Academy Award nominee and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning actor Sean Astin will make his Broadway debut this holiday season as Santa, in Elf The Musical.
An acclaimed actor, director and pop culture icon, Astin’s career has spanned four decades with such internationally-beloved roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Doug Whitmore in 50 First Dates, and Bob Newby in "Stranger Things." He adds to this list of legendary characters with yet another iconic role, when he makes his Broadway debut as Santa in Elf The Musical, opposite the previously announced Tony Award nominee Grey Henson (Mean Girls, Shucked) as Buddy the Elf.
Elf The Musical returns to Broadway for the first time in over a decade, following two hugely successful, record-breaking seasons in London’s West End. Previews begin Saturday, November 9, 2024 at The Marquis Theatre, with an official Opening Night of Sunday, November 17, 2024, for the limited engagement through Saturday, January 4, 2025.
Elf The Musical features a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone, Smash, Boop! The Musical), with songs by Tony nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Prom, The Wedding Singer). The musical returns to Broadway in an acclaimed production directed by Philip Wm. McKinley (The Boy From Oz, Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark) and choreographed by Olivier and Drama Desk nominee Liam Steel (Company). First staged at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End, this production became the venue’s fastest-selling show in nearly a century and became a firm holiday favorite for London audiences, breaking its own box office records during last year’s run.
Elf The Musical is the hilarious and heartwarming tale of Buddy, a young orphan child whose life is changed forever when he mistakenly crawls into Santa’s sack of toys one Christmas Eve. Raised by elves in the North Pole, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities make him realize he doesn’t quite fit in. When he discovers he is human, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and, in turn, helps the Big Apple rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. Hailed by Time Out as “a slickly irresistible and fizzily enjoyable confection of a show” that will “whirl you up in a technicolor dream of Christmas,” this modern-day holiday classic returns home to New York in an acclaimed West End production that “has the magic to send you out of the theatre smiling and singing” (The Times of London).
The hit holiday musical is based on the beloved New Line Cinema film of the same name starring Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel and James Caan. Released in 2003, the movie grossed over $250 million dollars globally and has gone on to become a worldwide perennial favorite for families to watch over the holiday period.
The Broadway production will feature Set and Costume Design by multi-Olivier Award winner Tim Goodchild (Strangers on a Train, We Will Rock You, numerous productions at Royal Shakespeare Company), Lighting Design by Patrick Woodroffe (Bat Out of Hell, Mamma Mia! The Party), Sound Design by Tony Award winner Gareth Owen (MJ the Musical, Hell’s Kitchen), Video Design by Ian William Galloway (The Audience, The Light Princess), and Hair and Wig Design by Sam Cox (Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club). Orchestrations are by Doug Besterman, Dance Arrangements are by David Chase,Vocal Arrangements are by Phil Reno, and this production will feature Music Supervision by Olivier Award winner Alan Williams (Sunset Boulevard), with Music Direction by Nate Patten. Casting is by Rachel Hoffman/The Telsey Office.
Elf The Musical is produced on Broadway by Temple Live Entertainment North America andCrossroads Live North America. General Management is by Wagner Johnson Productions. Mark Kaufman serves as Creative Consultant for Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.
Tickets are on sale now at www.ElfonBroadway.com and Broadway Direct. Groups of 10+ can call Broadway Direct at 212-840-3890. The regular performance schedule is Tuesday-Friday at 7pm, Saturday and Sunday 1pm & 7pm. Preview Performance & Holiday Schedules vary. Check the website for most up-to-date schedule.