PAGE A14, KEIZERTIMES, DECEMBER 10, 2021
Elf the Musical debuts at Ken Collins Theater
Gage Dubois will play the lead role of Buddy the Elf in McNary High School's production of Elf the Musical.
LIFE
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
For the first time since January 2020,
Ken Collins Theater will be opening its
doors to its annual winter musical put
on by McNary High School.
The McNary band, choir and theater
departments have collaborated to put
on Elf the Musical, which opened on
Wednesday, Dec. 8. There will be show-
ings on Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 16-18 at 7
p.m. There will also be a 2 p.m. showing
on Saturday, Dec. 18.
Tickets are $12 for the general
public and $10 for students and will
be available at the door or online at
mcnary-theater.ticketleap.com. There
will be a North Pole party before the
show on Saturday, Dec. 11 starting at
10:30 a.m., which will feature hot choc-
olate, dessert, reindeer food prep, elf
hats and photo opportunities with cast
members.
McNary theater teacher Tom
Cavanaugh, who is show's director,
said that preparation has been chaotic
at times, but that the kids have been
eager to put on a quality performance.
“It has been crazy trying to remem-
ber how we did this, having not done
it for a couple years. My seniors right
now were sophomores last time we
did something like this. But it has
been great. I have never had a group
this focused, ready to just dive in,”
Cavanaugh said.
“I'm so excited, it's the first show we
have done in this auditorium in almost
two years. It feels so overwhelmingly
exciting to be here and be putting on
a production. Everyone is so excited to
be here”, added Ellie Auvinen, who is
playing the role of Jovie.
Zoe Banton is the show's choreog-
rapher and Andy Thomas is the vocal
director.
Elf the Musical, based on the pop-
ular 2003 film starring Will Ferrell,
Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
debuted as a Broadway show in 2010 find out that we are doing Elf. I think
with all original music. The story fol- there are lot of people just really
lows Buddy The Elf, who, as a young excited to get back to seeing shows, so
orphan, accidentally crawled into having that energy surrounding it has
Santa's bag of gifts and is transported been great,” he said.
to the North Pole.
While there are many similarities in
Buddy was raised at the North Pole the storyline, the show features unique
by elves, not knowing that he is actu- aspects that will give the audience a
ally human, until his size and poor different experience than just watching
toy-making abilities force him to face the film.
the truth. With Santa's blessing, Buddy
“All the characters are super sim-
travels to New York City in search of ilar to the movie. There are a lot of
his birth father.
Although his dad is
on the naughty list
and his half-brother
doesn't believe in
Santa, over time,
Buddy is able to fill
his family with the
Christmas spirit.
Cavanaugh
says that many
around the school
and
community
have
expressed
their
excitement
about the show's
potential.
“It has been
fun to see peo-
McNary theater teacher
ple's faces light
up when they
I think there are a lot
of people just really
excited to get back
to seeing shows, so
having that energy
surrounding it has been
great.
— TOM CAVANAUGH