OCEAN CITY – Audiences can embrace their inner “elf” when Ocean City Theatre Company students present their production of Elf JR. The show features more than 24 third- through eighth-grade students from across Cape May and Atlantic counties. This adorable musical version of the popular movie will be live on the Ocean City Music Pier stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17 and 2 and 7:30 p.m Saturday, Dec. 18.
Elf The Musical JR. is based on the 2003 New Line Cinema hit and features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer) and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin On Broadway, The Wedding Singer), a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).
The musical tells the story of a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is given the name Buddy and raised by elves in the North Pole. Buddy lives happily 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 reality that his father is on the naughty list, and his stepbrother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of the holidays.
Elf The Musical JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). The OCTC Production is being directed by Hannah Catanoso and Elizabeth Worley with music direction by Brinley Edwards. The show is sponsored by the Ocean City Free Public Library and Councilman Keith Hartzell
Tickets are $15 and are available at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice or by calling (609) 399-6111.
