‘Tis the season to be jolly. Theater Cedar Rapids is getting into the Christmas spirit with their production of “Elf the Musical.” Xavier sophomore Lucas Lowder is taking the stage as part of the ensemble.

Lowder has had a passion for performing since he was young. This is his eighth show with TCR.

“I really love it when you walk on stage and all 500 people in the audience are cheering after you perform something that you have been working on for months,” Lowder said.

Rehearsals for this production started mid-September. They usually take place Monday through Friday from 7 to 10 p.m.

“Balancing rehearsals and school is actually pretty easy, but you have to make use of every time that you have in and out of school in order to complete your homework, as you don’t have time to do it during rehearsal,” Lowder said.

While performing, nerves are not an issue for Lowder.

“I’m always really excited about the first show, and once you get past that, you just get used to it,” Lowder said. “I really love the feeling that you get when you know that everyone in the audience is cheering for you. It really is an experience that I will never forget for the rest of my life.”

Another aspect Lowder enjoys about theater is meeting new people.

“You spend a lot of time with the people in the show, and you make a lot of really good friends of all different ages and from different places that you would never meet if you were not a part of the show,” Lowder said.

In this production, Lowder is working with director Joseph Link for the first time.

“[Lowder is] polite, dedicated, and earnest. He was a joy to work with and is always ready for the next challenge,” Link said.

“Elf the Musical” is Link’s first directorial project for TCR.

“Elf the Musical” is showing at TCR from November 23 to December 16.