photo by: Mike Yoder

Steve Fendt, as Santa Claus, and Spencer Greenwood, as Buddy, perform during rehearsals for "Elf" on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021 at Theatre Lawrence.

Spencer Greenwood spent the tail end of his high school years “all cooped up” because of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s why when Theatre Lawrence opened up auditions for its first two shows of this season — both musicals — he leapt at the chance to try out.

“After two years of sitting around the house, something super physical and full of dancing and movement was just so appealing to me,” says Greenwood, who graduated from Free State High School this year and now studies theater at Johnson County Community College.

His enthusiasm was amply rewarded, as he ended up snagging the lead role in both shows.

In the season opener, “The Ballad of Black Jack,” he played Jay Branson, the musical’s morally upright romantic lead, and in “Elf,” which opens Friday, he plays Buddy Hobbs, an orphan who is raised at the North Pole as an elf.

“Elf,” the musical, is based on the blockbuster 2003 Will Ferrell movie of the same name. The musical and the film have some differences, but the basic plot in both is Buddy’s comical quest — from the North Pole to New York City — for his human father. In Theatre Lawrence’s production, the bumbling father is played by Douglas County Commissioner and theater veteran Patrick Kelly.

photo by: Mike Yoder

The cast of “Elf” is pictured at a dress rehearsal on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, at Theatre Lawrence.

Like most holiday entertainments, both the film and the musical end up saying something about “the true meaning” of Christmas.

Greenwood was especially gleeful about the opportunity to play the “high-energy” Buddy.

“He’s such a fun character to play; he’s super physical,” Greenwood says, and “all his songs are amazing.”

Greenwood is particularly fond of the numbers “Just Like Him” and “Nobody Cares About Santa.”

“One’s a showstopper; the other is just a really fun dance number,” Greenwood says.

One of the differences between the movie and the musical is Buddy’s age. Ferrell’s Buddy was in his 30s in the film. Greenwood says that the script for the musical indicates that the age range for Buddy is 18 to 35, “which I think is really funny.” (It’s also really fortunate for Greenwood, who, at a boyish 19, is eons away from the “too-old” age of 36.)

photo by: Mike Yoder

Buddy, played by Spencer Greenwood, sings and dances with other elves in Santa’s Workshop during a dress rehearsal for “Elf” on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.

The director of “Elf” is Mary Doveton, who is also the executive director of Theatre Lawrence. Like Greenwood, she’s thrilled to be back in the theater for a large, high-energy production. Though Theatre Lawrence had various outdoor shows and other entertainments during the pandemic, “Elf” is the first “real big musical” that it has done since “Matilda” in 2019, Doveton says.

This show has the “whole nine yards,” she says, referring to a cast of dozens, an intricate set and “constant” scene and costume changes.

Doveton particularly touts the work of longtime technical director James Diemer, who is responsible for all the set design and construction, including the challenge of depicting Santa’s sleigh crashing in New York’s Central Park. Without giving too much away, Diemer’s solution involved “ordering enormous car springs,” Doveton says.

While the show is a complex one to stage, Doveton and Greenwood both express admiration for the “simplicity” of the show’s vibe.

“Its strength is it’s just a good time,” Greenwood says. “It’s entertaining. It knows what it is: It’s just a fun family Christmas show.”

“Elf” opens Friday night at Theatre Lawrence, 4660 Bauer Farm Drive, and has shows every weekend through Dec. 19. Select performances will also be available via streaming. For more information and to purchase tickets, see theatrelawrence.com or call the box office at 785-843-7469.

Theatre Lawrence requires proof of vaccination for adults. Children are not required to show proof for “Elf,” but masks are required for everyone.