Theater spotlight: 'Elf the Broadway Musical'

Opening Wednesday: This stage adaptation of the 2003 film that starred Will Ferrell has gotten cheery notices on Broadway and on tour. The glitzy production that lands Wednesday at the Ordway stars Matt Kopec as Buddy, an orphan who slips into Santa's bag and is taken to his North Pole workshop. He discovers that he's human, and goes back to Manhattan to find his family. "Translating 'Elf' to the stage was a great idea," said director Sam Scalamoni. "It lends itself to a great, imaginative storytelling. We kept the moments that audiences love, while creating something that's a new classic for the holidays." (7:30 p.m. Wed. and Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Thu. and Sat.-next Sun. $27-$120. No show Dec. 25. Ends Dec. 30. Ordway Center for the Arts, 5th and Washington Sts., St. Paul. 651-224-4222 or www.ordway.org.)