Marshall Civic Players
Theatre for the community, by the community
Book by Thomas Meehan & Bob Martin
Music by Matthew Sklar
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Based on the New Line Cinema film by David Berenbaum
Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. This 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.
Marshall Civic Players invites children and adults of all ages to join us in spreading holiday cheer this fall season! Elf - the Movie has been a classic holiday staple ever since its release in 2003, and the stage version is just as humorous and heartwarming! With a little something for everyone, Elf - the Musical is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season! People of all ages are welcome to audition, and help Marshall Civic Players usher in the holidays!
Production Team
Producers - Jennifer Butterfield & Shelia Stafford
Artistic Director - Dave Trippett
Music Director - Brian Ketner
Choreographer - Serenity Sanders Gerrild
Audition Information
Auditions: September 5th - 6th and 8th, 2023
Walters Elementary School
705 North Marshall Ave
Marshall, MI 49068
*All auditionees should attend Tuesday or Wednesday auditions and be prepared to attend callbacks on Friday. Contact Producer Jennifer Butterfield at 269-832-8520 with any questions.
Tuesday & Wednesday, September 5th - 6th (6pm - done) - Auditions
Children ages 8-12 (6pm - 7pm): Please prepare one of the three songs picked out by our music director to perform. These songs are "Let It Go" from Frozen, "Tomorrow" from Annie, and "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. Musical tracks will be linked below to practice and perform with, as well as a note from our music director!
No dancing will be required; however, if you plan to audition for Michael Hobbs, you will be asked to read from a scene in the show.
"Let It Go" - Frozen
"Tomorrow" - Annie
"My Favorite Things" - The Sound of Music
Ages 13+ (7pm - done): Please prepare 16-32 bars of a song from a different musical (not Elf) to perform. A Bluetooth speaker will be provided so you can connect to it and play the background track for your song. Please DO NOT perform a song a capella! Additionally, please prepare a 1-2 minute comedic monologue to perform. Dancing will be part of the audition process, so please wear something comfortable to move around in! Choreography will be taught at auditions.
Friday, September 8th (6 pm - done) - Callbacks
We fully expect to need callbacks for this production. However, we may not need to call back for all roles. Do not be discouraged if you don’t receive a callback.
*Rehearsals for this production will begin Monday, September 11th.
Important Dates
Regular rehearsals for this production are Sunday-Thursday from 6:30 - 9:30 pm at the Franke Center for the Arts. However, the first week of rehearsals will take place at Walters Elementary School, from September 11th - 15th.
*Conflicts will be honored during the rehearsal process, however all cast will be required to be present for tech week (beginning October 30th).*
Audition Sheet
A link to the audition sheet can be found below. Please print out this form, fill it out, and bring it with you to auditions. Bringing this form with you is not required, but it is highly encouraged to speed up the audition process!
Character Overview
Buddy
Born a human but raised at the North Pole as a Christmas Elf, Buddy is eager to find his place in the world. He is a child at heart and that child-like curiosity makes him both endearing and gets him into trouble.
Gender: Male
Age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: Ab2
Jovie
Buddy's girlfriend. She works at Macy's and has a bit of a cynical outlook on life and love because of the men she's dated. She is caught off guard by Buddy's genuinely big heart.
Gender: Female
Age: 25 to 30
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Walter
Buddy's workaholic father. He is a Children's book writer, but lacks any of the childlike spirit that Buddy has. He is selfish, tense, and generally angry with life.
Gender: Male
Age: 55 to 65
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Emily
Walter's wife. Though she is sweet and willing to take him in, she thinks Buddy is crazy at first. Wishes her husband would spend more time with the family.
Gender: Female
Age: 40 to 50
Vocal range top: Eb5
Vocal range bottom: F3
Michael
Buddy's stepbrother who is excited to have a new friend and brother. Unlike his mother, he doesn't take much convincing to have Christmas spirit, but like his mother, he wishes his father would spend more time with the family.
Gender: Male
Age: 12 to 16
Vocal range top: G5
Vocal range bottom: F3
Deb
Walter's secretary. Takes an instant liking to Buddy simply for the novelty of it. Though she aims to please and is a bit of a suck-up, she feels under appreciated.
Gender: Female
Age: 25 to 55
Vocal range top: Eb5
Vocal range bottom: D4
Manager
A heavy-set manager at Macy's. He is a good, friendly guy just trying to do his job and get by.
Gender: Male
Age: 35 to 40
Vocal range top: F#4
Vocal range bottom: B2
Greenway
Walter's boss. He is what Walter will become if he continues down the path he is on. A tyrannical, workaholic who cares nothing about the people around him or who work for him.
Gender: Male
Age: 55 to 65
Santa
Just another workingman. Loves his job and Christmas, but also likes to kick-back and watch the game when a rare opportunity arises. A natural storyteller.
Gender: Male
Age: 65 to 80
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: A2
Chadwick
One of Walter's right-hand men. He is desperate to keep his job, and perhaps the dumber of the two.
Gender: Male
Age: 40 to 50
Matthews
One of Walter's right-hand men. He is desperate to keep his job and is the schemer of the two.
Gender: Male
Age: 35 to 40
Performances
Friday, November 3rd, 2023 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, November 4th, 2023 @ 7:30 pm
Sunday November 5th,2023 @ 2:30 pm
Friday, November 10th, 2023 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, November 11th, 2023 @ 7:30 pm
Sunday November 12th,2023 @ 2:30 pm
The Franke Center for the Arts
214 E Mansion Street, Marshall, MI 49068