Show History

History

Inspiration

The Happy Elf is a holiday musical with book by Andrew Fishman and a score by jazz singer/songwriter, Harry Connick, Jr. It is a direct adaptation of the holiday special of the same name, which aired in 2005 and tells the story of a lovable elf who tries to bring Christmas joy to an entire town of naughty children. The special itself was expanded from one song from Connick's 2003 holiday album, Harry for the Holidays.

The creators of the original holiday special, "The Happy Elf," had the desire to bring the story to the stage. Screenwriter, Andrew Fishman, retooled and expanded the book, while composer Harry Connick, Jr., wrote five new additional songs.

Productions

The Happy Elf premiered at the Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 13, 2007. The Adventure Theatre at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland, then produced a full workshop in a run from November 12, to November 28, 2010. Composer Harry Connick, Jr., then spent the next couple of years reworking the musical. On December 1, 2012, a version ready for publication played at the Charles Brown Ice House in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple in Scranton, Pennsylvania, produced the final illustrative staging before the musical's official publication.

Trivia

• The Rockville, Maryland, production of The Happy Elf featured a performance from Broadway actor, Michael Rupert.