Local Students Appear in ELF THE MUSICAL at Fox Cities P.A.C., Now thru 11/18

Students from Lawrence Academy of Music will have a chance to appear alongside Broadway performers in Elf The Musical at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center today, November 13-18. The young performers between the ages of 5 and 12 will include Nora Austin, Pippa Austin, Gavin Burkheimer, Eleanora Dane, Izzy Dane, Roseanna Dane, Nathaniel James, August McLaughlin, Sylvia Polansky, Will Scheffler, Maura Tarnowski and Annika Urness.

Tickets for Elf The Musical start at $54. Tickets may be purchased at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center’s ticket office and online at foxcitiespac.com. To charge tickets by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787. Orders for groups of 10 or more may be placed by calling (920) 730-3786. Group discounts and additional fees may apply.

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. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s 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, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern day Christmas classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner Elf.

Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit, Elf features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers and Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone). The production will feature direction by Sam Scalamoni and choreography by Connor Gallagher.

The cast features Matt Kopec (Buddy), Connor Barth (Michael), Jen Bechter (Deb), Gordon Gray (Santa), Kate Hennies (Jovie), Julia Louise Hosack (Emily), Royce McIntosh (Mr. Greenway), Drew Pulver (Walter) and Clyde Voce (Manager).

The cast also features Elizabeth Burton, Robyn DeGuzman, Ian Frazier, Mary Gabrielle, Paul Ianniello, ChanDon Jones, Drew King, Emily Catherine Larger, Nick Lorenzini, Lauren Palmeri, Shaun Repetto, Angelica Richie, Jack Robbins, Ben Russell-Lynch and Dennis Setteducati.

The New York Times says that Elf is, “A splashy, peppy, sugar-sprinkled holiday entertainment!” USA Today calls Elf, “Endearingly goofy!” Variety proclaims, “Elf is happy enough for families, savvy enough for city kids and plenty smart for adults!” Additional information about Elf is available at ElftheMusicalOnTour.com.

Ticket holders are invited to wear their jolliest (i.e. ugliest) holiday sweater to the Tuesday, November 13 performance of Elf The Musical for a special preshow party hosted by 95.9 KISS FM. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres from Famous Dave’s and capture the moment with an Elf photo station. Attendees may enter the ugly sweater contest for a chance to pick a white elephant gift, one of which includes a $200 gift certificate to the Fox River Mall. This event is FREE for Tuesday, November 13 ticket holders for Elf The Musical. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. in the Kimberly-Clark Theater.

The Wednesday, November 14 performance of Elf The Musical will be a special Family Night event. While supplies last, adults may purchase one ticket and receive a kid’s ticket free through the Center’s ticket office only. The Family Night offer applies to children 14 years and younger and is not valid on previously purchased tickets. For more information on tickets and Family Night activities, visit foxcitiespac.com.

The performance schedule for Elf The Musical is Tuesday - Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 11:00 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The Fox Cities P.A.C. is located at 400 West College Avenue, Appleton, WI.

Since 1995, NETworks has produced and managed over 45 touring productions in the U.S., U.K. and internationally. Current Productions include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Billy Elliot The Musical, Blue Man Group national tour, Elf The Musical, Flashdance the Musical, La Cage Aux Folles, The New 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, Shrek The Musical and National Theatre of Great Britain’s production of War Horse touring the U.S.

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures is the live stage play division of Warner Bros. Entertainment responsible for developing and producing world-class musicals and other stage productions for the studio. It has numerous productions in various stages of development, including co-productions with award-winning Broadway and film producers. WBTV’s Elf The Musical is back on Broadway this year after a record-breaking run at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre during the 2010-2011 holiday season. In June 2013, the division will premiere the highly anticipated musical adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with Sam Mendes directing, in London. WBTV also licenses third-party stage rights to the various properties held within the Studio’s vast media library, including such recent stage productions as Light in the Piazza, The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, The Color Purple and 42nd Street as well as the upcoming Diner and Bridges of Madison County. WBTV’s parent company, Warner Bros. Entertainment, a Time Warner Company, is a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company and a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of creative content and their related businesses, across all current and emerging media and platforms. The company stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, TV and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD and Blu-ray, digital distribution, animation, comic books, licensing and broadcasting.

Unique Features is an independent company that was launched in 2008 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne, who together built New Line Cinema into an industry powerhouse. The company is currently developing and producing several film and television projects, including “The Mortal Instruments” with Constantin Film, starting production this month with director Harald Zwart; an animated adaptation of Paul McCartney’s illustrated book “High in the Clouds” to be directed by Rob Minkoff, written by Josh Klausner with original music by McCartney; “Sailing to Byzantium,” based on the award-winning novella by Robert Silverberg; and “French Lessons,” based on the successful novel written by Ellen Sussman. In television, the company is developing an original television series with Bennett Miller and Kristen Gore, and developing the reality series “Dude, That’s My Sister” for MTV with Bunim-Murray.

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people – nearly a quarter of the world’s population – trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company’s 139-year history of innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com.

Broadway Across America, part of the Key Brand Entertainment family of companies which includes Broadway.com, is owned and operated by British theater producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (chairman). Broadway Across America presents first-class touring musicals and plays across 40 North American cities and, under the supervision of Beth Williams (CEO – Theater Division), is dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse theater. Current and upcoming Broadway productions include Chaplin; Hands on a Hardbody; and the U.S. tour production of Million Dollar Quartet. Broadway.com is the premier theater website for news, exclusive content and ticket sales. For more information, visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in downtown Appleton, provides a premier venue for live performing arts. Since 2002, the Center has proudly served as a gathering place for the community to engage in educational opportunities while enhancing a greater understanding and appreciation of the live performing arts. The 2012/13 Season marks the Center’s 10th Anniversary. For more information on upcoming performances, programs and 10th Anniversary celebrations, visit foxcitiespac.com. The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center – Where the Arts Come Alive!