Creative

Creative Team

THOMAS MEEHAN, 1929–2017 (Book) won the 2003 Tony® Award for co-writing the book for Hairspray after having won the 2001 Tony® Award for co-writing the book of The Producers. He received his first Tony® Award in 1977 for writing the book of Annie, which was his first Broadway show, and also wrote books for the musicals I Remember Mama, Ain’t Broadway Grand, Annie Warbucks and the American version of Bombay Dreams. His most recent works include Annie, Chaplin, Elf The Musical, Young Frankenstein, which he co-wrote the book with Mel Brooks, and Cry-Baby, co-written with Mark O’Donnell.  He holds the distinction of being the only writer to have written three Broadway shows that ran more than 2,000 performances.

BOB MARTIN (Book). The Drowsy Chaperone (Book, “Man in Chair”), Tony® Award, Drama Desk Award, Theatre World Award, NY Drama Critics’ Circle Award. Selected regional: The Drowsy Chaperone (L.A., Toronto, London), L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Award, L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award, Olivier nomination; Minsky’s (Book, L.A.); Second City Toronto (performer 1994-2000, artistic director 2003-2004). Selected television writing. Canada: “Slings and Arrows” (writer, creative producer), “Michael, Tuesdays and Thursday” (writer, actor), “Made in Canada,” “Twitch City.”

MATTHEW SKLAR (Music) is a Tony®, Emmy®, and Drama Desk Award-nominated composer. His works include the Broadway musicals Elf and The Wedding Singer (Tony Award Nomination for Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Music). He also wrote the music for The Rhythm Club (Signature Theatre), Judas & Me, and Wicked City (American Stage Company). Matthew received a 2015 Primetime Emmy® Award Nomination for Outstanding Music Direction for the critically-acclaimed NBC stop-motion animated TV special “Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas”, starring Jim Parsons. He adapted and arranged the music of Marvin Hamlisch for the Emmy Award-winning documentary film Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love, seen on PBS/American Masters. Matthew has contributed original songs/music to Sesame Street, Wonder Pets!, and the NBC Broadcast of The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. His music has been performed by major orchestras, including the Atlanta, Baltimore, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras. As an 18-year-old freshman at New York University, Matthew began playing keyboards for the Broadway production of Les Miserables, eventually conducting the show at 21. He has also been a keyboardist, conductor, and/or arranger for many Broadway productions including Shrek, Caroline, or Change, Nine, Oklahoma, 42nd Street, Putting It Together, Annie Get Your Gun, On the Town, Titanic, Guys and Dolls, Sunset Boulevard, and Miss Saigon. Matthew also appeared onstage as “Oscar” in the Broadway revival of 42nd Street. Awards include the ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, the Gilman/Gonzalez-Falla Theatre Award, and the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award. Matthew is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild, ASCAP, and the American Federation of Musicians, Local 802. His music is published by Warner/Chappell Music. Matthew was educated at The Juilliard School of Music (Pre-College Division), the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and New York University.

CHAD BEGUELIN (Lyrics) is a four-time Tony® nominee. His works include Disney’s Aladdin (Tony Award nomination for Best Book and Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award Nomination for Best Book and Outstanding Lyrics) and The Wedding Singer (Tony Award nomination for Best Book and Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Lyrics). His play Harbor premiered Off-Broadway at Primary Stages. Chad also wrote the book and lyrics for Judas & Me (NYMF Award for Excellence in Lyric Writing), The Rhythm Club (Signature Theater) and Wicked City (American Stage Company). He is the recipient of the Edward Kleban Award for Outstanding Lyric Writing, the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Awards, the Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Musical Theater Award and the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award. Chad is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Dramatic Writing Program. He currently lives in New York with his husband Tom and their Yorkshire Terrier, Bailey.

SAM SCALAMONI (Director). Sam is proud to be the director of the critically acclaimed National Tours of Elf the Musical which celebrates its 12th and 13th companies in 2018 with two tours crossing the U.S., following successful runs at The Kennedy Center and The Theatre at Madison Square Garden! Currently in development is a new musical, A Thousand Faces, based on the life of film legend Lon Chaney, Unbelievable, based on baseball legend Jackie Mitchell and a stage adaptation of the MGM musical Summer Stock. Also in 2018, Sam will direct the premiere national tour of the new holiday musical Noel with book by best selling author of the Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer. He directed Disney’s Beauty and the Beast for the Ogunquit Playhouse and North Carolina Theatre. Sam served as the Associate Director of the most recent national and international tours of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast which he also supervised on Broadway and mounted multiple companies worldwide, most recently in Shanghai China. He also directed Les Misérables winning the SALT Award for Best Director of a Musical and Best Musical of the Year and Agatha Christie’s An Unexpected Guest, winning the Broadway World Award for Best Director of a Play both at Cortland Repertory Theatre. Other tours directed: Nickelodeon’s Storytime Live! which broke box office records at Radio City Music Hall and the national tour of The Gazillion Bubble Show. For Tricia, Spencer and Mia.

CONNOR GALLAGHER (Choreographer). Beetlejuice (Broadway, March 2019); The Robber Bridegroom (Roundabout Theatre Company, Astaire Award). Connor recently directed and choreographed a newly reimagined production of Beauty and the Beast for Disney Creative Entertainment. Regional: Found (Philadelphia Theatre Company), The world-premiere stage production of Disney’s Tangled, The Twelve (The Denver Center); additional productions at Two River Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, The Goodspeed Opera House, Theatreworks, The Maltz Jupiter, Northern Stage, and The Mint. Associate: Into the Woods (The Public Theatre). BFA, CCM. Spent a year on Broadway as a dancing rug. connorgallagher.com

NANCY RENEE BRAUN (Choreography Recreation). Favorite associate choreography: Beetlejuice (coming to Broadway in March), The Robber Bridegroom (Roundabout Theatre), Beauty and the Beast, Tangled (Disney Cruise Lines). Film/TV choreography: Maniac, The Week Of (Netflix), Blue Bloods, Limitless (CBS), Succession (HBO). Nancy performed on Broadway in Gypsy. Northwestern University. Best credit: Max and Shaina’s mommy!

ELYSE NIEDEREE (Associate Choreographer) is overjoyed to be returning to Christmastown and spread holiday cheer with the wonderful cast, crew, and team of Elf! Some favorite performing credits/theaters include: Sacramento Music Circus, “Saturday Night Live”, Pioneer Theater, Geva Theater, North Shore Music Theater and Finger Lakes Music Theater Festival. Enjoy the show!

CHRISTINE PETERS (Scenic Design). Design Credits: 2012/ 2018 Elf Tour, 1st Date, Mickey & Minnie’s Doorway to Magic. Noel Tour. Broadway (associate designer): King Kong Alive on Broadway, Miss Saigon, 1984, Paramour, Les Meserables, Testament of Mary, Jekyll & Hyde The Book of Mormon, Newsies The Musical, The Addams Family, Elf, Bonnie and Clyde, The House of Blue Leaves, Elling, Enron, Mary Stuart, The American Plan, Cyrano de Bergerac, Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life. National tours (associate designer): Waterfall, Aladdin, Newsies, Dirty Dancing, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Wizard of Oz, The Phantom of the Opera, Jekyll and Hyde,Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast. Regional theater (designer): Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde, Cinderella, Cats (Zoni Award, Set Design) Miss Saigon, The Man of La Mancha, My Fair Lady (Zoni Award), The Music Man. Midtown International Theater Festival (designer): Tallish Tales: A Cautionary Fable for Children and Adults (MITF Award, Set Design).

GREGG BARNES (Costume Design). Broadway: Pretty Woman (Upcoming), Mean Girls, Tuck Everlasting (Tony nom.), Something Rotten! (Tony nom.), Aladdin, Kinky Boots (Tony nom., Olivier Award), Follies (Tony Award, Drama Desk Award), Elf, Legally Blonde (Tony nom.), The Drowsy Chaperone (Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Award, Olivier nom.), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Flower Drum Song (Tony nom.), Side Show. Other: Dreamgirls (Olivier nomination), Sinatra (Radio City), Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Pageant (Olivier Nomination), The Kathy and Mo Show. TDF Young Master Award.

PAUL MILLER (Lighting Design). Broadway: Amazing Grace, The Illusionists, Legally Blonde (also, West End, Australia & Vienna), Freshly Squeezed, Laughing Room Only, as well as Irma La Duce, Where’s Charley, Lost in the Star, Of Thee I Sing and Music in the Air (Encores). Off-Broadway: Marry Harry, Desperate Measure, Clinton The Musical, Lucky Guy, Vanities – the Musical, Waiting for Godot (50th Anniversary Production), Nunsense, Addicted, Balancing Act, and others. Also on Broadway as Associate Designer: Macbeth, Three Days of Rain, Company, Sweeney Todd, Little Women, Hairspray, The Producers, Life x3, The Music Man, The Price, Saturday Night Fever, The Civil War, On The Town, The Sound of Music and Titanic. Regional: The Old Globe, Denver Center, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare, Cleveland Playhouse, Asolo Rep, Riverside Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Baystreet Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Goodspeed Playhouse and Paper Mill Playhouse among others. International: Sâo Paulo, Manila, Johannesberg, Beijing, Toronto, Montreal, Milan (La Scala) and London. National Tours: Shrek, Story Time Live, The Wizard of Oz, Legally Blonde, Sweeney Todd, Hairspray, The Producers, Nunsense 20th Anniversary, Scooby Doo in Stage Fright, The Sound of Music. On television his work includes Live from Lincoln Center, numerous Showtime and Comedy Central specials and the internationally televised New Year’s Eve Celebration from New York’s Time’s Square for the last 18 years including concert appearances by Lady Gaga, Justin Beiber, Cindy Lauper and others.

SHANNON SLATON (Sound Design) has designed many national tours including The Sound of Music; Elf the Musical; Bullets Over Broadway; The Illusionists; Turn of the Century; Shrek The Musical; Hairspray; The Producers; Kiss Me, Kate; Noise/Funk; The Full Monty; Contact; A Chorus Line; Tap Dogs; Sweeney Todd; The Wizard of Oz; The Drowsy Chaperone and The Wedding Singer. He was also the Advance Sound on Wicked and the Production Sound for The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and the U.S. National Tour. Shows he has mixed on Broadway include: Man of La Mancha, Bombay Dreams, Sweet Charity, Jersey Boys, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Drowsy Chaperone, Spring Awakening, Fela!, Anything Goes, Annie, Legally Blonde and Cabaret.

BERNIE ARDIA (Hair and Wig Design) has enjoyed close to a 40-year career, starting in television. Mr. Ardia has designed over 75 productions including the current NETworks productions of Finding Neverland, The Sound of Music and the seasonal favorite – ELF. Other credits Ragtime, The Kennedy Center. Upcoming tours of Elf The Musical; Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables; Kiss of the Spider Woman with Chita Rivera; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express in Las Vegas; and Cinderella with Eartha Kitt. Mr. Ardia is proud to have worked with many talented performers in his career including Jeanne Cooper, George Wendt, Mary Wilson, Lynda Carter, Makenzie Philips and even Judge Judy! He is also the author of Barbra Streisand in New York City.

STEWART/WHITLEY (Casting). Duncan Stewart CSA & Benton Whitley CSA. BROADWAY/NY: The Great Comet, A Clockwork Orange, As You Like It, On The Town, Pippin, Chicago The Musical, La Cage Aux Folles, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Carnegie Hall West Side Story, The Band Wagon, Pageant; WEST END/UK: Hadestown, Thriller Live, Menier Chocolate Factory, West Side Story; TOURS: Finding Neverland, Dirty Dancing, The Sound of Music, Into the Woods, The Bodyguard, Chicago The Musical, Once, Shrek, Elf, Flashdance, Anything Goes, Bullets Over Broadway, We Will Rock You; UPCOMING: Hadestown, Paradise Square, August Rush, Reefer Madness, Other World, The Man in the Ceiling, Back Home Again, Waterfall; REGIONAL: American Repertory Theater, Alley Theatre, Bay Street, Goodspeed, Theatre Under the Stars, Asolo Rep, Hollywood Bowl, TheatreWorks, Royal Caribbean. The Casting Society of America. Artios Award Winning. stewartwhitley.com

DOUG BESTERMAN (Orchestrations). Three-time Tony Award winner: Fosse (1999), The Producers (2001), Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002). Broadway: Anastasia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, A Bronx Tale, It Shoulda Been You, Bullets Over Broadway, Rocky, On a Clear Day…, Sister Act, How to Succeed…, Elf, Young Frankenstein, Tarzan, Dracula, Seussical, The Music Man, Big, Damn Yankees. International: Me and My Girl. Regional: The Honeymooners, The Sting. Film/television: Mary Poppins Returns, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Mulan, Chicago.

JOHN MEZZIO (Music Coordinator) has conducted several national tours including State Fair starring John Davidson, Victor Victoria starring Toni Tennille, Seussical The Musical starring Cathy Rigby, Cinderella starring Eartha Kitt and Deborah Gibson, the Royal National Theatre’s revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! and The Wedding Singer. Additionally, Mr. Mezzio was Associate Conductor for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express at the Las Vegas Hilton. John was Music Coordinator for several national and international tours including Sweet Charity starring Molly Ringwald, Annie starring John Schuck and Mackenzie Phillips, Hairspray, The Producers, A Chorus Line, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, The Drowsy Chaperone, Elf The Musical, Memphis, Bullets Over Broadway, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Shrek The Musical.

NATE PATTEN (Music Supervisor) was most recently the music director for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway and is music supervisor for the Australian company. Other Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, School of Rock, Catch Me If You Can, Bonnie and Clyde. Kennedy Center: Elf the Musical. Off Broadway: Silence! The Musical (also in L.A.), The Toxic Avenger. Tours: Flashdance, We Will Rock You, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Wedding Singer, The Wizard of Oz. Nate is also the co-producer/writer/host of a popular podcast called #BookedIt: a Broadway Musician’s Guide to Theatre, Facebook and Being #Grateful. @BookedItpodcast

SHANE PARUS (Music Director) is thrilled to be on the road with Elf for a second year! Other national tours: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Associate Conductor/Keyboard), Memphis (Associate Conductor/Hammond B3), We the People (Music Director), The Sound of Music (Keyboard). Select regional music director/keyboard credits: Annie Get Your Gun (Westchester Broadway Theatre), Young Frankenstein (North Shore Music Theatre), Camelot (New London Barn Playhouse). Thanks to his parents and of course to Santa for their continued support. B.M. in percussion performance from Western Michigan University. shaneparus.com

MICHAEL WHITNEY (Associate Director, Fight Coordinator) currently serves as the Associate Artistic Director at Skyline Theatre Company located in Bergen County New Jersey. He has also served as the Assistant Director for both the International and National Companies of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Michael has been very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with many regional theaters across the country. Some include: The North Carolina Theatre, Theatre Institute at Sage, The Geva Theatre and Ogunquit Playhouse.

MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL (MTI) mtishows.com, is one of the world’s leading dramatic licensing agencies, granting schools as well as amateur and professional theatres from around the world the rights to perform the largest selection of great musicals from Broadway and beyond. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these shows to provide official scripts, musical material and dynamic theatrical resources to over 60,000 theatrical organizations in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide.

ALLIED TOURING (Tour Marketing & Press) is a full-service engagement management agency representing Broadway tours and other live touring events across North America. Current tours: Bat Out of Hell; The Book of Mormon; Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella; Elf the Musical; Hello, Dolly!; Kinky Boots; The Play that Goes Wrong; Rent; School of Rock; Something Rotten!; and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Upcoming tours: Bandstand, The Lightning Thief, Mean Girls, Rock of Ages, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

THE ROAD COMPANY (Tour Booking) was founded in 1997 by Stephen Lindsay and Brett Sirota. In addition to multiple companies of Elf The Musical, current representation includes Wicked, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, War Paint, The Band’s Visit, SpongeBob SquarePants, Rock of Ages, Clue, The Choir of Man, The Lightning Thief, The Illusionists, Dirty Dancing, The Sound of Music and Kinky Boots. The Road Company is made possible by Magaly Barone, Shawn Willett, Jenny Kirlin, Justine Spingler, Joe Reed and Josh Cape.

MARIAH YOUNG (Production Stage Manager) is delighted to be working on NETworks’ Elf the Musical once again! Previous touring credits include The Nutcracker and Flamenco Vivo’s Voces del Sur. Mariah also assisted on NETworks’ 2016 productions of Once the Musical and Elf the Musical. Regional theatres include New London Barn Playhouse, Florida Studio Theatre, John W. Engeman Theatre, Albany Berkshire Ballet, Alchemical Theatre Company and Opera Wilmington. Infinite thanks to Mom & Dad for their endless support and love.

KEVIN MCNAUGHTON (Company Manager). Previous tour credits: Beauty and the Beast, Shrek (Asia), Memphis, Dirty Dancing, Elf (First National), South Pacific. Select NYC engagements: Feinstein’s/54 Below, New Victory Theatre, United Palace Theatre. Kevin originated the drum/percussion book for Bonnie & Clyde (Asolo Rep)!

TRINITY WHEELER (Executive Producer). Broadway: Les Misérables (Production Stage Manager). National Tours: Dirty Dancing (Executive Producer), Bullets Over Broadway (Executive Producer), Elf the Musical (Executive Producer), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Executive Producer), The Phantom of the Opera (Supervisory Production Stage Manager), Les Misérables (Production Stage Manager), Mary Poppins (Production Stage Manager), Young Frankenstein starring Roger Bart and Rent starring Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. Trinity currently works on the national tours of Les Misérables, Finding Neverland and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. Instagram: @trinityonbroadway

WARNER BROS. THEATRE VENTURES (Producer) develops and produces first-class musicals and stage productions from the company’s expansive catalogue. WBThV is currently represented on Broadway with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and was previously represented on the West End by Olivier Award-winning musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and on Broadway by the stage adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery starring Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf and Tony Award Best Play winner The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Other Broadway credits include the Tony Award-winning musical The Bridges of Madison County and the holiday hit Elf The Musical. The division is readying productions of 17 Again, Dave, Beetlejuice, Night Shift, A Star is Born and Dog Day Afternoon for the stage. WBThV also licenses third-party stage rights including such productions as The Bodyguard, Singin’ in the Rain, Hairspray, The Wizard of Oz, The Color Purple and 42nd Street.

NETWORKS PRESENTATIONS (Producer) from its inception over 20 years ago, has been an industry leading producer and manager of touring musical theatre productions and remains committed to delivering quality entertainment to audiences worldwide. Having toured over 70 productions internationally, NETworks’ current and upcoming touring productions include Cameron Mackintosh’s The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Elf the Musical, Finding Neverland, The Sound of Music, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I, The Band’s Visit, A Bronx Tale, Falsettos, Fiddler on the Roof and Cameron Mackintosh’s Miss Saigon.