the chimney!
And here is something I know, Mike, from having been raised as a child out in the cold country to the north of you, when the Dutch settlers arrived in New Amsterdam, they brought with them their practice of leaving shoes out for St. Nicholas to fill with gifts.
In January 1809, Washington Irving, who I read as a child, published the satirical fiction, ‘Knickerbocker’s History of New York,’ with numerous references to a jolly St. Nicholas character, who was an elfin Dutch burgher with a clay pipe.
Those delightful flights of imagination which I grew up with are the source of the New Amsterdam St. Nicholas legends: that the first Dutch emigrant ship had a figurehead of St. Nicholas; that St. Nicholas Day was observed in the colony; that the first church was dedicated to him; and that St. Nicholas comes down chimneys to bring gifts.
As we children were told when young, Irving’s work was regarded as the “first notable work of imagination in the New World.”
Then it was about 15 years later that the figure of Santa as we know it today was introduced, coming in the form of a narrative poem by Clement C. Moore, originally titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” which is commonly known today as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
It was Moore who went as far as to elaborate on the names of Santa’s reindeer, and it was he who provided a rather Americanized, secular description of the “jolly old elf,” with the result that stores began to advertise Christmas shopping in 1820, and by the 1840s, newspapers were creating separate sections for holiday advertisements, which often featured images of the newly-popular Santa Claus.
In 1841, thousands of children visited a Philadelphia shop to see a life-size Santa Claus model, and it was only a matter of time before stores began to attract children, and their parents, with the lure of a peek at a “live” Santa Claus.”
And now Christmas sales after Thanksgiving give a real good goose to the nation’s GDP, especially after Trump’s tax cuts that have put so much more money in the pockets of America’s consumers who make of Christmas what it has come to be today.
God bless America, ain’t it, Mike.
Where else on the face of the earth are you going to find the Christmas shopping opportunities that we as the American people are guaranteed here?
According to some whom post here, Venezuela, possibly Cuba.
😉
It’s America, Mike, people can have it be whatever their heart desires.
And here is what the Voice of America tells foreigners about the holiday:
Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children forever.
He is the make-believe person who brings toys and other gifts to children at Christmas.
To grown-ups, he is a special symbol of good will and selfless giving.
end quotes
Not at all surprisingly, I am one of those particular grown-ups who believes, perhaps childishly so to the more sophisticated, urban sector of upscale Americans, that he is a special symbol of good will and selfless giving. and that really should be 24/7/365, and not just the one day out of the year.
Getting back to the VOA:
Santa Claus also has some other names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel.
Two of his names — Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas — both come from the Dutch who settled in New York long ago.
The Dutch believed Saint Nikolaas gave gifts to children.
They honored this kindly saint with a yearly festival on December 6th.
end quotes
Note that date, Mike = December 6th, before the winter solstice and the darkest night, not the 25th when the Christians say Jesus was born.
And back once again to the VOA:
The English-speaking people who lived nearby greatly enjoyed Dutch festivals.
And they brought the saint and the custom of giving gifts into their own celebration at Christmas time.
end quotes
See how that all works, Mike – that is why America is called a “melting pot,” which is a lesson the VOA tries to teach to people who live in third-world ****holes with idiot tin-pot dictators for their “leaders” who give them no real choice in the matter.
Getting back to the lessons the VOA is trying to teach foreigners about Christmas over here, where we have the freedom to believe in it as we will, as opposed to how the Democrat party and Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton think we should believe in it to satisfy them, we have:
The Dutch version of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, or Saint Nicholas, and his blackface helpers Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) arrive by steamboat in Hoorn, northwestern Netherlands, Nov. 16, 2013.
The Dutch spoke the name “Saint Nikolaas” very fast.
It sounded like “Sinterklaas.”
And so, when the English said this word, it sounded like Santa Claus.
West of New York, in Pennsylvania, many German farmers had also heard of Saint Nikolaas.
But they called him Pelznickel.
This word came from “pelz,” meaning fur, and “nickel” for Nicholas.
And so, to the Germans of Pennsylvania, Saint Nicholas or Pelznickel was a man dressed in fur who came once a year with gifts for good children.
Soon, people began to feel that the love and kindness Pelznickel brought should be part of a celebration honoring the Christkindl, as the Germans called the Christ child.
After a time, this became “Kris Kringle.”
Later, Kris Kringle became another name for Santa Claus himself.
Whatever he is called, he is still the same short, fat, jolly old man with a long beard, wearing a red suit with white fur.
The picture of Santa Claus, as we see him, came from Thomas Nast.
He was an American painter born in Bavaria.
He painted pictures for Christmas poems.
Someone asked him to paint a picture of Santa Claus.
Nast remembered when he was a little boy in southern Germany.
Every Christmas, a fat old man gave toys and cakes to the children.
So, when Nast painted the picture, his Santa Claus looked like the kindly old man of his childhood.
And through the years, Nast’s painting has remained as the most popular picture of Santa Claus.
Santa can be seen almost everywhere in large American cities during the Christmas season.
Some stand on street corners asking for money to buy food and gifts for the needy.
Others are found in stores and shopping centers.
It is easy to find them by the long lines of children waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas.
You have been listening to the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
Maurice Joyce was your narrator.
end quotes
Don’t that make you feel all warm and squishy inside, Mike, and glad that you are an American as opposed to one of them still stuck somewhere in a third-world ****hole, where they can’t have their own version of Christmas?