ENTERTAINMENT

Meet the cast of 'Elf The Musical'

Portsmouth Herald
Steven Booth, Lothair Eaton, and the cast of the 2018 Ogunquit Playhouse’s production of Elf The Musical at The Music Hall.

OGUNQUIT, Maine — The Music Hall and Ogunquit Playhouse announce the cast of "Elf The Musical,"on stage through Dec. 18 at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. Based on the beloved film, "Elf The Musical" is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as one of Santa’s elves. Eventually Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to embark on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. 

For tickets visit www.themusichall.org or call The Music Hall Box Office at (603) 436-2400.

Ogunquit Playhouse’s production features Broadway veterans Steven Booth and Diana Huey. 

Booth stars as Buddy. Booth is thrilled to be squeezing back into his yellow tights and Elf shoes for Ogunquit Playhouse! He's been in these Broadway shows: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Phil Spector/Terry Britten), School Of Rock (Ned Schneebly), Glory Days (Will), Avenue Q (Princeton, u/s Rod) Off-Broadway: Dogfight (Gibbs); on these national tours: Kinky Boots (Charlie Price), Happy Days (Richie Cunningham); and on TV: Craig on Modern Love (Amazon). All my love to Molly, Maezie, and Sawyer. StevenBooth.net

Huey co-stars as Jovie. Huey feels sparklejolly-twinklejingley to return as Jovie for Ogunquit Playhouse this holiday season! She is a Helen Hayes and Gregory Award-winning actor best known for her portrayal of Kim in Miss Saigon (Signature Theatre) and Ariel in the National Tours of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, where she made international headlines for combating racism over her casting as an Asian American actor. On screen Diana has been featured in Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens, Netflix’s It’s Bruno, TNT’s Leverage, and Fox’s The Glee Project. Happy Holidays and love to Andy! DianaHuey.com @DianaHuey

Lothair Eaton is thrilled to return as the Store Manager for Ogunquit Playhouse. He's been off-Broadway: Nunsense A-Men original cast (Sister Mary Hubert, 47th St Theatre), Lost In The Stars (Hlabeni, The York Theatre); international tours Starlight Express (Germany, Las Vegas, New Zealand, UK), 5 Guys Named Moe (UK); in regional tours TRAV’LIN 1930’s Harlem Musical (George, Seven Angels Theatre); in film: A New Orleans Noel (Bandleader) and on TV: Law & Order SVU (Ken).

Annie Edgerton is thrilled to return for Ogunquit Playhouse and reprise the role of Emily in this wonderful production of Elf. She's been on Broadway and international tours of Mamma Mia! (Rosie), Kinky Boots; in regional tours Murder on the Orient Express (Helen, Gateway Playhouse), Good People (Margie, New Harmony Theatre), Outside Mullingar (Rosemary, Cape May Stage), Legally Blonde (Paulette, Beef & Boards), King Lear (Goneril, Shakespeare on the Shoreline); on TV, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBO Max), City on a Hill (Showtime). Annie has sung the National Anthem for 28 of the 30 Major League Baseball teams (AnthemQuest.com) and is a wine appraiser/consultant/writer/educator/ TV host known as the Wine Minx® (WineMinxAnnie.com, @wineminxannie) whose first wine book will be published soon.

Portraying Santa is Major Attaway, a Broadway, television, film, voice actor, and Twitch streamer from Fort Worth, TX residing in Brooklyn, NY. Broadway: The Genie in Disney’s Aladdin. Off-Broadway: Fatty Arbuckle in Mack and Mabel (New York City Center). TV/Film: Orange is the New Black (Netflix), Carter High. Voice: OnePiece, Pokemon: The Secrets of the Jungle, Borderlands 3, Dragonball: Xenoverse, RWBY: Arrowfell. Twitch: IPlayedMajor. Concert: The Genies Jukebox. Major is ecstatic to be making his Music Hall debut and thanks the Ogunquit Playhouse for the opportunity. MajorAttaway.com

Alaina Mills is thrilled to make her debut for Ogunquit Playhouse as Deb. First Nat’l Tour: Beautiful The Carole King Musical (Swing, Dance Captain). Off-Broadway: A Class Act (Sophie, J2 Spotlight), Into The Woods (Jack, Out of The Box Theatrics), Peg O’ My Heart (Peg, York Theatre). Regional: Sister Act (Martin-of-Tours, Paper Mill Playhouse); Newsies (Katherine, Westport Country Playhouse with BMA); Kinky Boots (Pat), Jersey Boys (Mary Delgado), Anything Goes (Erma), Mame (Sally Cato), Oklahoma! (Gertie, North Shore Music Theatre); On The Town (Hildy, The Rev); Elf (Mrs. Claus, TUTS); She Loves Me (Ilona), Chicago (Roxie, Weathervane Rep); Hairspray (Amber, Florida Studio Theatre); The Original Grease (Patty Simcox, American Theatre Company). AlainaMills.com @alainakmills

Blake Hammond, Steven Booth, and the cast of the 2018 Ogunquit Playhouse’s production of Elf The Musical at The Music Hall.

Returning as Mr. Greenway, Philip Paul Kelly is pleased to be part of Ogunquit Playhouse’s 90th anniversary season. He was last seen here in 2018’s Elf The Musical. Philip has appeared in Legacy The Musical (Hans Luther/Pope Leo X, awarded Best Of Fest: Reading at NYMF), the workshop and concert of Ragtime on Ellis Island (Admiral Peary) with Brian Stokes Mitchell. Nat’l Tours: Titanic (J. Bruce Ismay), Camelot (Merlin, u/s Pellinore). Off Broadway: Portrait of Dorian Gray (The Portrait). Regional: 1776, A Christmas Carol, The Full Monty, Jekyll & Hyde, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, La Cage Aux Folles, West Side Story, The Mikado. He most recently wrote and produced two successful readings of the rock-n-roll wrestling spectacle Rockquiem For A Wrestler (Rockquiem.com) and produced the Off-Broadway cast recording now available through tonuprecords.com and on streaming platforms. PhilipPaulKelly.com

Ogunquit audiences last saw Christopher Russo as Walter Hobbs in the 2018 production of Elf The Musical, a role he also performed at Madison Square Garden in NYC. He's been on Broadway: The Grapes of Wrath (Steppenwolf Theater Company), Meet Me in St. Louis. Nat’l Tours: Wicked, Miss Saigon, Elf the Musical, The Who’s Tommy, Singing’ in the Rain; in regional: In The Next Room (Gulf Shore Playhouse), Ballad of Little Jo (Two River Theater), A Few Good Men (Theater Raleigh); on TV: Blue Bloods (CBS), Succession (HBO), Quantico (ABC), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); and on film: The Manchurian Candidate, Acceptables (short). 

Alkaio Thiele is beyond excited to make his debut for Ogunquit Playhouse as Michael. He's been in films You Are Not Alone (Young AJ), A Christmas Mystery (Reggie), Ultra Red (Victor); on TV: Call Me Kat (Max Jr). Animated: The Wingfeather Saga (Janner); in local Theater: The Music Man (Marcellus), Guys and Dolls (Nicely-Nicely), High School Musical (Zeke). Alkaio will be the voice of the lead character in a major animated series and in a major motion picture, both coming soon. @alkaio.onstage 

Helming the production of Elf The Musical is Director/Choreographer Connor Gallagher, who is best known for choreographing the Broadway musical "Beetlejuice," as well as the Korean language production in Seoul and the recently launched US National Tour with forthcoming productions in London's West End, Australia, and Germany. Other notable work includes The Robber Bridegroom (Roundabout, Astaire Award) and work at Goodspeed Musicals, The Public Theatre, Buck’s County Playhouse, Lincoln Center, Paper Mill Playhouse, Westport, ACT, Playhouse Square, and Shakespeare Theatre in DC. Next up are two world-premieres, as director for the musical Miss Step at Seattle's Village Theatre, and as choreographer for the musical Walter Paisley at La Mirada Theatre in Los Angeles. Connor graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory and was recently honored with the 2021 Young Alumni Award. He is a former competitive gymnast and made his Broadway debut as a performer in the final company of Beauty and the Beast. ConnorGallagher.com @connorga

Music director for Elf The Musical is Andrew Bourgoin. Bourgoin returns to Ogunquit Playhouse and The Music Hall. At Ogunquit Playhouse, Elf, Kinky Boots, Annie, Mister Holland’s Opus. Broadway/Touring Keyboards: Aladdin (2018-Present), Mean Girls, The Band’s Visit, Something Rotten, The Little Mermaid. Select Music Direction for The Ordway, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Theater Latte Da, Children’s Theatre Company (MN). Select Producing: St. Olaf College Opening Convocation (2011), Johnson and Johnson Consumer Health Opening (2022), Barrymore Film Center Gala (2022), Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Spotlight Showcase (2015-Present). He's taught at Cretin-Derham Hall (MN), Northern Michigan University, University of Central Arkansas. Proud St. Olaf College Alum. Member of American Federation of Musicians, Local 802. @andrewbourgoin @bourgoinproductions.