The Idaho Falls Youth Arts Centre (IFYAC) is excited to kick off the holiday season with the regional premiere of Elf the Musical, Nov. 13-14 and 16-18.
Based on the cherished 2003 New Line Cinema hit, this modern-day holiday classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner elf. Full of jolly songs and jubilant dance numbers, Elf will captivate audiences, usher in the holiday spirit and help us all to remember the true meaning of Christmas.
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.
IFYAC’s cast is composed entirely of extraordinary local talent and includes several outstanding members of our community in lead roles, including Corbin Rasmussen as Buddy, Jina Lenz as Jovie, Jason and Erin Cannon as Walter and Emily Hobbs, and Shawn Thurber as Santa. Many other incredibly talented youth and adults will grace the stage to bring you a night full of family-friendly entertainment.
The creative team behind the scenes of Elf includes longtime friends of IFYAC—Becky Bryan as director, Erin Nazario as choreographer and Dani Kohler as producer—who give of their time and talents alongside many other astounding members of the creative team. The production also features a live orchestra under the musical direction of Roger Evans.
For over 20 years, the Idaho Falls Arts Centre has been showcasing our area talent through quality productions in our community. Each year IFYAC brings professional live theater experiences to the youth of our community while giving them an opportunity to mentor with experienced actors and staff. The majority of the cast is under the age of 18, and this opportunity is possible for them through IFYAC’s mission to provide quality opportunities to grow in the performing arts for young people through participation in music, dramatic arts and creative movement.
Elf the Musical runs November 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th at 7:30 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium, with a special matinee performance on Saturday, November 14th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available now at www.ifyac.org. We look forward to sharing our holiday spirit with you. After all, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.