David Edwards in Quad City Music Guild's “Elf: The Musical" at the Prospect Park Auditorium -- November 30 through December 4.
Wednesday, November 30, through Sunday, December 4
Prospect Park Auditorium, 1584 34th Avenue, Moline IL
Lauded by the Chicago Tribune as “hilarious and heartwarming” and praised for its “bright comic zest” and “swinging music” by the New York Times, the stage adaptation Elf: The Musical – based on the 2003 screen comedy starring Will Ferrell – enjoys a November 30 through December 4 run at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium, this Quad City Music Guild season-ender treating patrons to a holiday tale that Broadway World called an “upbeat, oddball, and tuneful concoction.”
A seasonal smash that ran on Broadway in the Christmas seasons of 2010–11 and 2012–13, Elf: The Musical centers on William “Buddy” Hobbs, a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa Claus’ bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised subsequently raised there, 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 identify. But when faced with the harsh realities that his father is on Santa's naughty list and his half-brother doesn’t even believe in the jolly old elf, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Directing and serving as set designer for Elf: The Musical is Kevin Pieper, a Quad City Music Guild favorite on- and off-stage whose directorial credits for the organization include The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical and Sunset Boulevard. Buddy is portrayed, in his Music Guild debut, by David Edwards, with additional members of Pieper's featured cast including Brent Behrens, Jack Carslake, Jess Fah, Jennifer Cook Gregory, Robert Gregory, Julie Hummel, Mark McGinn, Stephanie Moeller, Michael Schmidt, Yvonne Siddique, and Joe Wren.
Included among the adults' and children's ensembles are: Marielle Anderson, Peyton Beck, Anna Bourke, Isla Bybee, Cody Dutton, Ava Ethridge, Audryn Fry, Konnie Fry, Carly Jackson, Helena Jackson, Elizabeth Martin, Alex Pappas, Vera Ries, Tamee Stone, Keegan Walker, Myka Walljasper, Jacob Welvaert, and Kylie Wise. And with Megan Winchell serving as Pieper's assistant director, additional members of Elf: The Musical's creative team include: stage manager Joe Miller; music director Mitch Carter; assistant music director Brenda Turnbull; choreographer Val Pieper; costume designer Carol Moon; lighting designer John Weigandt; sound designer Ryan Mantle; props designer Jenny Williams; makeup designer Sue Cates; and producer Dave Blakey.
Quad City Music Guild's Elf: The Musical runs at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium November 30 through December 4, with performances Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission is $11-16, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-6610 and visiting QCMusicGuild.com.
