Original Stars Beth Leavel, Mark Jacoby & More Set For Elf's Broadway Return

Tony winner Beth Leavel, Mark Jacoby, Valerie Wright, Adam Heller and Michael Mandell will star in the Broadway return of the musical adaptation of Elf. Leavel, Jacoby, Wright and Mandell will reprise the roles they originated in the 2010 production. Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, Elf features a book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin. The production is set to begin performances November 9 and play a limited engagement through January 6, 2013 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Based on the 2003 film starring Will Ferrell, Elf tells the story of Buddy, a young orphan who accidentally crawls into Santa’s gift bag and is transported back to the North Pole. Buddy, who is raised among Santa’s elves, is unaware that he’s actually human until his increasingly enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his true identity. The production will star Leavel as Emily, Jacoby as Walter, Wright as Deb, Heller as Mr. Greenway and Mandell as Store Manager. Elf originally opened November 14, 2010 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. The production played a nine-week limited engagement, starring Sebastian Arcelus as Buddy and Amy Spanger as Jovie.

Leavel won a Tony for The Drowsy Chaperone. Her additional Broadway credits include Mamma Mia!, Young Frankenstein, 42nd Street, Crazy For You, The Civil War, Showboat and Baby It’s You, for which she earned a Tony nomination. Her film and TV credits include ER, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and The Unusuals.

Jacoby earned a Tony nomination for Showboat, and also appeared on Broadway in Ragtime, The Phantom of the Opera, Grant Hotel, Sweet Charity, Man of La Mancha and Sweeney Todd. His film and TV credits include Law & Order, As the World Turns and Ed.

Wright’s Broadway credits include Song and Dance, Steel Pier, Annie Get Your Gun, Cats, Sally Marr and Her Escorts and Damn Yankees. Her film and TV credits include Sleepless in Seattle and Imaginary Heroes. Heller appeared on Broadway in Baby It’s You, Caroline, or Change, A Class Act, Victor/Victoria and Les Miserables. Her film and TV credits include Law & Order, The Sopranos, Oz and Queens Supreme. Mandell’s Broadway credits include Big River and A Christmas Carol. His film and TV credits include Person of Interest, Glee, Ed, Law & Order: SVU, Ugly Betty and Guiding Light.