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ELF WHEN: Through Jan. 4, 2015. Wednesdays a nd Fridays at 7 p.m., Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 and 7 p.m. WHERE: Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn TICKETS: $28 to $99 I NFO: 973-376-4343, papermill.org Although Matthew Sklar was one of the millions of kids who saw during its original Broadway run, he does have a distinction shared by precious few. Thirty years after seeing that mega- hit with a book by Thomas Meehan, Sklar was writing a musical with the ony-winner.

Now Millburn audiences can experi- nce music along with the lib retto that Meehan co-wrote with Bob Martin in With lyrics by Chad eguelin, longtime writing partner (who penned the book to the holiday musical officially opens Sunday at the Paper Mill Playhouse. I have ever believed that when I was five years old and my pare nts took me from Westfield to see the show in New Sklar rhetorically a sks, still surprised at his good fortune. ut Sklar was ready to make into a musical when the film on which i based debuted in 2003. He was im- ediately intrigued by its story of a baby who crawled into bag and discovered until Christmas morning in the North Pole. Santa had no choice but to raise the lad and tried to pass him off as just another elf, whom named Buddy.

But Buddy kept growing and growing and growing until the truth came out. Now that an adult, on a quest to find his real ather. while watching the movie for the first Sklar says, was think- i ng where songs could go especially hen I heard catchphrase best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to Sklar was delighted that soon after he and Begeulin opened their 2006 roadway hit Wedding hey were recruited to write while the musical has already had holi- ay airings on Broadway in 2010 and 2012, Sklar is just as thrilled to have the how at Paper Mill. This theater is one of the most important places in my life, for where I spent many happy days when I was a teen and in my early says klar, now 41. Actually, Sklar had already done superbly before he set foot in the Mill- urn theater.

When he was a senior at Westfield High School, he was hired as aPaper Mill pianist play audit ions for children who would sing in opes be chosen for played in a lot of different he says with a smile. hen-artistic director Robert Johanson asked Sklar to play something more igorous to test his mettle, and Sklar esponded with some of the most difficult passages of Side because Mr. (Joseph) he says, citing the legendary Westfield igh drama director, me do the how there. So when Paper Mill did it, I got the job as rehearsal pianist a week efore I entered One of the reasons Sklar chose that niversity to study music and theater was because of Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote a college recommendation for im. friendship with the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony recipient began when he heard that Hamlisch ould be performing a benefit at the nion County Arts Center in Rahway.

helped the ushers with the programs that night just on the off-chance hat I might get an autograph from Marvin Sklar says. he lad got substantially more. amlisch heard of the devotion and talent, and before the show began, a sked him to play a song. When he did, Hamlisch was so impressed that he ade Sklar part of the concert. October 7, Sklar says, a date that would be easy for him to remem- er even without the event, for it was his 15th birthday.

my parents ame to the concert that night, they had idea be on stage No, but they have been that urprised, for their son had been a prodigy for some time. When Sklar was four, his parents noticed that he was eplicating on their piano. they started me on lessons right then and he says. start- picking out songs and my father, an excellent musician who played piano or community theater, would notate As he went through school, Sklar layed catcher and first base, but doing as well on the diamond as he was on the keyboard. He abandoned he sport soon after he wrote both music and lyrics for Is a song that was performed at his middle-school graduation.

New Mickey Mouse was looking for songs, so I sent it he says. a month later, I was playing tennis, and my mother was running nto the court saying called! They want your Soon the high school sophomore was a plane en route to MGM tudios in Los Angeles. got a trophy and he says, the biggest thrill was being on that soundstage and earing and seeing my song I was hardly his last trip to the oast. took the red eye from L.A. to be here for he says.

Out there, doing an animated version of NBC. Nine of the ongs from the stage show are going to in it when it airs Dec. Ah, but those who want to hear all 13 ongs from have to get to the Paper Mill Playhouse by Jan. 4. THEATER From Paper Mill to the North Pole Musical takes the stage at Millburn theater PETER FILICHIA CORRESPONDENT will be staged at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn through early January.

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