ELF THE MUSICAL Comes to The Athens Theatre This Month

Like cascades of carefully crafted snowballs coming straight for your head, the delights of this year's holiday production at DeLand's Athens Theatre are about to explode Christmas Spirit onto Central Florida's favorite stage. Based on the beloved 2003 holiday film, ELF the Musical transforms the story of Buddy the Elf into a lavish Broadway musical running from November 27 through December 19.

As a young orphan, Buddy (Trevor Spence), is raised by elves at the North Pole after mistakenly crawling into Santa's (Aya??̀ Demps) toy sack. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy's gigantic stature and lack of natural toy-making ability eventually force him to face the truth that he is not an elf. With Santa's blessing, Buddy makes his way to New York City to find his birth father, Walter Hobbs (Thomas Muniz), a cynical no-nonsense publishing executive. Buddy also discovers that most New Yorkers, including his stepmother Emily (Chelsea Street) and younger brother Michael (D'Montrae Harris), no longer believe in Santa and the spirit of Christmas.

The problem is that after receiving a letter from PETA about proper treatment of the reindeer, Santa's sleigh now runs only on Christmas Spirit and will not fly unless people believe in him, people like his Buddy's jaded maybe-girlfriend Jovie (Taylor Whiteman) and her co-workers (the other unhappy Macy's elves! Buddy's unrelenting sunny disposition and a profoundly ingrained love of Christmas create hilarity amidst the cynicism of New Yorkers and may save Christmas. With a full ensemble of elves, harried singing mall Santas, ice skaters at Rockefeller Center and so much more, Elf the Musical is sure to leave you humming the story of Buddy the Elf!

To make this holiday extravaganza as inclusive as possible, the December 10th performance will be signed by a pair of professional American Sign Language Interpreters.

Join this elf-clan bunch on opening night, and not only will you help Jolly Old St. Nick's sleigh fill up on Christmas spirit, but you will also be invited to join in a free champagne (or sparkling juice) toast!

Located in Downtown DeLand, the beautifully decorated historic Athens Theatre has instituted extensive precautions to ensure the safety of actors and audiences. Tickets are priced from $11 to $30. To purchase tickets in advance or to find out more specific information about dates, times, and safety precautions, visit the Athens Theatre website online at www.AthensDeLand.com. If you are looking to purchase tickets in one of our socially distant seating sections or in the ASL interpreter location, contact the Box Office at (386) 736-1500 or at boxoffice@AthensDeLand.com and they will be able to find you the perfect spot.

Box Office hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 1:00 - 5:00 pm and 1½ hours before live performances, but messages are received daily, so call today and get "sparklejollytwinklejingly" this holiday season!