Lord of the Rings' Sean Astin Will Make His Broadway Debut as Santa in Elf

Temple Live Entertainment North America and Crossroads Live North America have announced that Academy Award nominee and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning actor Sean Astin will make his Broadway debut as Santa in Elf The Musical, running November 9-January 4 at the Marquis Theatre.

Astin is known for the roles of Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Doug Whitmore in 50 First Dates, and Bob Newby in Stranger Things.

As previously announced, Tony Award nominee Grey Henson (Mean Girls, Shucked) will play Buddy the Elf.

Elf The Musical features songs by Tony nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Prom) and a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone), based on the 2003 New Line Cinema film of the same name about Buddy, a human who was raised by elves in the North Pole.

This production, first staged at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End, is directed by Philip Wm. McKinley (The Boy From Oz) and choreographed by Olivier and Drama Desk nominee Liam Steel (Company).

The Broadway production will feature set and costume design by Tim Goodchild, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, sound design by Gareth Owen, video design by Ian William Galloway, hair and wig design by Sam Cox, orchestrations by Doug Besterman, dance arrangements by David Chase, vocal arrangements by Phil Reno, music supervision by Olivier Award winner Alan Williams, and music direction by Nate Patten.