Photo Flash: First Look at Kendra Kassebaum, Matt Owen and More in 5th Avenue Theatre's ELF!

Buddy the Elf is bringing the North Pole to Seattle this holiday season when ELF – The Musical takes over The 5th Avenue Theatre. Under the direction of Seattle's theatrical superstar Eric Ankrim (in his 5th Avenue directorial debut), Elf will feature Seattle's singing and dancing wunderkind Matt Owen as Buddy, the iconic Christmas groupie, alongside Broadway's Kendra Kassebaum as his true love, Jovie. Owen and Kassebaum are joined by Broadway vet Kim Huber, and Seattle stars Seán G. Griffin, Allen Fitzpatrick, Cynthia Jones, Nick DeSantis, and Jessica Skerritt.  BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast below.

ELF – The Musical plays November 30 – December 31, 2012 with a December 6 opening night at The 5th Avenue Theatre (1308 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101). Tickets, starting at $43.00, may be purchased at www.5thavenue.org, by phone at 206-625-1900, or at the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle.

ELF – The Musical follows the magical tale of Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole. Buddy sets off to the Big City to find his real dad, and through his unwavering devotion to all things Christmas, he rescues his father from the naughty list, finds true love, and saves Santa and the spirit of Christmas. ELF – The Musical boasts a number of catchy new show tunes, including "Sparklejollytinklejingly," "World's Greatest Dad," "Never Fall in Love (With an Elf)," and "Just Sing."

Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka

Santa Claus (Sean G. Griffin) and Buddy (Matt Owen)

Buddy (Matt Owen) and Jovie (Kendra Kassebaum)

Buddy (Matt Owen) and Jovie (Kendra Kassebaum)

Christmastown Elves (Corrina Lapid-Munter and Gabe Corey)

Matt Owen stars as Buddy