Actor Clyde Voce has the Christmas spirit 365 days a year thanks to his role as the store manager in “Elf the Musical.”
“Elf is a family show and the holidays are a great time for families. It’s about giving of yourself and giving of your spirit,” said Voce who has performed in the musical since 2012. “I’ve performed on Broadway twice and I see ‘Elf the Musical’ becoming a classic.”
Voce who resides in the Big Apple prepared for his role as the crotchety R.H. Macy’s store manager by drawing upon his former days as a restaurant worker and as a real-life store manager.
“I was a store manager once before and the store manager works real hard in life so I took my cues from that and I also watched ‘Elf’ the movie that starred Will Farrell a few years ago, but I wanted to bring my own spin to the role,” he said.
“Elf the Musical” graced the Benedum Center Stage through December 1 as part of PNC Broadway Across America Pittsburgh series.
It brings to life the humorous and heart-string-pulling tale of Buddy, an orphaned baby—his mother died in childbirth and never told Buddy’s father about him—who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of toys and is raised by Santa’s elves. As a result, Buddy believes he is an elf.
After realizing Buddy’s terrible ability to make toys, the elves reveal to Buddy that he is a human. With Santa’s permission, Buddy travels to New York in search of his father.
Buddy finds a workaholic father who doesn’t believe in Santa. Buddy’s constant Christmas cheer and life story helps his father believe in the wonder of Christmas and gives Buddy the family he wanted.
“This show is important to everyone because it’s about bringing out your inner joy,” said Voce who was born and raised in West Palm Beach, Fla. and earned his Musical Theater degree from the University of Miami. “People can expect to laugh and they will leave the theater singing the songs. It will definitely get you in the spirit of Christmas.”
Prior to joining the national tour of “Elf the Musical,” Voce performed in “Love Lies” opposite actress Elise Neal and singer Angie Stone. He also played Schroeder in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” Trutone in “Dreamgirls,” “Barnstormer” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Voce can also be seen on the web series “Molly’s Mall,” and “Celebrity Ghost Stories”on the bio channel.
“I’ve been working steadily and I’ve learned that the work never stops. You’re never done. There’s always something you can work towards,” said Voce who will traveled to Detroit, St. Louis and Miami with “Elf the Musical” after his time in Pittsburgh.
