Lambs Farm stages ‘Elf Jr.’ at Lake Forest High School
The North Pole is home to Buddy the Elf. That’s where he was raised by Santa Claus and the Elves. But when Buddy discovers that he is actually human, he heads to New York City to find his birth father in the heartwarming musical “Elf Jr.,” based on the 2003 film.
Fourteen participants of Lambs Farm will perform the show at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at Lake Forest High School, 1285 N. McKinley Road, Lake Forest. Tickets are $20 for adults; $10 for kids at lambsfarm.org/events/category/elf-jr.
The cast members were chosen by audition. “They got to tell us what part they were hoping to get,” said Kat Metzger, who co-directs the show with Janine Neumann. “Then they sang a song and did a reading from the script.”
Starring as Buddy is Lambs Farm participant Brayanna LaConte. She has starred in three other shows at Lambs Farm ― as Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin,” Wendy in “Peter Pan” and Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.”
“Brayanna is a star,” Neumann said. “She’s totally natural onstage. She’s always up for a challenge. She takes every character that we have ever given her very seriously. She’s always great at taking notes.”
“She’s very charming and funny,” Metzger said, “and she was perfect for the role.”
In the role of Buddy, Neumann added, Brayanna captures Buddy’s mannerisms, “his tone of voice and his excitement for everything.”
“I love to perform and making my directors happy that I can do it,” LaConte said.
She said the role of Buddy “is comedic and wacky, and I enjoy playing the part.” LaConte joked that the difference between her and Buddy is that “He’s tall, but I’m short.” He’s also very loud, she noted.
LaConte indicated that she is working hard to capture Buddy’s mannerisms, and her directors have praised her success.
LaConte’s favorite song in the show is a duet, “A Christmas Song” because “It has a high note in it and I can get it really high.”
Although she is in a Christmas show, LaConte said that another holiday is her favorite.
“I love Valentine’s Day because it’s all about love and I’ve been with someone for two years,” she said, revealing that they are engaged. “We already call each other husband and wife,” LaConte said.
“Elf Jr.” is led by two experienced directors. Neumann is the Day Program Supervisor at Lambs Farm, and Metzger is one of the class instructors in the Quest program, teaching a variety of subjects.
Both have been involved with theater for a long time.
“In high school I was in theater, but I did all the behind-the-scenes stuff,” Neumann said. “In 2011, our 50th anniversary at Lambs Farm, our CEO had gotten word that I was part-time in an afterschool theater program for kids with special needs.”
The CEO asked Neumann to direct a show for Lambs Farm.
“We did ‘Annie’ in our gym in 2011,” Neumann said. She started a fine arts program and has staged a musical for Lambs Farm every year since.
“I went to a conservatory in St. Louis and studied professional acting and singing,” Metzger said. Since moving to Chicago, Metzger has directed shows for a number of companies, including Christian Heritage Academy, where she worked for three years directing the middle school and high school productions. She also worked with Special Gifts Theatre, which offers programming for high school students with special needs, among other organizations.
Neumann said they decided to stage “Elf Jr.” this year because, “In the past we have done a lot of Disney shows, which are wonderful, however they tend to be a little bit more kid-oriented. We wanted to give our actors and actresses a little bit more of a challenge this year and do a more adult-oriented show. Also, everyone loves Christmas.”
Metzger added that “Elf” is the right show for the Lambs Farm cast because of its Christmas theme and because, “It’s something that they are familiar with and they love.”
“Our cast has completely embraced the show,” Neumann said. “They’re so excited; they’re so happy. They’re blowing me away.”
They are working with taped music. “The soundtrack is played under the performers,” Metzger noted.
The two directors stress the importance of each cast member.
“We’re a team; we’re a family,” Metzger said. “Everybody is valuable, and everybody’s voice matters.”
Neumann added that she is particularly pleased to watch the cast “learn these songs that they’ve never heard.”
“The songs are so engaging and uplifting,” Metzger said.
Neumann is confident that “Elf Jr.” was the right choice for Lambs Farm. “It showcases our participants in a little bit different way,” she said. “It definitely brings out the holiday spirit in everyone.”
“I truly, truly, truly love Christmas,” Metzger said.
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.