From a Christmas comedy on the big screen to the Broadway musical, ELF is a favorite when it comes to Christmas and one Santa Clarita-born man is helping to bring the movie to life.
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Jesse Sharp, who was born in the Santa Clarita Valley and grew up in Frazier Park, is playing Walter, the birth father of Buddy in the production, ELF.
“Everything’s great,” Sharp said. “It’s a fun role and I get to play a father.”
NETworks Presentations, LLC, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and Unique Features officials are putting on the production which will tour to Riverside on Dec. 5-6.
ELF 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, according to the news release. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and 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, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas, according to the news release.
“I’ve played the Fox (Performing Arts Center) before,” Sharp said. “It’s a fantastic venue. Downtown Riverside is great and the show is a great a way to get into the holiday spirit.”
Sharp has been acting for more than 20 years and has toured for performances in 48 states.
“Whenever I get to perform in California, it’s fantastic,” he said. “I really like San Antonio. Audiences in Texas are really wild.”
The performance is rated PG, just like the movie, Sharp said.
“It’s for kids of all ages with some adult humor,” Sharp said. “Audiences seem to love it. It even has Santa Claus.”
Sharp’s wife, Lexie Dorsett Sharp, is also in the play, performing the role of Emily, Walter’s wife and stepmother of Buddy.
“We met on tour with The Addams Family,” Sharp said. “We fell in love and got engaged. We got married on Aug. 31.”
For more information about Sharp or the ELF performance, visit the website.
Photos courtesy of Jesse Sharp and ELF The Musical.
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