Elf plays final performance

The new winter holiday family show, Elf - the musical, plays its final performance on 2 Jan 2011, having played 15 previews and 58 regular performances.

The show opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on 14 Nov 2010, following previews from 2 Nov, for a limited engagement through to 2 Jan 2011.

The show opened on Broadway to mixed reviews: By no means perfect. But it works (newyorktheatreguide.com); Instantly forgettable (NY Times); Old-fashioned entertainment (Newsroom Jersey); Generic, dramatically flat and as predictable as they come" (The Record); This tuner is happy enough for families, savvy enough for city kids and plenty smart for adults. (Variety).

Directed and Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, Elf - the musical stars Sebastian Arcelus (Buddy - the Elf), Tony Award-winner Beth Leavel (Emily), Tony Award-nominee Mark Jacoby (Walter), Matthew Gumley (Michael), Valerie Wright (Deb), Michael McCormick (Mr. Greenway), Michael Mandell (Store Manager), six-time Emmy Award winner George Wendt (Santa) and Amy Spanger (Jovie).

Based on the 2003 New Line Cinema movie which starred Will Ferrell in the title role, Elf - the musical features music by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar ('Music') and Chad Beguelin ('The Wedding Singer'), with a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan ('The Producers,' 'Hairspray') and Bob Martin ('The Drowsy Chaperone').

Elf - the musical tells the tale of 'Buddy,' a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Buddy is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity.

Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and his step-brother doesn't even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. The musical is based on the 2003 New Line Cinema film 'Elf,' which starred Will Ferrell as 'Buddy.'

Scenic design for Elf - the musical is by David Rockwell, costume design is by Gregg Barnes (The Drowsy Chaperone, lighting design is by Natasha Katz and sound design is by Peter Hylenski. The show is produced on Broadway by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures in association with Unique Features.