ELF IN CONCERT National Tour Hits The Road This Month On The Heels Of The Film's 20th Anniversary

As fans celebrate the 20th anniversary of Elf’s release today, CineConcerts and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment are putting the finishing touches on the special holiday event,  Elf in Concert.

The national tour kicks off November 17 in San Jose at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts before heading to more than 30 cities worldwide to entertain audiences and spread Christmas cheer. Elf in Concert extends today’s 20th anniversary celebration into the holiday season as local orchestras perform John Debney’s heartwarming score live to picture, projected onto a 40-foot movie screen.

Elf in Concert’s magical journey across the country will include performances at iconic venues such as the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago on November 25th, the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on December 17th and a festive grand finale at McCaw Hall in Seattle on December 29th. For the complete performance schedule, location details, and to sign up for on-sale notifications in your area, visit the official website. 

Elf is consistently ranked among the top holiday movies. Debney, who has worked on some of the most successful films of all time including The Passion of the Christ, Iron Man 2, The Jungle Book, and Hocus Pocus, expresses his enthusiasm:

“It’s hard to believe it’s already the 20th anniversary for the release of ‘Elf,' a film that has secured its place in history as a modern holiday classic. Composing the score for this iconic film is one of my career highlights and both the music and movie bring an enduring delight to audiences. It is an extraordinary honor to work with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and CineConcerts to bring the Elf in Concert experience to concert halls around the globe."

Elf follows the charming yet unconventional Buddy the Elf, who, having been accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler, was raised among Santa’s elves. As an adult, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York IN SEARCH OF his real father, wearing his full elf clothing.

Watch the trailer here:

Elf In Concert Tour Dates

November 17, 2023	Oklahoma City (US)	Civic Center Music Hall*
November 24, 2023	Syracuse (US)	Landmark Theatre
November 24-26, 2023	Milwaukee (US)	Bradley Symphony Center
November 24, 2023	Edmonton (Canada)	Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium*
November 24-25, 2023	Charlotte (US)	Ovens Auditorium
November 25, 2023	Chicago (US)	Auditorium Theatre
November 26, 2023	Rosemont (US)	Rosemont Theatre
December 1-2, 2023	Grand Rapids (US)	DeVos Performance Hall
December 1-2, 2023	Visalia (US)	Visalia Fox Theatre
December 1, 2023	Richmond (US)	Altria Theater
December 1, 2023	San Antonio (US)	Majestic Theatre*
December 2, 2023	Calgary (Canada)	Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium*
December 8, 2023	Norfolk (US)	Chrysler Hall*
December 8, 2023	Winnipeg (Canada)	Centennial Concert Hall*
December 9, 2023	Columbus (US)*	Palace Theatre
December 9, 2023	London (UK)*	Royal Albert Hall
December 15, 2023	Greensboro (US)*	Steven Tanger Center for Performing Arts
December 15, 2023	Charleston (US)*	North Charleston PAC
December 15, 2023	Sugar Land (US)	Smart Financial Centre
December 17, 2023	Los Angeles+ (US)	Peacock Theater
December 19-20, 2023	Cleveland (US)	Severance Music Center - Morton Mandel Concert Hall
December 21-22, 2023	Vancouver (Canada)	Orpheum Theatre
December 22-23, 2023	Denver (US)	Boettcher Concert Hall
December 22-23, 2023	Detroit (US)	Detroit Orchestra Hall
December 22, 2023	Boston (US)*	Boch Center Wang Center
December 22, 2023	Hartford (US)*	Bushnell-Mortensen Hall
December 22, 2023	New Orleans (US)*	Saenger Theatre
December 22-23, 2023	Philadelphia (US)	Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts – Verizon Hall
December 29, 2023	Seattle (US)*	Marion Oliver McCaw Hall

+composer John Debney conducting

*2 shows

About John Debney

John Debney’s career seemed destined for Hollywood, THE SON of Disney Studios producer Louis Debney, John grew up in nearby Glendale, California where he got early inspiration for film and music growing up on the Disney Studio lot. The child of two musicians, John showed an early aptitude for music and began guitar lessons at age six, later playing in rock bands throughout college.

Debney earned his B.A. in Music Composition from California Institute of the Arts in 1979, and after four years immersing himself in the business at Disney Studios, Debney made a professional entry into the industry, composing for TV, working with Steven Spielberg and Mike Post on shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tiny Tunes, and Sea Quest DSV. Debney continued his hands-on training, working with Hanna-Barbera composer Hoyt Curtin, and went on to score major television projects such as which he won an Emmy for Best Main Title.

Debney’s first big film break came in 1997 with an offer to work on Liar Liar with director Tom Shadyac. With the success of this blockbuster comedy under his belt, Debney went on to work on a variety of different major films including Elf, Iron Man 2, Spy Kids (1 & 2), and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Debney and Shadyac continued to collaborate, going on to do Bruce Almighty in 2003 and the spinoff Evan Almighty together. In 2005, Debney formed a successful partnership with director Robert Rodriguez, creating scores for his movies Sin City and Machete.

Although Debney was widely known within the industry as a versatile and talented composer, the world wouldn’t discover him until he composed the landmark score for Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ.

Enticed by the idea of working on a project that held deep, spiritual meaning for him, Debney’s score, which blended symphonic orchestra, a wide range of world instruments, and the beauty of the human voice, connected on an emotional level with viewers and listeners, and rose to #1 on Billboard’s charts for Soundtrack and Christian Albums, and #19 on the Billboard Top 200. The record was certified gold by the RIAA and won the Dove award for Best Instrumental Album, as well as garnering Debney an Oscar nomination.

Shortly after the movie release, Debney premiered “The Passion of the Christ Symphony” in Rome, Italy, a highly successful performance featuring an 83-person choir and a 96-piece orchestra, plus solo musicians and guest vocalists from both the film and the classical worlds, which received a 15-minute standing ovation from the audience.

In the tradition of classical composers, John Debney enjoys conducting his own work and has conducted some of the world’s greatest orchestras. “A big part of the joy in what I do is that I consider it an honor to stand in front of live musicians and have the opportunity to hear my music played by these talented people.”

Debney’s most commercially successful work to date is Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau, released in 2016. Debney credits the success of the movie to the fact that both the film and the score, “Embraced the history” of the original. Long-time collaborator, Jon Favreau and John Debney have worked on a variety of films together including Elf, Zathura, Iron Man 2, and The Jungle Book.

Among John Debney’s other most recent works are scores for Draft Day, Stoneheart Asylum and HISTORY’s Emmy-nominated Hatfields & McCoys as well as the HISTORY’s most recent mini-series Houdini, and A&E mini-series Bonnie & Clyde.

Considered one of the most prolific and successful composers in Hollywood, Debney has won 3 Emmy’s and been nominated for 7, he is also an Academy Award nominee, and the youngest recipient of ASCAP’s prestigious Henry Mancini Lifetime Achievement Award.

“If I’m doing my job well,” says Debney, “I need to feel it. I really try to make sure that whatever I’m doing— even if it’s a comedy—that I’m feeling it and feeling either humor or the pathos or the dramatic impact of what I’m seeing. That’s the way I approach it.”

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