Book By: Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin
Music By: Matthew Sklar
Lyrics By: Chad Beguelin
Directed By: Randy O’Hara
Music Direction By: Joe Murphy
Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human until his 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 identity. Faced with the harsh realities that his father is on the naughty list and his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
A title known the world over, Elf The Musical is based on the cherished 2003 New Line Cinema hit, Elf features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer) and Chad Beguelin (Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway), with a book by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).
This modern-day holiday classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner elf. After all, the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear.
*Actors appear courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
| Ensemble/ u/s Deb | Trixie Aballa |
|---|---|
| Buddy | Dave J. Abrams* |
| Mrs. Claus/Ensemble | Lisa Appleyard |
| Matthews/Ensemble | Samantha Arden |
| Santa | Russ Bohard |
| Ensemble | Alyson Chilton |
| Emily | Jessica Coker |
| Ensemble | Kara Clapp Connelly |
| Ensemble/ u/s Chadwick | Doug Greer |
| Ensemble | Esteban Gonzalez |
| Ensemble/ u/s Emily | Angela Harrington |
| Manager | Nadiyah Hollis |
| Chadwick/Ensemble | Nick Kenrick |
| Ensemble/ u/s Buddy | Kyle LaPlana |
| Ensemble | Sophie Lee |
| Michael | Josh Parecki |
| Jovie | Allison J. Parker* |
| Walter | Brandon Savage |
| Deb | Lindsay Schulz |
| Ensemble | Ilana Segal |
| Ensemble/ u/s Charlie | Joe Steely |
| Ensemble | Gwen Tessman |
| Ensemble/ u/s Michael | Rhys Townsager |
| Director | Randy O’Hara |
|---|---|
| Choreographer | Jeanne Batacan-Harper |
| Assistant Director | Brigitte Losey |
| Music Direction | Joe Murphy |
| Stage Manager | River Bermudez-Sanders |
| Scenic Designer | Matt Owens |
| Costume Designer | Pam Lampkin |
| Lighting Designer | Pam Gray |
| Sound Design | Sheraj Ragoobeer |
| Scenic Builder/Tech Director | Eric Olson |
| Prop Designer | Rosie Issel |
(Ensemble/ u/s Deb) (she/her) Trixie is beyond excited to join Hillbarn once again for this holiday classic! She was recently seen as Agnes in Gypsy for her Hillbarn Debut. A local Bay Area performer, she was raised in Pinole and currently lives in San Francisco. Trixie graduated from SF State University, majoring in Theatre Arts (2016). Past credits include: Mimi in RENT (Marin Musical Theatre Company), Petra in A Little Night Music at 42nd Street Moon, Svetlana in Chess: In Concert (42nd Street Moon), Cynthia (u/s) in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (Contra Costa Musical Theatre), Erzulie (u/s) in Once on This Island (Contra Costa Civic Theatre), Little Red in Into the Woods and Little Sally in Urinetown (both at SFSU). Enjoy the show!
(Buddy) (he/him) Dave is ecstatic to be back on the Hillbarn stage since his last appearance as Andre in Ain’t Misbehavin’! Theater credits include: Hairspray (Seaweed) (2019 TBA Award for Outstanding Featured Actor), Ragtime(Coalhouse) (2018 TBA Award for Outstanding Actor in a Principal Role), and In The Heights (Benny). Dave holds a Bachelors of Arts in Theater and Dance from the University of California at Berkeley. Follow him on IG: @davejabrams and enjoy the show!
(Mrs. Claus/Ensemble) (she/her) Lisa is thrilled to return to Hillbarn, having just played Tessie Tura/Cratchitt in Gypsy. 2021-2022 performances include Hamlet (Queen Gertrude), La Cage Aux Folles (Marie), Cockettes Are Golden (Harlo), Sylvia (Kate), and Mamma Mia! (Tanya). Other favorite roles: Savannah Sipping Society (Jinx Jenkins), A Chorus Line (Sheila), Gypsy (Louise) & The Rocky Horror Show (Magenta/Usherette). Lisa teaches sixth grade math & science at Park Day School, coaches running, and is mom to Julian and Austin.
(Matthews/Ensemble) (she/her) Samantha has previously been seen on the Hillbarn stage as Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol and various roles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Other past credits include Lucy in Bright Star (PAP), Annette in Saturday Night Fever (BBBay), Martha Jefferson in 1776 (SBMT) and Dyanne in Million Dollar Quartet (BBBay and 6th Street Playhouse). When she isn’t elfing around on stage she teaches 2nd grade ….which also involves a lot of elfing around. “Thank you for continuing to support the arts and have a wonderful holiday season!”
(Santa) (he/him)
Russ is delighted to join the cast of Elf! Hillbarn credits include: Hello Dolly! (Horace Vandergelder), The Music Man (Harold Hill), Grand Hotel (Colonel-Doctor), 1776 (John Dickinson), A Little Night Music (Count Carl Magnus), Forum (Marcus Lycus), Annie (Daddy Warbucks), Little Shop (Orin, the dentist), and Spamalot (King Arthur). Other favorite roles include South Pacific (Emile de Becque), My Fair Lady (Henry Higgins), Of Thee I Sing (John Wintergreen), Oliver (Bill Sykes), Sunset Blvd. (Max), Big River (Pap Finn), She Loves Me (Steven Kodaly), and The Light in the Piazza (Signor Naccarelli).
(Ensemble) This marks Alyson’s lucky 13th show at her local Hillbarn Theatre! She was last seen here pre-Covid in Anything Goes, and is so crazy happy happy happy all the time to be back on stage again. She has performed all over the Bay Area with BBB, WCT, BAM, ROLT and 42nd Street Moon. Trade show manager by day, elf by night. Enjoy the show and Happy Holidays!
(Emily) Jessica was last seen as Miss Fleming in Heathers at Hillbarn other favorites include Audrey 2 in Little Shop of Horrors, Songs for a New World at Sitka Performing Arts, Henri in The View Upstairs at New Conservatory Theatre Center, Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown at Berkeley Playhouse, Gravity, a Newtonian musical at BATCO, Emma Borden in Lizzie at Ray of Light theatre, Smokey Joe’s Cafe at Broadway by the Bay among many others. Jessica is a dog mom, cabaret singer and in her spare time can be found changing her hair color and traveling the world.
(Ensemble) Kara is delighted to make her debut at her community theatre as an ensemble role in Hillbarn’s Elf. Her previous roles and productions include various ensemble roles for WCT Bright Star (2022),
ensemble/lead factory singer in RCCT’s Kinky Boots (2022), various ensemble roles in Stage 1’s Sister Act (2020), Belle and Isabelle in CRT A Christmas Carol (2019), ensemble roles in WCT Spamalot (2019) and WCT My Fair Lady (2018). She loves her theatre family!
(Ensemble) (he/him) After 9 years away from the stage, Esteban is excited to be returning to the stage with Elf The Musical. He’d like to thank the cast and crew for being so welcoming, my family for watching over Ozzy during weekend rehearsals, and to Jeanne for encouraging me to dance /perform for the past 18 years. Jackson gave!
(Ensemble/ u/s Chadwick) (he/him) Doug is amped to be back on the Hillbarn stage playing his dream role of “6 foot 4 elf.” Previous Hillbarn credits include Mamma Mia, Annie, Legally Blonde, Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, Sweet Charity, and directing Newsies. Outside of theater, you can find Doug working at Roblox, where he manages a Recruiting Team, or at Barrys Bootcamp, where he spends too much of his time (and money). Doug would like to thank Vinnie, his family, and his friends for supporting him as he pursues his love of theater.
(Ensemble/ u/s Emily) (she/her) Angela is thrilled to return to Hillbarn, previously featured in The Hunchback of Notre Dame & Annie. Recent roles include Susan in Snapshots, Mrs. Hudson in Sherlock Holmes… (Tabard Theater), Gianetta in The Gondoliers, & Constance in The Sorcerer (Lyric Theater). Angela holds a BA in Music from Santa Clara University & her Masters of Music from Northwestern University. She is the performing arts director at Beechwood School, and teaches voice to singers of all ages. @SingwithAngela
(Manager) Nadiyah is a singer/actor from Atlanta,GA and is a recent transplant to the Bay Area. Previous favorite roles include: improv actor in ABC’s What Would You Do? with John Quinones, Asaka in Once on this Island, (Plethos Productions) Effie White in Dreamgirls (The Liberty Theatre). This is her debut Hillbarn and is excited to be working with an amazing cast.
(Chadwick/Ensemble) (he/him) Nick is excited to be performing in his first show with Hillbarn. He has performed in community theaters up and down the peninsula, and is best known for his portrayal as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet at multiple companies, for which he’s won several nominations and a TBA award. By day he works as an engineer at Intuitive Surgical, where they did surgery on a grape. Much love to Sammi and Clifford.
(Ensemble/ u/s Buddy) (he/him) Kyle is ecstatic to join Hillbarn Theatre in their production of Elf The Musical! This marks Kyle’s second production with Hillbarn, first being The 1940’s Radio Hour (2021) as Wally Ferguson. Other credits include Alexi Darling in RENT (2022), Babkak in Aladdin Jr. (2018), and directing as well as starring in Once On This Island (2019) as Agwe. Kyle is fairly new to the Bay Area theatre scene but is glad to be able to perform alongside these talented individuals! Have a jolly old time and enjoy the show :)
(Ensemble) (she/her) Sophie Lee is thrilled to be in Elf! Some of her favorite past productions include Cabaret (Helga), Carrie (Helen), and Heathers (Ensemble). Sophie is a freshman at San Mateo High School and would like to thank her family and friends for all their support.
(Michael Hobbs) (he/him) Joshua is thrilled to make his debut with Hillbarn Theater in Elf. Past productions include TheatreWorks Ragtime (Little Boy), West Light Opera’s The Addams Family (Pugsley) and Palo Alto Players’ A Christmas Story, The Musical (Ralphie). He has performed in a variety of productions with schools and educational theater companies. Joshua has training in dancet, singing, and acting. He would like to thank his friends and family for all of their love and support.
(Jovie) (she/her) Allison is holly jolly over making her Hillbarn Mainstage debut! Bay Area credits include Mamma Mia! (Sophie-SJ Stage), The Wild Party (Mae-SJ Stage) and Beach Blanket Babylon. Allison has traveled the world by land and sea with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and RWS Entertainment, and she is a proud member of the Hillbarn Conservatory Staff. Allison has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Cal State Fullerton and is repped by DDO Artists Agency.
(Walter Hobbs) (he/him) Brandon is excited to be back on the Hillbarn stage, last appearing as Harry Bright in Mamma Mia! Notable past credits include Father in Ragtime (Woodside Community Theater), Galahad in Spamalot (Woodside Community Theater), and the New York off-Broadway productions of I Love My Wife, Marry Me a Little, Diary of Adam & Eve and the long-running Boobs! The Musical. You can also hear Brandon (and his entire family) on the Reading Bug Adventures children’s podcast. Thank you to Lauren, Chloe, Riley and Jack, and a shout out to my alma mater, NYU (Tisch/Stern).
(Deb) (she/her) Lindsay is so excited to be making her Hillbarn Debut in Elf! Favorite past roles include Elle in Legally Blonde (RCCT), Judy in 9 to 5 (RCCT), Mary in Mary Poppins (PSP), Marianne in Sense and Sensibility (CRT), Alice in Addams Family (RCCT), and Lauren in Kinky Boots (RCCT). She would like to thank her family and friends for their continual support. She hopes you enjoy the show and have a holly jolly holiday season!
(Ensemble) (she/her) Ilana is excited to make her Hillbarn debut! You may have seen her on stage with RCCT in Kinky Boots (Ensemble), with the Berkeley Symphony performing Beethoven’s 9th (Chorus), at PSP in Gypsy (Renee), and at RCCT in Sister Act (Ensemble). Outside of theater, Ilana works as a Research Associate at GigaGen Inc doing fun science-y things. She’d like to thank her friends and family for all of their love and support!
(Ensemble/ u/s Matthews) (he/him) I’m very excited to be back at Hillbarn after The Four Gifts. I enjoy bringing the magic at Disneyland Park to the bay area theatre scene. I am very excited to help the wonderful people here at hillbarn bring this Holiday staple to the stage. Thank you to my friends and family that support me.
(Ensemble) (she/her) Gwen is feelin oh so jolly to be a part of Hillbarn’s Elf. She has been dancing all her life and graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA in dance. Her first musical was RENT with Marin Musical Theater Company in march of 2022 and she has been theaterin it up ever since. She is excited to take on her dream role of Mr. Narwhal, it’s been challenging, but rewarding. Bye audience, hope you like the show!
(Ensemble/ U/S Michael) (he/him) Rhys Townsager is 12 years old and in 7th grade. He’s been performing in shows since 2nd grade, most recently in Hillbarn’s Gypsy. His favorite recent role was playing Lord Farquaad in Hillbarn Theatre Conservatory’s summer production of Shrek. In his spare time, Rhys enjoys hanging out with friends, jumping on his trampoline and dancing. He would like to thank the artistic team, the cast and his family and friends for their support!
*Actors appear courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association
A little peak into our Elf photoshoot at The Reading Bug
Brigitte (she/hers) is a native Bay Area actress and theatre maker. When Brigitte is not on the stage she is taking your calls managing the Hillbarn Box office. Brigitte Is very excited to be back performing on the Hillbarn stage with such an incredible wealth of bay area talent. Some past roles include Ensemble/swing in Kinky Boots (ROLT), Kelly Manning in The Mad Ones & Heather Chandler in Heathers (PSP), Ali in Mamma Mia (San Jose Stage Co), Poppy in Noises Off (Hillbarn Theatre), Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods (LASC).
