Sophomore Zeke Moses and junior Ani Olsheski perform as Buddy and Jovie in “Elf the Musical Jr.,” during the Saturday matinee Nov. 22. The production, based on the 2003 film “Elf,” ran Nov. 20-22 in the Schottenstein Theater. The musical follows Buddy, a human who is raised as an elf at the North Pole. After realizing he is human, Buddy travels to New York City to find his dad and is faced with his family’s lack of holiday cheer. Alongside Moses and Olsheski, the show starred fifth grader George Derkin and seniors Ayden Downey and Vivienne Frank as Michael, Walter and Emily, Buddy’s family members. The cast included students from fourth through 12th grade. The show was the first time high schoolers have acted in a show that consisted primarily of younger students since the middle school musical “Oliver!” during the theater department’s 2012-13 season.
Published and digitized December 2025.
