Fourteen Lambs Farm participants are stepping into the snowy world of Buddy the Elf this month, staging “Elf Jr.” at Lake Forest High School with performances scheduled for 7 p.m. on November 14 and 2 p.m. on November 15. The musical, based on the 2003 film, follows Buddy as he discovers he was raised by Santa Claus and the elves despite being human, then travels to New York to track down his birth father.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the show will be staged at Lake Forest High School, located at 1285 N. McKinley Road in Lake Forest. Cast members were chosen through auditions, and the production is co-directed by Janine Neumann and Kat Metzger. Reservations are available at lambsfarm.org/events/category/elf-jr, with adult tickets priced at $20 and children's tickets at $10.
A Decade of Holiday Musicals
Neumann, the day program supervisor at Lambs Farm, said she began directing at the organization after the CEO asked her to take on a show, and she has staged a Lambs Farm musical every year since the group first put on “Annie” in its gym in 2011. Since then she started a fine arts program at Lambs Farm. Of this year's choice, Neumann said the production was selected to challenge the performers with a more adult-oriented show after many Disney-style productions, and she said “Elf Jr.” showcases Lambs Farm participants in a different way and brings out their holiday spirit.
Metzger, a class instructor in the Quest program, brings her own theater background to the project — she studied professional acting and singing at a conservatory in St. Louis, directed Christian Heritage Academy's middle- and high-school productions for three years, and worked with Special Gifts Theatre, which offers programming for high school students with special needs. She said the Christmas theme and the cast's familiarity with “Elf” made it a fitting choice for this year's show, and that cast members shared which parts they hoped to play, then sang a song and read from the script before roles were assigned.
Everybody's Voice Matters
Metzger said everybody in the cast is valuable and that each person's voice matters, and Neumann said the cast has embraced the show and is excited and happy about it. The performers will use taped music played under their performances rather than a live orchestra.
Leading the cast as Buddy is Brayanna LaConte, who has previously starred in three other Lambs Farm shows: “Aladdin,” “Peter Pan” and “The Little Mermaid.” She said she enjoys the comedic and wacky nature of the Buddy role, and that her favorite number is the duet “A Christmas Song” because it includes a high note she gets to sing. LaConte also shared that she has been with her partner for two years and the two are engaged, adding that they already call each other husband and wife.
