The Walnut Street Theater is completely decked out in a holiday atmosphere, with candy cane pillars, a menorah and halls decorated with streamers. Even good old Edwin Forrest was dressed up for the festivities. And if you listen closely enough, you can hear the tapping of tap shoes above. But downstairs, a workshop is ready to unveil their latest, full-fledged production!
No matter how hard you look, you won’t find an elf on the shelf, but one of our favorite elves takes center stage. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been given full behind-the-scenes access to Elf the Musical! It’s just like the movie, but with an original soundtrack and some extra new humor – perfect for our city!
Bicoastal director Glenn Casale has been waiting to bring Santa’s workshop to the oldest walking and operating room in the US. And he did! The stage has been transformed into the iconic snow globe. Inside you’ll see Nic Rouleau playing Buddy with his self-proclaimed ‘Buddyisims’.
It’s a tricky role to play, walking the fine line of executing Buddy’s mannerisms while still being recognizable as a warm human being. After all, just because he was raised by elves doesn’t mean he is one. Philly’s own Cat Brunner plays Jovi, another sensitive character who explores all sides of emotions to bring out the initial negative side of this character, as Cat is anything but. Her presence simply lights up a room.
During rehearsal we saw a lot of the show come together. The choreography is explosive. The energy emanating from these dancers will bring the stage to life. Like I said, there are lines just for us in the town of Brotherly Love that you don’t want to miss.
We saw Finn and Joey play the dual roles of Michael and learned how they play off each other. They will work together to find what Glenn is looking for and make shared notes. Joey plays Michael during the week and Finn plays on the weekend.
The production team worked like elves to transport you to the Big City. They have worked together non-stop to ensure that the atmosphere created takes you on the journey of Buddy’s story.
The title Elf alone puts a smile on our faces. This show is about stirring up the emotions that only this season can bring, so treat yourself and your loved ones by starting the season with the elf we’ve come to love!
Buy your tickets at walnootstreettheatre.com.
