The touring productions feature direction by Sam Scalamoni and choreography by Connor Gallagher.
Elf has a score by Wedding Singer songwriters Matthew Sklar (music) and Chad Beguelin (lyrics) and a book by Tony Award winners Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Thomas Meehan (Annie, Hairspray, The Producers). A cast album preserves the original Broadway production.
Two separate companies take the road, playing different tour routes and venues this season. Matt Kopec plays Buddy the Elf in the non-Equity company that begins Nov. 5. Will Blum, a veteran of Broadway's Book of Mormon, stars as Buddy in the Equity tour, which will begin Nov. 9 in Owensboro, KY.
Joining Kopec are Tyler Altomari (Michael), Jane Bruce (Emily), Jacqueline Grabois (Deb), Gordon Gray (Santa), Kate Hennies (Jovie), Kevin Rockower (Mr. Greenway), Matthew Alan Smith (Walter) and Clyde Voce (Store Manager).
Ensemble members include Austin Brannan, LilyAnn Carlson, Mara Gabrielle, Timothy Grady, Dan Higgins, Caitlin Leary, Ryan Patrick Lingle, Nick Lorenzini, Kyle McIntire, Elyse Niederee, Jacqueline Nuzzo, Lauren Palmeri, Christopher Timson, Amy Van Norstrand and Tanner Wilson. Tour stops follow:
Nov. 5-6 Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center
Nov. 12-13 Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall
Nov. 16-17 Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
Nov. 19-21 Waterbury, CT – Palace Theater
Nov. 22-24 Baltimore, MD – Lyric Opera House
Nov. 26 – Dec. 1 Pittsburgh, PA – Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
Dec. 3-15 Detroit, MI – Detroit Opera House
Dec. 17-29 St. Louis, MO – Fabulous Fox Theatre
Dec. 31, 2013–Jan. 5, 2014 Miami, FL – Adrienne Arsht Center
The union tour, starring Blum, also features Larry Cahn (Walter), Lindsay Nicole Chambers (Jovie), Lanene Charters (Deb), Ken Clement (Santa), Larent Giroux (Mr. Greenway), Julia Louise Hosack (Emily), Noah Marlowe (Michael) and Kevyn Morrow (Store Manager).
The ensemble includes Jen Bechter, Darren Biggart, Giovanni Bonaventura, Erick Buckley, Elizabeth Burton, Audrey Cardwell, Drew Franklin, George Franklin, Karen Hyland, Paul Ianniello, Eric Anthony Johnson, Chandon Jones, Drew King, Julie Kotarides, Andrew Kruep and Emily Larger.
Tour stops follow:
Nov. 9 Owensboro, KY – RiverPark Center
Nov. 12-17 Raleigh, NC – Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Nov. 19-24 Omaha, NE – Orpheum Theater
Nov. 26 – Dec. 15 Chicago, IL – Cadillac Palace Theatre
Dec. 17, 2013– Jan. 5, 2014 Washington, DC – Kennedy Center
According to producers, "Elf is the hilarious 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. This modern day Christmas classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner Elf."
Visit elfthemusicalontour.com.
