Article Text

A forgotten childhood wish sends an elf to New York City—and launches three decades of Encore holiday tradition into a milestone celebration.

Chantilly-based Encore Theatrical Arts Project will mark the 30th anniversary of its Christmas musical with “The Christmas Wish,” a Broadway-style production featuring elaborate sets, colorful costumes, music and dance. Performances will be held at Northern Virginia Community College’s Richard Ernst Theatre, 8430 Center Drive in Annandale.

The story follows Daniel, a New York City hotel manager whose demanding career has drained his enthusiasm for Christmas. As a child, Daniel asked Santa for something he never received. Years later, an elf named Felix arrives to fulfill that long-forgotten wish, setting off a series of complications and comic moments.

Centreville High School graduate and Encore alumnus Paige Williams wrote the script, her second consecutive year doing so. Much of the action unfolds in Daniel’s hotel lobby and Santa’s workshop at the North Pole.

Encore founder Raynor van der Merwe said the dancers have rehearsed 20 to 25 hours each week since late July. She described the group as passionate, hardworking high achievers and praised the cast’s dedication.

The production features 26 student performers alongside professional actors Logan Dolence as Daniel and Matty Rafanelli as Felix. Van der Merwe said the guest performers bring exceptional singing voices to a show designed to be joyful, uplifting and entertaining.

Performances are scheduled for noon, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13; noon and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14; 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19; noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20; and noon and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21. Tickets cost $27 to $40, and Girl Scout packages are available through Encore’s website or by calling 703-222-5511.

Alumni return for anniversary celebration

Encore will commemorate its 30th Christmas musical with a reception for alumni and their families at 6:30 p.m. before the Dec. 20 evening performance. Alumni will also reunite onstage to perform the signature number “We Need a Little Christmas.”

For van der Merwe, preparing for the anniversary has meant revisiting old photographs and videos collected for the reception. She said the milestone arrived before she had paused to consider how far Encore had come, leaving her with a deep sense of nostalgia, gratitude and affection for the many people who passed through the company or supported it in its earliest years.

That history also resonates with several graduating dancers whose favorite numbers connect their first and final seasons with Encore.

Chantilly High School senior Nadiya Vandrapu, who has danced with the company for seven years, plays Stephanie, Daniel’s head of staff. Stephanie is trustworthy, patient and hardworking—the one person able to manage Daniel and his temper—but she can also be clumsy, bubbly and outgoing.

Vandrapu said the role gives her room to be creative, particularly through Stephanie’s many costume changes and comic scenes, including one in which she appears as Frosty the Snowman.

Her favorite number is “Curtain Tap,” an Encore classic performed behind a closed curtain so the audience sees only the dancers’ feet. They wear fuzzy slippers modeled after animals and cartoon characters; Vandrapu performs in Elmo slippers. The number appeared during her first year with Encore, making its return for her final season especially meaningful.

She said the show offers singing, acting and dancing for children and adults, with parents likely to appreciate the dancers’ professional-level technique.

Hotel workers, elves and holiday spectacle

Clarissa Yeager, who has danced for 12 years and spent six of them with Encore, portrays Jessica, a hotel employee who is passionate about her work but also forgetful and fond of jokes. Yeager said Jessica’s interactions with Daniel help reveal his personality while giving her many options for shaping the character.

Yeager also performs as the hotel doorman in “Let Yourself Go,” an upbeat, old-fashioned musical number featuring the doorman and maids. Her costume includes a top hat, red jacket and black pants with a red stripe down each leg.

She said the production creates a magical Christmas world and compared its dancers to the “Virginia Rockettes.” After once watching the show and wishing she could be part of it, Yeager now hopes to give audiences the same excitement she experienced.

Chantilly High senior Claire Youk plays Chilly the Elf, the no-nonsense head of North Pole security. Chilly is Felix’s best friend, although their relationship resembles that of siblings. When Felix leaves the North Pole to grant the adult Daniel’s childhood wish, Chilly initially covers for him before traveling to New York to bring him back.

Youk, who began dancing at age 6 when she joined Encore, enjoys portraying Chilly’s irritation and seriousness because those emotions differ from the happiness she usually projects while dancing.

Her favorite song, “Once-A-Year Day,” puts the elves at the center of a hectic workshop scene filled with props, tricks, flips and falls. The dancers wear multicolored costumes used only for that number, requiring them to stay alert throughout its complicated choreography.

Youk said the annual production stands apart because its plot changes each year while highly trained student dancers deliver a large-scale holiday show. Its density of action and detail, she added, allows repeat viewers to notice something new each time.

Chantilly senior Adeline Raines portrays Annie the Elf, a friendly and curious character who remains composed when an alarm sounds at the North Pole. Raines said Annie’s outspoken personality is a welcome change after she played a shy character the previous year.

Raines has danced since age 3 and joined Encore at 7. Her favorite part of the production is its 12-minute finale, which combines jazz, tap and ballet with several costume changes. Encore performed the same finale during her first year in the company, bringing her experience full circle.

She said the demanding rehearsal schedule is made enjoyable by the dancers’ camaraderie and excitement about appearing together. Audiences can also expect reindeer costumes, a humorous story and a holiday production that differs from more familiar seasonal shows.

For the cast and Encore’s returning alumni, “The Christmas Wish” is more than another annual performance. It is a celebration of 30 years of dancers, elaborate productions and the community that helped sustain the company from its beginning.