Paper Mill Playhouse
Receives Landmark Gift
To Upgrade Stage Technology

(January 31, 2022 – Millburn, NJ) – Immediately following last night’s opening performance of Clue, Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee and Managing Director Michael Stotts made a surprise announcement from the stage that Paper Mill Playhouse has received a significant contribution to upgrade stage technology by bringing its lighting and automation from analog to the digital age.

The seven-figure gift, made to the theater by the children of Marilyn and Monroe Markovitz in their parents’ honor, is transformational for Paper Mill, laying the vital groundwork for the theater’s future. In recognition of this generous gift, the stage of Paper Mill’s theater will be named the Marilyn and Monroe Markovitz Stage.

Longtime subscribers Mr. and Mrs. Markovitz have been attending and enjoying Paper Mill productions together for over 40 years. Mrs. Markovitz was first brought to the theater by her aunt when Paper Mill Playhouse produced operettas. “About 70 years ago my aunt took me to see the operettas The Student Prince and The Merry Widow,” remembers Marilyn Markovitz. “More recently my husband and I have loved the new productions as well as the revivals. We are impressed with the outreach to aspiring performers, giving them the opportunity to achieve their theatrical goals. The location of Paper Mill Playhouse in our community gives us the chance to enjoy great theater close to home and enriches us all.” With this gift, their wish is to make a meaningful contribution that will have a lasting impact on the theater.

Building on renovations made to the auditorium in 2018, Paper Mill will now to be able to make technology upgrades onstage and backstage to bring its stagecraft capabilities to meet industry standards by installing efficient power supply, converting stage lighting from incandescent to LED, and upgrading the scenic automation from analog to digital with state-of-the-art computerized control systems. The automation and lighting systems currently in use at Paper Mill date back to the 1980s and, while still functional, have lagged behind the technical demands of the theater’s world-class productions. These systems were set to be incrementally upgraded over multiple years beginning this spring, but the Markovitz’s gift will now make it possible for Paper Mill to complete the entire project before the 2022–2023 season.

“Ensuring that Paper Mill is properly resourced with state-of-the-art equipment is paramount to the theater’s future,” said Mike Stotts last night from the newly christened Marilyn and Monroe Markovitz Stage. “A pillar of our long-term strategic plan is investing in and embracing technology that improves both the artistic and the audience experience. This gift will transform the stage infrastructure that supports artistic growth and attracts the best talent.” Mark S. Hoebee, the theater’s Producing Artistic Director, added, “What is especially meaningful about this gift is knowing that the Markovitz family has truly had a lifetime of enjoyment at Paper Mill. That speaks so highly of the long-term impact Paper Mill has had on the community, and that is something we take enormous pride in as we carry forward its remarkable legacy.”

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is a nationally renowned not-for-profit theater under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Michael Stotts (Managing Director). A beloved New Jersey arts institution since 1938, Paper Mill creates and produces groundbreaking new musicals and reimagined classics. Several productions have gone on to Broadway and launched national tours, including Disney’s Newsies, Les Misérables, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Bronx Tale, and Bandstand. The theater is also the home to an award-winning center for musical theater education and artist training, with outreach programs that impact thousands of students each year. As one of the nation’s premier musical theaters, Paper Mill fosters a creative environment to advance the art form, educate students, develop future theater lovers, nurture inclusion, and provide access for all. We acknowledge that our theater stands on the traditional land of the Lenni-Lenape, and we honor the Indigenous people who inhabited it for thousands of years before European settlers arrived. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

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PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2021-2022 SEASON

CLUE
Based on the Screenplay by Jonathan Lynn
Written by Sandy Rustin
Additional Material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price
Based on the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture
Based on the Hasbro Board Game Clue
Original Music by Michael Holland
Directed by Casey Hushion
Now–Feb 20, 2022

A hilarious farce-meets-murder-mystery

Getting its Paper Mill production after a postponement in the fall of 2020, Clue puts murder and blackmail back on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble for a dinner party at Boddy Manor. Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro game, this farce-meets murder-mystery is bloody good fun.

***

THE WANDERER
Book by Charles Messina
Choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby
Directed by Kenneth Ferrone
Mar 24–Apr 24, 2022

The riveting true story of the man Bruce Springsteen calls
“the link between Frank Sinatra and Rock and Roll”

Dion. One name set the standard of cool for a generation. An Italian-American kid from the Bronx, Dion DiMucci skyrocketed to fame as a teenage heartthrob in the 1950s and early ’60s with hits like “Runaround Sue,” “Teenager in Love,” and “I Wonder Why.” Now, his extraordinary journey comes to the stage in a moving and intimate new musical about a life lived in the glow of the spotlight and in the shadow of addiction. Starring Mike Wartella (Chasing Rainbows, Wicked) as Dion, Christy Altomare (Anastasia), and Joey McIntyre (Wicked, Waitress, New Kids on the Block).

***

SISTER ACT
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Book by Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner
Additional Book Material by Douglas Carter Beane
Based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture Sister Act Written by Joseph Howard
Choreographed by Anthony Van Laast
Directed by Jerry Zaks
Choreography Recreated by Janet Rothermel
Direction Recreated by Steven Beckler
June 1–26, 2022

“One big, spirit-soaring joyful noise!” —The London Times

Finally, the sisters will sing after a postponement in the spring of 2020. Based on the 1992 hit film, this feel-good musical comedy smash sizzles with powerful music, spectacular dancing, and a story that’s guaranteed to lift your spirits. The madcap plot is set in motion when disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder and must go into hiding in a convent, where she helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own. Featuring original music by Tony winner and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), Sister Act was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

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EDUCATION
Sabrina Alamo (she/her) is a New Jersey based actress and teaching artist for grades K-12. She is a graduate of Kean University with a BFA in Theatre Performance and regularly performs in educational children’s theatre shows in schools across New Jersey and New York. She has had the pleasure of teaching and assistant teaching various classes in Acting, Play Making, Musical Theatre, Writing, Stage Makeup, and Stagecraft with Illuminart Productions, Phoenix Productions, Premiere Stages, and the Kean University Theatre Conservatory. She is also currently pursuing an MA in Applied Theatre at CUNY School of Professional Studies where she will continue to perform in and create educational theater for all.

FINANCE
Gabby Hammond (she/her) is very excited to join the Finance Department this Fall. Originally from Philadelphia, she moved to New York City almost 10 years ago to pursue a Theatre degree at NYU Tisch with a minor in Business Studies and Applied Theatre. Throughout college, and after graduation, she has worked as a Tour Guide, an Usher, an Insurance Intern and a Talent Agency Assistant. When not in the office, you will probably find her cooking, baking, or watching videos about how to cook and bake.

PRODUCTION
Amanda C. Lopez (she/her) is an up-and-coming Stage Manager based in the New York/New Jersey metro area with a variety of experience that ranges from developmental workshops and readings to full regional theater productions. Amanda graduated from Montclair State University where she received her BFA in Theatre Production and Design with a concentration in Stage Management. She is an advocate for providing an inclusive platform for all voices in theater. She is also passionate about mental health awareness in the theater community.

ARTISTIC
J Ragland (they/he) is a theater maker, actor, musician, director, and writer from Kansas City, MO. Ragland has worked all over the country as a performer and creative, focused on the ongoing effort to uplift Non-binary and BIPOC artists in the national theater community. They are thrilled to be joining the Paper Mill team and ready to bring theater back to Millburn!!

MARKETING
Billy Swann (he/him) is an aspiring professional dancer, choreogra- pher, and graphic designer from Newark, DE. Upon graduating high school in 2015, he also received his certification in Web & Graphic Design. In 2017, Billy transferred to Towson University where he performed and choreographed in various productions there, including being a member of the Towson University Dance Company. Aside from performing and choreographing, he had the opportunity of being involved in different community outreach programs including being a staff member for AileyCamp Baltimore for 3 years, under the direction of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. As of May 2020, Billy finished his final year at Towson receiving his BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography.

MANAGEMENT
Alec Lee Williams (he/him) is from Odessa, Texas and holds an M.F.A. in Arts Administration from Texas Tech University. Previously, Alec was the Festival Manager for The Neurodiversity New Play Festival in Providence, Rhode Island, cofounded Less Than Three, an immersive arts company located in Austin, Texas and was a Finance and Management Intern at 321 Theatrical Management. Past credits include Hivemind, an immersive escape room experience, Conspiracy Play, a murder mystery centered around fringe theorists, A Collective Noise by Lauren Ferebee, a choose-your-own-adventure Zoom play, and The Hairy Ape by Eugene O’Neill, performed in a homeless shelter. Alec’s artistic and managerial work focuses on furthering disability representation and advocacy in the arts, active audience participation, and environment/previous knowledge as a means of influencing artistic experience.

Paper Mill Fellows are generously supported by Bank of America and PSEG Foundation.

The post Say Hello To Our New Fellows appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

June 28–July 23, 2021, at Paper Mill Playhouse and Paper Mill Studios in Milburn, New Jersey.

Paper Mill Playhouse announces auditions for the institution’s prestigious Summer Musical Theater Conservatory for young artists to be held this summer.  Paper Mill Playhouse welcomes audition videos from students 10–18 years old seeking a coveted spot in the competitive conservatory.  The program culminates in a video presentation titled, New Voices of 2021!  This original program will premiere online in September.
The 2021 Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory will take place June 28–July 23, 2021, at Paper Mill Playhouse and the Paper Mill Studios in Milburn, New Jersey.  Students will be offered a hybrid schedule of live training three days a week and alternating with virtual instruction two days a week. Classes will be modest in size with all current CDC guidelines and state mandated protocols in place for live instruction.
Auditions for the Summer Conservatory are by video submission only. There will be no live auditions scheduled.  For audition video guidelines, submission instructions and other important information on tuition and available scholarships, visit our website at Paper Mill Summer Conservatory Auditions.

          
The Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory is a program of rigorous study led by Paper Mill’s professional artistic staff. Students have the opportunity to enhance their individual performance potential while developing a broad base of theater experience and knowledge. Students participate in intensive classes including musical theater performance, acting, dance, private voice lessons, monologue coaching, and improvisation, while also attending guest workshops taught by professional actors, directors, and casting agents.  Time during every instructional day is devoted to rehearsing and filming the virtual New Voices performance that debuts September 2021. Key to the curriculum is the development of self-discipline, respect, and a commitment to excellence that will serve these young artists throughout their lives.

As one of the nation’s leading theaters, Paper Mill Playhouse has a well-earned reputation for launching both performers and shows for the Broadway industry. Since its inception in 1996, the Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory and the New Voices Concert have ignited the careers of many notable performers.  Conservatory alumni include Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables), Tony Award winners Laura Benanti (Gypsy), Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Ali Stoker (Oklahoma!), Tony nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin), Jelani Remy (Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations), Shanice Williams, star of NBC’s The Wiz Live! and Olivier Award nominee Jared Gertner (The Book of Mormon).  For the full list of notable alumni, click here.
The New Voices performance is the culmination of the four-week program. Also appearing will be numerous winners and nominees of the 2021 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards presented by Investors Foundation, who win scholarships to attend the conservatory.

The summer of 2020 saw the introduction of online classes, and despite everyone’s desire to be in studio, the virtual conservatory soared and enrolled students from across the country.

A parent in Colorado shared, “We want to thank you for an amazing summer with the Paper Mill Conservatory.  Our son is absolutely LOVING his time with Paper Mill this summer!  You have all done such a marvelous job making the Conservatory so personable and illuminating for the students–truly, a life-changing experience. Your commitment to making the Conservatory happen provided a transformative experience for our son, who not only grew as an artist but also created incredible memories and friendships. You and the other Conservatory teachers & staff were amazing–personable in your interaction with the students and directly impactful on their artistic development.  You should be so proud of what you all accomplished in this unprecedented summer!”

The Summer Professional Training Programs and New Voices are supported by Investors Foundation.  Paper Mill Playhouse Education and Outreach are proudly sponsored by The Goren Family and The Harmony Helper App.

The post Auditions for 2021 Summer Musical Theater Conservatory for Young Artists appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

We are here to help and make it as easy and as enjoyable as possible! We will send an event reminder, refresher instructions, and a test link so you can be sure you are ready ahead of time. Reach out to us at BoxOffice@papermill.org if you need our support.
Without any additional setup, you will be able to watch Paper Mill digital content easily on your smartphone or computer, and with just a few steps you will most likely be able to watch the show on your television.

How do I watch livestream performances on my smart TV?
Connecting your computer to a smart TV with an HDMI cable (our recommendation): Turn on both devices and connect them using an HDMI cable. Then select the correct HDMI input on your TV with the help of the remote control, and you are good to go.
More detailed information, including how to troubleshoot sound issues, can be found here: https://www.wikihow.com/Connect-HDMI-to-TV
• If you need an HDMI cable, you can purchase one here
https://www.amazon.com/HDMI-Cables-Video-Interconnects-Accessories/b?node=202505011 or at any store that sells electronics.
For wireless connection to an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible smart TV from an Apple (iOS) device such as an iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer, please follow the instructions provided: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204289
For wireless connection to a Roku TV from an Android- or Windows-compatible device (iOS devices are not compatible with Roku) please follow the instructions provided: https://support.roku.com/article/208754928-how-do-i-use-screen-mirroring-with-my-android-or-windows-device-
For wireless connection to an Amazon Fire TV from an Android-compatible device (iOS devices are not compatible with Amazon Fire TV), please follow the instructions provided: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GA7K5AML6222YDEW
For Google Casting to a TV from a Chromecast-enabled browser or device, please follow the instructions provided: https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/3228332?hl=en&ref_topic=4602553

The post PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE HOW TO WATCH GUIDE appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

From May through November 2020, Paper Mill Playhouse produced and streamed 26 weekly episodes of Babbling by the Brook hosted by Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee. His lighthearted virtual conversations with a star-studded roster of Paper Mill veteran performers, writers, directors, and more gives audiences behind-the-scenes insights into past and future productions as well as various elements of the creative process. You can watch the entire catalog of episodes on Paper Mill’s YouTube channel.

BABBLING BY THE BROOK—FULL YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

EPISODE GUIDE

1 Catching up with Tony Award Nominee Rob McClure
2 Clue Preview with Director Casey Hushion & Playwright Sandy Rustin 
3 Catching up with Leading Ladies Donna English & Elena Shaddow 
4 Dreamgirls Reunion with Angela Robinson, LaTonya Holmes & Sharon Wilkins
5 Creative Conversation with Director-Choreographer JoAnn M. Hunter
6 Cinderella Reunion with Ashley Blanchet & Billy Harrigan Tighe 
7 Catching up with Tony Award Winner Ali Stroker
8 Creative Conversation with Tony-Nominated Director-Choreographer Denis Jones
9 Fight Directors Rick Sordelet & Christian Kelly-Sordelet with Actor & Conservatory Alum Collin Kelly-Sordelet 
10 Creative Conversation with Tony-Winning Director-Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler 
11 Animal Chat with Trainer Bill Berloni
12 Creative Conversation with Music Director Meghann Zervoulis 
13 Team Swing: Brittany Conigatti & Willie Dee 
14 Bandstand & Bruce Writers Richard Oberacker & Robert Taylor
15 Catching up with Tony Award Nominee Kate Baldwin 
16 Creative Conversation with Casting Director Rebecca Scholl 
17 West Side Story Reunion with Belinda Allyn, Natalie Cortez & Matt Doyle 
18 Creative Conversation with Tony-Nominated Scenic Designer David Korins 
19 Star Stage Managers Andrea Cibelli & Beverly Jenkins 
20 Catching up with Leading Funnymen David Josefsberg & Tally Sessions 
21 Alex Brightman & Drew Gasparini on It’s Kind of a Funny Story 
22 The Wanderer Preview with Kenneth Ferrone and Charles Messina
23 Catching up with Don Stephenson
24 Catching up with Gordon Greenberg
25 Pete ’n’ Keely Preview with Director and Lyricist Mark Waldrop
26 Catching up and a Live from the West Side Preview with Laura Benanti

The post Babbling by the Brook appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

“Paper Mill Playhouse delivers high-quality, engaging performances to broad audiences. By making good theater accessible, Paper Mill enriches our local communities,” said Investors Bank Chairman and CEO Kevin Cummings.”But most importantly, it provides unique educational opportunities to more than 40,000 students each year and continues to offer invaluable experiences that would not otherwise be available to them. Arts education is key to the development of our children and young adults.”

With a total of five musicals, Paper Mill continues to fulfill its mission to enrich, entertain, and inspire audiences and students as the nation’s premier musical theater. Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2019—2020 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank. Paper Mill Playhouse education and outreach programs are proudly sponsored by The Goren Family & the Harmony Helper app.

Paper Mill Playhouse will produce eight performances a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Three, four, and five-show subscription packages are available now starting at just $111. Each subscription package includes a different level of special benefits. Youth subscriptions are available for children ages 4-18 with the purchase of an adult subscription with accessible discount pricing. Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, or clicking here.  Groups of ten or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Titles, casting and dates subject to change.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2019–2020 SEASON

Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz
Sep 26–Oct 27
Book by Marc Acito
Music Adapted by & Additional Music by David Libby
Conceived by & Additional Lyrics by Tina Marie Casamento
Directed & Choreographed by Denis Jones
Major Sponsor: Bank of America

Before she burst onto the big screen as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland was a young vaudeville trouper named Frances Gumm. In this highly anticipated new musical chronicling Garland’s early career from vaudeville baby to MGM teen star in the making, the road to Oz is paved with adversity. At its heart a story of love between a father and daughter, featuring such legendary songs as “Over the Rainbow,” “You Made Me Love You,” and “Everybody Sing,” Chasing Rainbows is a poignant coming-of-age tale about “the little girl with the big voice,” who went on to become one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons. The show has already earned praise from Liza Minnelli, who said, “My mother said that her biography is in her music, and now a talented creative team is using that music to tell the story of her early years and her extraordinary rise to fame.”

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
Nov 20–Dec 29
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
New Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II
Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter
Directed by Mark S. Hoebee
Major Sponsor: The Goren Family and the Harmony Helper App

This enchanting, Tony-nominated Broadway adaptation of the beloved musical will put a spell on audiences of all ages. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella showcases some of the songwriting duo’s loveliest tunes, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible,” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” as well as some new characters and surprising twists. Add a dash of fairytale romance, magical onstage transformations, and the iconic pumpkin and glass slippers—and you’re guaranteed to have a ball!

Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Jan 30–Mar 1
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Written with Richard Curtis
Directed by Laurence Connor
Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter
Major Sponsor: JPMorgan Chase & Co.

One of the most successful musical theater composers of all time takes audiences on a behind-the-scenes journey in Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Written with Richard Curtis and directed by Laurence Connor, Unmasked is a not-always-reverential look at Andrew’s life and musical career. You’ll hear his best-loved work, including classics from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and Sunset Boulevard, in sometimes new and unexpected ways. This new production will also feature new material and rediscovered gems, along with the history of their creation intertwined with Andrew’s extraordinary personal story.

Sister Act
Apr 1–Apr 26
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Book by Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner
Additional Book Material by Douglas Carter Beane
Based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture Sister Act Written by Joseph Howard

Based on the 1992 hit film, this feel-good musical comedy smash sizzles with powerful music, spectacular dancing, and a story brimming with heart. The madcap plot is set in motion when disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder and must go into hiding in a convent—where she clashes, hilariously, with cloistered life. Deloris inspires the sisters with her soulful style, but the church choir’s newfound fame attracts the attention of the bad guys. Featuring original music by Tony and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), the musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The Wanderer
May 28–Jun 28
Book by Charles Messina
Choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby
Directed by Kenneth Ferone
Signature Support: The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation

Dion. One name set the standard of cool for a generation. But how does a kid from the Bronx make it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? In The Wanderer, the incredible musical journey of a troubled young man turned teenage heartthrob (and, ultimately, rock and roll icon) is told in intimate and no-holds-barred detail. Dion’s music helped define a generation of rock and rollers. His lifelong battle with addiction shed a stark light on the darker side of fame and success. This musical takes both subjects head on, set to the iconic sound of an incomparable era in American music, and celebrates the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. The Wanderer is the riveting true story of Dion, New York’s rebel king, the man Bruce Springsteen calls “the link between Frank Sinatra and rock and roll.”

Paper Mill offers its audience an opportunity to enhance their theater experience with behind-the-scenes views of mainstage productions with Director’s Viewpoint Series, Conversation Club Series, Q&As with the cast, and more. Have you ever wanted to sneak a peek behind the curtain? Or wondered what the director was thinking, or how the cast prepares for a show?  Join us for one of many revealing insider’s experiences.

Paper Mill offers people with disabilities the opportunity to see live theater with dignity and independence through a myriad of award-winning access programs and services, including audio description and sensory seminars for the blind, Braille and large-print programs, American Sign Language interpretation for the deaf, open-captioning for those with hearing loss, and assistive listening devices. In addition, Paper Mill Playhouse provides autism-friendly performances of both mainstage and children’s shows throughout the season. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella will feature an autism-friendly performance on Thursday, Dec 26, at 1:30PM.

The post Paper Mill Produces All Musical Season appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

Find Tickets

Paper Mill Playhouse has selected students to be a part of the theater’s prestigious Summer Musical Theater Conservatory for 2018. Members of the competitive conservatory who earned coveted spots in the Senior (ages 15–18), Junior Plus (ages 13–14), and Junior companies (ages 10–12) are directed and choreographed by Paper Mill Playhouse’s professional artistic staff in a fully produced, original concert titled, New Voices of 2018: From Sea to Shining Sea! The concert is a culmination of the five-week conservatory program. Also appearing are numerous winners and nominees of the 2018 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards presented by the Investors Foundation, who won scholarships to attend the Conservatory. The Summer Musical Theater Conservatory and New Voices are generously supported by the Investors Foundation.

Performances of New Voices of 2018: From Sea to Shining Sea will be held on July 27 at 7:30PM and July 28 at 1:30PM & 7:30PM at Memorial Auditorium at Montclair State University, 1 Normal Ave, Montclair, NJ. Tickets range in price from $25 to $45. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, online by clicking here, or by visiting the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn.

The Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory is a program of rigorous study allowing students to enhance their individual performance potential while developing a broad base of theater experience and knowledge. Students participate in intensive classes including musical theater performance, acting, dance, and improvisation, while also attending guest workshops led by professional actors, directors, and casting agents. The final weeks are devoted to rehearsals for the New Voices Concert, performed annually by the conservatory’s trained students. The Conservatory offers the unique opportunity for gifted and talented young performers to work at their own level, challenge themselves to achieve new goals, and learn new skills. Key to the curriculum is for the participants to develop self-discipline, respect, and a commitment to excellence that will serve these young artists throughout their lives.

Many of the students from Paper Mill Playhouse’s Conservatory have gone on to appear on Broadway, in regional theater productions, in film and on television.

Conservatory Alumni include:

Anne Hathaway – Twelfth Night, Film: Les Misérables (2013 Academy Award Winner), Rachel Getting Married (2009 Academy Award & Golden Globe nominee), Get Smart, Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada, & Disney’s The Princess Diaries
Laura Benanti – Broadway: She Loves Me, Gypsy (2008 Tony Award winner), Into the Woods, The Wedding Singer, Swing!
Julia Knitel – Broadway: Beautiful: the Carole King Musical (u/s Carole King); Bye Bye Birdie
Robert McClure – Broadway: Something Rotten, Honeymoon in Vegas, Chaplin, Avenue Q
Shanice Williams- NBC’s The Wiz Live!
Joshua Dela Cruz – Broadway’s Disney’s Aladdin (Aladdin Understudy)
Ali Stroker – Broadway: Spring Awakening, Oxygen’s The Glee Project: Season 2; Paper Mill’s 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive Ostrovsky)
Nikki M. James – Broadway: Les Misérables, Book of Mormon (2011 Tony Award winner), All Shook Up
Avery Espiritu: Broadway: The King and I
James Ignacio – Broadway: The King and I
Alex Drier – Broadway: Finding Neverland, Assembled Parties
Daisy Hobbs – Broadway: Disney’s Aladdin
Matthew Scott – Broadway: Jersey Boys, A Catered Affair (Ralph), Sondheim on Sondheim
Collin Kelly-Sordelet – Broadway: The Last Ship (Young Gideon)
Jared Gertner – 2014 Olivier Award nominee West End, Broadway & National Tour of The Book Of Mormon (Elder Cunningham)
Veronica J. Kuehn – Broadway: Mamma Mia!, Xanadu; Off Broadway: Avenue Q
Neil McCaffrey – Broadway: Mary Poppins (Michael Banks), Bye, Bye Birdie (Randolph Macafee), Billy Elliot (Michael)
Monette McKay – Broadway: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, Memphis, Mamma Mia!
Constantine Rousouli – Broadway: Hairspray (Link), Ghost the Musical, Wicked
Jonathan Schwartz – Broadway’s Disney’s Aladdin (Omar)
Elizabeth Egan Gillies – Nickelodeon’s Victorious; Broadway: 13! The Musical
Lael Van Keuran – Broadway: Sister Act
Matt Ban – Broadway: Rock of Ages (Dennis)
Connor Buckley – Star of Fox-TV’s Surviving Jack with Chris Meloni (role of “Jack Dunlevy”)

CLICK HERE FOR IMAGES & HEADSHOTS OF STUDENTS SORTED BY TOWN

2018 CONSERVATORY STUDENTS BY TOWN

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is one of the country’s leading regional theaters. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

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