Arts & Culture

ACE Brings 'Elf Jr.' to Town for the Holidays

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 15, 2015)  The University of Kentucky Academy for Creative Excellence (ACE) presents "Elf Jr." as its holiday offering this month. The musical, based on the popular holiday movie, will enchant audiences for only one weekend of performances Dec. 18-20, at Sts. Peter and Paul School, located at 423 West Short St. in Lexington.

In "Elf Jr.," follow Buddy the Elf on his journey from the North Pole to New York City to find his human father, Walter Hobbs. Buddy discovers that a family is the best Christmas gift he could ever receive, and spreads plenty of Christmas cheer along the way. 

Based on the Warner Brothers movie starring Will Ferrell and the original Broadway musical "Elf," ACE presents the junior script and score for live audiences in the Bluegrass. The family-friendly junior production was developed by iTheatrics, an educational theater company based in New York City, for Music Theatre International (MTI), one of the world's major dramatic licensing agencies.

Elf Jr." will captivate audiences 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19 and 20, at the Lucille Little Theatre at Sts. Peter and Paul School. Tickets for the show are $12 for children and $14 for general admission. To purchase tickets in advance, call all 859-257-TICS (8427). Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

Created in 2009, ACE is a preparatory performing arts program for young students in Lexington and the surrounding communities. The academy provides training and instruction in performing arts and encourages excellence, enthusiasm, professionalism and passion among its students. A department of UK Opera Theatre, ACE was selected for the first ever pilot of a workshop of "Elf Jr." in 2013.

UK Opera Theatre is part of the UK School of Music at the UK College of Fine Arts. The School of Music has garnered national recognition for high-caliber education in opera, choral and instrumental music performance, as well as music education, composition, and theory and music history.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu