When the latest Young People’s Theatre (YPT) out of the box Christmas-themed musical production opens next month, director Harold Phipps will know precisely how the young actors feel.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 22-year-old from Port Stephens was himself a cast member of YPT productions from the age of 14, before becoming a tutor.
Elf the Musical JR will be his first crack at directing. Not content to ease himself into the role, Phipps has taken on a production with a mammoth amount of cast members.
The production showcases 64 of the Hunter and Port Stephens region’s most talented young performers.
But Phipps said he was happier this way, and was spoiled for choice when it came to casting.
“I have been amazed at the amount of talent,” Phipps said. “We could have cast the show 10 times.”
The musical’s story line closely follows the 2003 comedy film Elf, starring Will Ferrell as the main character Buddy.
The YPT production also centres around 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 completely unaware that he is 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 identity. 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 man in red, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
The YPT production is not just for children. It will have broad appeal, Phipps said.
“I’ve tried to put in something for the adults and for the young children,” he said. “It goes from pre-school, there are bright colours and little elves, right through to adults. There are a few jokes there the adults will get that the kids wont get. There are jokes for everyone.”
Phipps said he was looking forward to a sense of relief when the show, which has been in rehearsal for months, finally opens.
“I’m very happy with where it is at at the moment,” Phipps said. “When we actually open, I think I will feel very proud of the cast, and the team, the set people, the costume people and everyone who has helped create the show.”
The performance is choreographed by Chelsea Willis. However, the musical is directed by Freya Meredith and assisted by Sam Jenkins.
Elf The Musical JR opens on October 1 and runs until November 2 at YPT Theatre, located on the corner of Lindsay and Lawson Streets in Hamilton.
All tickets are $19, and are available at ypt.org.au/bookings, or by phoning 4961 4895, between 9am-1pm on Saturdays.
