THE HAPPY ELF: staging the show

By young performer Madison Kitchen who plays Molly in Harry Connick, Jr.'s THE HAPPY ELF

Our director, John Rando, arrived on Wednesday, November 5th, and we got straight to work staging the show. We have come a long way in learning the whole show in such a short amount of time (two weeks). Last Saturday, we did a “stumble through” (running the entire production and stopping to fix things along the way). It took us three hours, but we did it. The actual show won’t be that long—probably less than half of that!

One of the things I’m learning about a musical is that you have to be really careful with your voice, especially in the winter. I am just getting over a cold, and singing (even speaking) was difficult for me in the beginning of the rehearsal process because the cold stole my voice. My voice is almost fully recovered and I feel confident that it will be at 100% when we open.

I can’t believe we’re opening next week; it’s exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. The show looks great, and I can’t wait to perform it in front of an audience! Although once we start performing, the directors will no longer be part of the process. I am enjoying working with John Rando and company, and it will be weird without them around (I’ll miss them!).

Photo by John Deighton Hemingway: Madison Kitchen as Molly in Bluesville in Harry Connick, Jr.'s THE HAPPY ELF.