DEKALB, ILL, December 1, 2021 – Stage Coach Players (SCP) will be spreading holiday cheer for all of DeKalb to hear when it brings Elf The Musical to town in December. The family friendly musical opens December 15, 2021 and runs through December 19, 2021. The production will be held at the historic Egyptian Theatre in downtown DeKalb.
Elf The Musical, based on the modern classic film, is a heartwarming story of Buddy the Elf, a human raised as an elf at Santa’s workshop in the North Pole. It is the perfect answer to rediscovering the Christmas spirit in yourself and in those family and friends you hold dear.
Jan Kuntz directs this holiday story. She said, “The story of Buddy is so very heart-warming and beautiful that I wanted to be a part of the telling of this show.” After directing several Christmas shows for the high school she taught at, Kuntz said she’d never direct another Christmas show after retirement. “I just wanted to enjoy the holidays.”
However, “Working with such wonderful people and with such a great story makes this a better way to enjoy the holidays.” Kuntz added, “I truly love the message that the story tells. Buddy reluctantly leaves the North Pole to find his dad but ends up finding his family.”
Angela Schiola-Niemeyer stage manages while John Feken is musical director and Samantha Haywood choreographs. Cameron Harms, who was last seen in SCP’s Mary Poppins, plays Buddy the elf while Blythe Schwaller plays Buddy’s love interest, Jovie. Schwaller was in SCP’s Mamma Mia in 2019. Andy Small (Disney’s The Little Mermaid) and Lara Crowley (“When I Grow Up” cabaret) play Walter Hobbs and Emily Hobbs, respectively and Foster Doll was in the black box production, The Orphan Train.
Taking on the role of Santa is Todd Pope, whose last SCP production was It’s A Wonderful Life. Dorcas Keating (“When I Grow Up” cabaret) plays Deb, Hobbs’ secretary while his top-notch writing staff includes Steven Meerdink, making his SCP debut as Chadwick and Nick Bantz-Beaty (Disney’s The Little Mermaid) as Matthews. Greg Anderson (The Mousetrap) appears as Mr. Greenway.
The remainder of the cast includes Tim Ball, Celine Bennetts, Peggy Carey, Isabelle Chamberlain, Amy Curtis, Luke Curtis, Gloria Dennison, Zach Eckhardt, Anaya Evans, Autumn Evans, Shadow Gentry, Cassidy Gerken, Ruth Hart, Johnathon Holtz, Paula Howlett, Ken Hudson, Hope Johnson, Edward Keating, Ginny Keating, Jen Ketchum, Kristin Madden, Roberta Maxfield, Ellie Schier, Alayna Smardo, Monique Smith, Wendy Tritt, Mandy Westcott, Chloe Williams, Bailey Wood, Olivia Woodruff.
Lara Crowley said she had not been in a musical since she was sixteen when she played a singing spider and a dancing troll in a musical adaptation of The Hobbit. “I have felt so honored and lucky to be part of this brilliant Stage Coach (Players) cast and crew,” adding that, “Rehearsing provides me with energy and joy, which I take with me each time I leave the theater.”
Regarding Elf The Musical, Crowley offered that, “It rewards those who maintain hope and belief in better days ahead,” adding that, “Since COVID-19 began, hope and optimism have not always been easy to come by, so Elf’The Musical’s message has never been more vital.”
Performances for Elf The Musical are December 16 – 18, 2021 with a curtain time of 7:30 p.m. along with matinees on December 18 and December 19, 2021, with a curtain time of 2 p.m. All performances will be held at the Egyptian Theatre. Tickets start at $20 each or $15 for seniors and children aged 12 and under. Tickets are currently on sale through the SCP website at www.stagecoachplayers.com. You can also order tickets by phone from the Egyptian Theatre Box Office at (815) 758-1215.
Thank you for being understanding as SCP navigates COVID-19 guidelines. For this production, all who attend are asked to wear masks covering both their nose and mouth. If the state of Illinois guidelines change, our guidelines will change also. Thank you for helping us keep our patrons, cast and crew safe.
