NGU Presents ‘Elf the Musical’ Nov. 10-19 at Billingsley Theatre
Posted on: November 7, 2022
Tigerville, S.C. (November 7, 2022) The North Greenville University (NGU) School of Theatre will present “Elf the Musical” Nov. 10-19 at Billingsley Theatre in Tigerville.
The production will run Nov. 10-12 and Nov. 17-19, beginning at 7:30 p.m. nightly.
Based on a popular Christmas film, “Elf the Musical” follows Buddy, a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole.
The would-be elf is raised in the North Pole, but ultimately embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity.
“I love to encounter stories in which we can find the sacred within the secular—biblical principles that are going to resonate with people who are of faith and who may not be of faith,” said Joshua Scott, NGU Theatre Education Program Coordinator and Director of the production. “This is a story about a man who finds his father. And when he finds his real father, he finds his identity and who he really is. That is fantastic. It makes us a powerful witness when we can find those principles and highlight them in a specific, outstanding, beautiful and excellent way.”
JP Waynick, who plays the role of Buddy, said the show balances humor with several important themes.
“This show is an incredible, articulated love story. Romantic love, of course, but also the love a father has for a child, and the unconditional love a child has for a parent. There are seeds of the Gospel throughout this show, and I trust that our audiences will be able to see Christ through the story.”
Cast members include: Seth Atkins from Inman; Alyse Barrett from St. Louis; Matthew Blanton from Columbia, SC; Marnie Daniel from Detroit; Gaby Delanuez from Greenville; Sarah Delanuez from Greenville; Wes Evatt from Travelers Rest; Eleanor Finn from Tigerville; Georgia Finn from Tigerville; Meghan Frady from Summerville; Will Fulton from Bridgeville, DE; Joshua Gasdia from Lexington; Gabby Godoy from Aiken; Jenna Hansard from Sumter; Chloe Holmes from Myrtle Beach; Ben Howard from Wilmington, GA; Kat Liederbach from Wake Forest, NC; Cole Kittredge from Greenville; Keely Lyons from Simpsonville; Collin McCarter from Greenville; Jessie McGrath from Greenville; Michaila Parker from Fair Play; Logan Stewart from Campobello; Darrell “Bo” Taylor from Greer; Abigail Thomas from Dacusville, Michael Thomas from Lake Charles, LA; JP Waynick from Taylors; Carmen Wells from Jacksonville, NC; Joshua Wells from Spartanburg; Isabelle Western from Tigerville; Arianna Wilson from Spartanburg; Meredith Wirth from Gastonia, NC; and Caleb Wright from Shelby, NC.
With the task of performing a familiar Christmas story for audiences, Scott said he is encouraging the cast to put their own stamp on the production.
“Every person is going to put his or her thumbprint on their particular role,” he said. “We’ve pushed our actors to create a believable character rather than a caricature. The movie is a favorite in the Christmas season, so it’s a fun challenge. But it’s a challenge I think we’re going to live up to.”
Tickets for “Elf the Musical” can be purchased at go.ngu.edu/theatre or at Billingsley Theatre Box Office.
About North Greenville University
NGU offers more than 125 areas of study across certificate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and early college opportunities. Online. In-person. At our main campus in Tigerville, SC, the Tim Brashier Campus in Greer, SC, or several educational centers around the U.S. One university, many locations. Every day. Epic. Learn more.
