Kids and families across the Chippewa Valley had some early holiday cheer with The Eau Claire Children’s Theatre’s production of Elf: The Musical. The Pablo Center was packed with those eager to join Buddy the Elf on his journey to discover his true identity. The Memorial High School Theater Department tapped into its inner-child by presenting Shrek: The Musical in November. Fans of the original Shrek movie were delighted with the school’s production about the green ogre’s quest to save a princess. And ECCT delivered another family favorite in the spring with the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, one of the troupe’s most-attended shows and the perfect way to ring in its 30th year. – Caitlin Boyle