This weekend, a cast of 23 actors will bring the modern holiday classic “Elf The Musical” to life on the renovated Julie Harris Theater stage at Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp.

“I love this movie, and so does the whole world,” said Steamboat Springs High School senior Sophie Cowman, who is playing the part of Jovie in the community production of the 2003 film. “I feel like it brings a lot of joy during the holidays, and it has been fun because this is my first time being in a show with other community members. It’s not just the high school or kids in my age.”

“This is a combination of our academy students, the Players at Perry-Mansfield and just people in the community,” said Joe Haines, Perry-Mansfield executive director. “We opened it up because this is such a big production, and we wanted to open it up so that the whole community could take part.”

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Director Marje Tracy said the cast ranges in age from 8 to 65.

The musical production, based on the 2003 movie, follows the journey of Buddy the Elf, a human raised by Santa’s elves, who heads to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter, after Buddy learns that he is not truly an elf.

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Haines said this is the first project of this size that Perry-Mansfield has ever done outside of its well-known summer camps. He said the show is a chance to show off the recently renovated Julie Harris Theater on the campus at 40755 Routt County Road 36. The show, which sold out two weeks ago, features performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There is currently a wait list at Perry-Mansfield.

Cowman said it was fun doing a production outside of the high school and getting to work with community members of all ages.

“It’s fun and different,” Cowman said. “There are just more people, different ages and more talent — it’s fun because you get to see people from our community performing and having fun.”

One of those people is retired attorney Steve Jensen, who last acted 30 years ago before stepping out of the spotlight.

“I used to play with a group called the Impossible Players before life got in the way,” said Jensen, who will play Santa and other various parts in the production. “Marriage, children and work — I was a district attorney for 35 years on the Front Range before I retired, so this is much more fun and relaxing.”

Benjamin Kiser, a member of the Players at Perry-Mansfield, will play the part of Walter, Buddy the Elf’s father. He was involved in theater in high school and college.

“I went off to Los Angles, studied there and didn’t like Hollywood, came back here about eight years ago, got back into theater, working with the Chief Players, and now the Players at Perry-Mansfield,” Kiser said. “This probably is the most ambitious project I’ve seen come to fruition since I’ve been here. It’s great with the kids, with the music and the different age ranges. It’s a fun show.”

In the role of Buddy is SSHS senior Rowan Tolstedt, who has been in theater productions for the past three years and is eager to work with different people and have the chance to play a starring role.

“It is definitely a different scene from our normal high school productions,” Tolstedt said. “It was really nice to sort of get in here and I guess get a taste of what I can do in the future. This is leading me to go more into pursuing this for the rest of my career, at least for college, and to see what it might be like.”

Haines was excited as he watched the production team and the actors prepare for this weekend’s performances. As for other upcoming shows, Haines said that the Players at Perry-Mansfield are hoping to be back on the stage in March and that the Academy at Perry-Mansfield will do a production this spring.