Milwaukee's First Stage Presents Harry Connick, Jr.'s THE HAPPY ELF 11/28-12/24

Grammy Award and Emmy Award winner and two-time Tony Award nominee Harry Connick, Jr. debuts a new production of his holiday musical, The Happy Elf starting today, November 28th at Milwaukee's Todd Wehr Theater.

Performances run November 28 - December 24, 2008, with Music and lyrics by Harry Connick, Jr. Book by Andrew Fishman. The production is directed by John Rando.

Press notes describe the festive family musical as "there's no such thing as an unhappy elf, so when Eubie finds himself in Bluesville, his elf-ness is put to the test as he is determined to make the naughty town smile in time for Christmas. Eubie's enthusiasm will not be denied as he embarks on his quest to raise a Christmas Tree in the Town Square".

Andrew Fishman has reworked the book for stage, with music and lyrics by Harry Connick Jr. who has added five new songs for the musical, for example "That Magic Hat". The show premiered at Coterie Theatre at Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri on November 13, 2007 to generally good reviews.

The Happy Elf was originally a 3D-animated family holiday special, which first aired December 2, 2005 on the NBC television network in the USA. It has found new life as a top selling family Holiday DVD.

The Happy Elf began as a song on Connick's best-selling 2003 CD 'Harry for the Holidays.'

Harry Connick, Jr. Following a sold-out concert series at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in 1990 and a Tony nomination for his music and lyrics in Thou Shalt Not, Harry Connick, Jr. triumphantly returned to Broadway in 2006 in The Pajama Game, and received a Tony Award nomination for his theatrical stage debut. Raised in New Orleans, Connick first performed publicly at age five, appeared on his first jazz recording at age ten and released his self-titled major-label debut on Columbia Records at 19. Film credits include P.S. I Love You, Bug, Memphis Belle, Little Man Tate, Copycat, Independence Day, Hope Floats, My Dog Skip and the upcoming Chilled in Miami opposite Renee Zellweger. Connick has contributed music to several films including When Harry Met Sally (leading to his first multiplatinum album), The Godfather III and Sleepless in Seattle. Television credits include "When My Heart Finds Christmas" (CBS) and "Harry for the Holidays" (NBC); two Great Performances (PBS) specials: "Swingin' Out Live" and "Harry Connick, Jr.: Only You in Concert" (2004 Emmy Award); "The Happy Elf" (NBC); "South Pacific" (ABC); and "Will & Grace" (NBC, recurring role of Dr. Leo Markus). Connick has more than 25 million in album sales (When Harry Met Sally, We are In Love, To See You, Come By Me, Only You), three Grammy Awards and an Emmy Award.

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna

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