Christmas Films Adapted For the Stage

With Elf the Musical returning to Broadway this holiday season, the question arises: just how many iconic Christmas films have been adapted for the stage? Whether you're into a more serious story like It's a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Carol, or something a bit more silly and fun like Elf or How the Grinch Stole Christmas, there is definitely a Christmas movie-turned-musical for everyone who celebrates!

Get into the holiday spirit with us this season and check out some of our favorite Christmas screen-to-stage adaptations below!

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Elf The Musical

Elf the Musical is back on Broadway this holiday season. The stage production is, of course, based on the now-iconic fan-favorite film starring Will Ferrell.

Elf is a 2003 film directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. It stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by Santa's elves, who learns about his origins and heads to New York City to meet his biological father. James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Asner, and Bob Newhart appear in supporting roles.

Elf The Musical features a score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin. The book is adapted by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan from the 2003 film. The musical ran on Broadway in the Christmas seasons of 2010, 2012, and 2024, in the West End in 2015, 2022, and 2023, and has also toured extensively, often during the Christmas holiday season.

Grey Henson is the latest actor to take on the role of Buddy the Elf, which was previously played on Broadway by Sebastian Arcelus and Jordan Gelber, and in the West End by Ben Forster.

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A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story is a 1983 film directed by Bob Clark and based on the 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. The film stars Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, and Peter Billingsley. A Christmas Story follows a young boy and his family's misadventures during Christmas time in the 1940s. Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.

A Christmas Story: The Musical is a stage musical with music and lyrics written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Joseph Robinett. It is based on the 1983 film.

After numerous regional productions, out of town tryouts and national tours, this version of the musical originally officially opened on Broadway in November 2012 at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre for a limited engagement that ran through December. The musical was directed by John Rando with choreography by Warren Carlyle. The cast featured Dan Lauria as Jean Shepherd, John Bolton as The Old Man, Caroline O'Connor as (Miss) Shields, Erin Dilly as Mother, Zac Ballard as Randy, and with Johnny Rabe and Joe West both alternating as lead character Ralphie.

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White Christmas

White Christmas is a 1954 film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. The film features the songs of Irving Berlin, including a new version of the title song, "White Christmas."

The film follows a successful song-and-dance team who become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general.

The musical adaptation of the movie features a book by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The original St. Louis production starred Lara Teeter, Karen Mason, Lauren Kennedy, and Lee Roy Reams, and the 2004 San Francisco production starred Brian D'Arcy James, Anastasia Barzee, Meredith Patterson, and Jeffry Denman.

White Christmas played a limited engagement on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre, which started in previews on November 14, 2008 running through January 4, 2009, and then returned to the Marquis Theatre in a limited engagement running from November 13, 2009  through January 3, 2010. There have bee several subsequent regional and international productions of the musical.

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A Christmas Carol

Although it began as a novella by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol has been adapted into several screen and stage editions. 

The musical version of A Christmas Carol features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and book by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens. The show was presented annually at New York City's Theater at Madison Square Garden from December 1, 1994, to December 27, 2003.

In 2004, the production was adapted for television and produced by Hallmark Entertainment for NBC.  There also have been several London concert productions of the musical.

There was also a play adaptation, by Jack Thorne, which was written for The Old Vic in London where it premiered for the 2017 festive season and has returned every year since due to popular demand. It has also performed on Broadway (where it won 5 Tony Awards), on a US tour and in Melbourne. The Broadway production starred Campbell Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. 

A production of A Christmas Carol starring Jefferson Mays in over 50 roles, also came to Broadway in 2022. The production was directed by the acclaimed, two-time Tony Award nominee Michael Arden, adapted by Mays, Susan Lyons, and Arden, and conceived by Arden and Tony Award nominee Dane Laffrey.  Jefferson Mays' one-man production of A Christmas Carol had its world premiere in 2018 at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse, and then came to Broadway in 2022

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It's a Wonderful Life

Perhaps one of the most iconic holiday stories, It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 film, loosely based on A Christmas Carol. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

It's a Wonderful Life stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his personal dreams in order to help others in his community and whose thoughts of suicide on Christmas Eve bring about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody. Clarence shows George all the lives he touched and what the world would be like if he had not existed.

The 1986 musical adaptatin features a book and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and music by Joe Raposo. The musical was performed initially at the University of Michigan in 1986, and subsequent productions took place in Warsaw, Indiana, at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, and Washington, DC's Arena Stage.

On December 12, 2005, a staged concert version was directed by Carl Andress and choreographed by Denis Jones at the Shubert Theatre in New York City for the benefit of the Actors' Fund of America. The cast included Brian Stokes Mitchell as George Bailey, David Hyde Pierce as guardian angel Clarence, Judy Kuhn as Mary Bailey, Dominic Chianese as Mr. Potter, Karen Ziemba as The MC, Philip Bosco as Joseph, Marian Seldes as Mrs. Hatch, Ronn Carrollas Tom Bailey, Marc Kudisch as Sam Wainwright, Michael Berresse as Harry Bailey, Nancy Anderson as Violet, Chuck Cooperas Uncle Billy, George S. Irving as Mr. Martini, Jayne Houdyshell as Mrs. Martini, and Phylicia Rashad as Millie Bailey. 

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas

There have been two film adaptations of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which is based on the 1957 children's book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. The story takes place on the outskirts of Whoville, whiere a green, revenge-seeking Grinch lives, who plans to ruin Christmas for all of the citizens of the town.

The original film version of the book was an animated television special, which premiered in 1966, directed and co-produced by Chuck Jones. In 2000, a live-action film was released, directed by Ron Howard, who also produced with Brian Grazer, from a screenplay written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. The film stars Jim Carrey in the title role.

First produced in the 1990s, the musical stage adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is  features music by Mel Marvin, with a book and lyrics by Timothy Mason. The Broadway production debuted on November 8, 2006, at the Foxwoods Theatre for the Christmas season and closed on January 7, 2007. 

The musical began a second limited run at the St. James Theatre on November 9, 2007, with Patrick Page returning to the title role and starring John Cullum as Old Max.

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A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz, and features the voices of Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, Kathy Steinberg, Tracy Stratford, and Bill Melendez.

In the special, Charlie Brown finds himself depressed despite the onset of the cheerful holiday season. After Lucy van Pelt suggests he direct a neighborhood Christmas play, his best efforts are ignored and mocked by his peers when he chooses a puny Christmas tree as a centerpiece.

In 2013, Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc. began licensing an official stage version of the television special. The stage adaptation includes an optional sing-along section of Christmas songs at the end. It includes all of Vince Guaraldi's music from the television special and the television script is adapted for the stage by Eric Schaeffer. This production has been performed at several schools, churches and community theatres.