After years of preparation, Harry Connick, Jr.‘s “The Happy Elf” premiered at the Scranton Cultural Center last weekend to great fanfare, and NEPA Scene photographer Robb Malloy stopped by on Wednesday, Dec. 17 just before the opening to capture some moments from the full dress rehearsal run of the show.
A description of the musical follows:
“The Happy Elf” is an endearing story of Eubie, the happiest elf at the North Pole. More than anything else, he longs to be part of Santa’s sleigh team. Instead, he’s stuck checking the naughty-or-nice lists. But this Christmas Eve, he notices something strange in the entire town of Bluesville – not a single person has been nice!
Surrounded by cliffs and devoid of sunlight, Bluesville is a miserable town filled with miserable people. So with a pinch of elf magic and his unending holiday spirit, Eubie sets off to turn all of the residents in Bluesville from naughty to nice in just one day! With the help of his friends Molly and Curtis, Eubie devises a plan that will change the town forever.
NEPA Scene published a series of “Nice List” profiles on director Bill Mutimer, music director Sheri Melcher, choreographer Cristina Sohns Williams, and costume designer/production manager Dawn McGurl last week leading up to the premiere.
“The Happy Elf” will continue its run this weekend, Dec. 26-28, at the Scranton Cultural Center (420 N. Washington Ave., Scranton). Tickets are $18-$42. For a complete list of show times, visit thehappyelf.org.
