Accepting audition videos from students 10–18 years old

Now in its 27th year, the 2022 Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory will take place live June 27 —July 30, 2022 at Paper Mill Playhouse and the Paper Mill Studios in Milburn, New Jersey.  Students will be offered live training Monday through Friday for five weeks culminating in the annual New Voices Concert live on the Paper Mill stage. Also appearing will be numerous winners and nominees of the 2022 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards presented by the Investors Foundation, who win scholarships to attend the Conservatory.
The summer 2022 New Voices Concert is titled, “A Whole New World: A Tribute to the Music of Alan Menken”. This fully produced original concert celebrates the composer whose contributions to the American Musical Theater have helped shape the art form for the last 40 years. Performances are on July 29 and 30, 2022.

Auditions for the Summer Conservatory are through video submission. After review, select students will be invited to a live audition on Sunday, February 6 at the Paper Mill Studios. For audition video guidelines, submission instructions and other important information on tuition and available scholarships, click here.

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 technique-specific 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 the New Voices Concert. 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.

Returning to the theater is the Musical Theater Intensive, on hiatus since 2019 due to the pandemic. The two-week live training curriculum, designed to build and strengthen foundational theater skills will take place August 8–August 19, 2022. Singing, dancing, and acting classes are taught by Paper Mill’s professional artistic staff in smaller class settings allowing for students to work at their own pace and receive more individualized instruction. For audition video guidelines, submission instructions and other important information on tuition and available scholarships, click here.

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 Stroker (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 Joshua Dela Cruz (Blue’s Clues & You!).  For the full list of notable alumni, click here.

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Jacques Marra named head chef, debuts new menu at Brookside Cabaret

Paper Mill is pleased to announce the return of its wildly popular Brookside Cabaret starting Wednesday, June 9. The outdoor series, which debuted last summer, features world-class performers and fine dining under the stars at the F.M. Kirby Carriage House Restaurant. 

RESERVATIONS

Veteran singers of Paper Mill, Broadway, and beyond will return to the Brookside Cabaret for performances presented Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30PM, featuring Susan Speidel and Joe Regan (June 9–10, August 18–21), Gavin Lee (June 11–12), Kelli Rabke (June 16–19), Rema Webb (June 23–26), Alexander Kariotis (June 30–July 3), The Playbillies (July 7–10), Jenna Pastuszek (July 14–17), Kathryn Allison (July 21–24), Elena Shaddow (July 28–31), Marieann Meringolo (August 4–7), Elizabeth Ward Land (August 11–14), Dion Simmons Grier (August 25–28), Liz McCartney with Jimmy Horan (September 1–4), Kelli Rabke (September 8–11), Andrew Kober (September 15–18), Kathryn Allison (September 22, 23), and Nicholas Rodriguez (September 24, 25). More artists to be announced.

Brookside Cabaret and Dining are sponsored by JPMorgan Chase.

In addition to enjoying top-notch entertainment, patrons will get a first taste of Head Chef Jacques Marra’s menu, featuring upscale New American cuisine. Previously a chef at the Metropolitan Opera House for 13 years, Marra also headed the kitchens of upscale NYC eateries such as Quatorze and The Biltmore Room.

“I’m thrilled to be part of Paper Mill Playhouse and to serve members of my community as executive chef of the Carriage House Restaurant,” said Marra, a longtime Maplewood resident. “Good food can help make a night out at the theater even better, and I’m excited to kick off my tenure here with the Brookside Cabaret, which is such a perfect fusion of food and entertainment.”

“We are so fortunate to have Jacques Marra at the Carriage House,” said Mike Stotts, Managing Director of Paper Mill. “Not only is he a top chef and a wonderful person, but he has years of experience making sure audiences never miss a curtain! We can’t wait for Paper Mill audiences to experience his out-of-this-world cuisine.”

Brookside seating is $25 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, $35 on Fridays and Saturdays, plus a $30 food and drink minimum per person from a prix fixe menu. Courtyard (side view) seating is $25 plus a $20 food and drink minimum per person from a menu of small plates. Cabaret performances are subject to weather, with rain dates on Sunday evenings.

The Carriage House Restaurant at the F.M. Kirby Carriage House opens for alfresco dining at 5:30PM Wed–Sat beginning June 9. Reservations are required. CLICK HERE or call 973.315.1707.

RESERVATIONS

BROOKSIDE CABARET PERFORMERS 

June 9–10 and August 18–21: Susan Speidel and Joe Regan 
Susan Speidel and Joe Regan inaugurated the Brookside Cabaret series last summer and were courtyard favorites for their jolly renditions of standards and showtunes. Susan Speidel has appeared on the Paper Mill main stage and has presented cabaret shows in New York and beyond. She has been a soloist with symphonies and pops orchestras, and she has appeared in leading roles in Hello, Dolly!, Gypsy, Nunsense, Chicago, The Pirates of Penzance, Sweeney Todd, and more. Joe Regan is a fixture on the cabaret scene in the metropolitan area, appearing in piano bars and cabaret rooms as well as on international river cruises and at various resorts. He has been nominated numerous times as Outstanding Piano Bar Instrumentalist by the Manhattan Association of Cabaret.  

June 11–12: Gavin Lee: Steppin’ Out with Fred Astaire 

Gavin Lee reprises his rousing Brookside Cabaret program from last summer, Steppin’ Out with Fred Astaire. The two-time Tony Award nominee sings—and dances!—his way through the celebrated life of his favorite movie musical icon. Gavin appeared at Paper Mill as Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. His Broadway credits include Squidward in SpongeBob SquarePants (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), Thénardier in Les Misérables, and Bert in Mary Poppins (also West End; Olivier and Tony nominations, Drama Desk Award, Theatre World Award). Gavin also has performed at Carnegie Hall in Show Boat, at Madison Square Garden as The Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and at Goodspeed in the world premiere of Holiday Inn. His TV guest star and recurring roles include Law & Order: SVU, Little America, The Good Wife, and White Collar. Instagram: @gavinleeofficial 

June 16–19: Kelli Rabke: Tiny Giants 

Kelli Rabke brings her brand-new show to the Brookside Cabaret, celebrating big—though small—ladies of song in Tiny Giants: Petite Powerhouses from Garland to Gaga. In this salute to Edith Piaf, Bette Midler, Stevie Nicks, and many more, Kelli and her trio (John Fischer, piano; Sean Harkness, guitar) perform unforgettable songs from nine decades of popular music. Kelli got her “big break” as Dorothy in Paper Mill Playhouse’s The Wizard of Oz and went on to play the Narrator in the Broadway revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (US cast recording), and Éponine in Les Misérables on Broadway, among others, and she returned to Paper Mill in the landmark production of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden. Kelli is now a staple in the NYC cabaret world. Her first solo cabaret debuted to a sold-out crowd at Feinstein’s/54 Below, and she has since been featured in shows ranging from Sondheim to Streisand to Bernstein. www.kellirabke.com 

June 23–26: Rema Webb: Billie and Me 

Rema Webb returns to the Brookside Cabaret with a special tribute to the legendary Billie Holiday. Rema is a Broadway veteran who made her Paper Mill debut in the world premiere of Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and appeared in the virtual Sing in a New Year! this past season. Last fall she took on the title role in Fannie Lou Hamer, Speak on It! at Premiere Stages, and she was previously featured in the Public Theater/Disney Theatrical production of Hercules at the Delacorte. Rema’s Broadway credits include Escape to Margaritaville, The Color Purple, Violet, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, and Ragtime. Her resume also boasts numerous Off-Broadway and regional productions, plus television and film work including The Sound of Music Live!, First Born, and Murphy Brown. Rema is the founder and executive director of On Broadway Performing Arts Training Program. www.remawebb.com 

June 30–July 3: Alexander Kariotis  

One of the most distinctive operatic tenors on the international music scene, Alexander Kariotis has sung leading roles in La Bohème, Tosca, and Pagliacci, to name a few. As a classical crossover artist, he also possesses a powerful, searing rock voice likened to Steve Perry and Freddie Mercury. Together he and his Rock Opera Orchestra (piano, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums) weave timeless operatic arias into soaring rock melodies (with a second album set for release in October), and their Brookside Cabaret debut will encompass innovative arrangements of the greatest hits of the opera and rock worlds plus Broadway favorites, leaving audiences both exhilarated and breathless. www.alexanderkariotis.com 

July 7–10: The Playbillies 

The Playbillies, Broadway’s bluegrass band, are Matt Cusack (bass), Mike Rosengarten (banjo), Sam Sherwood (guitar), and Douglas Waterbury-Tieman (fiddle). The quartet was formed when Mike turned to Matt and Douglas and said, “Man, these show tunes are great, but I just wish there were more banjo.” They readily agreed, grabbed their friend Sam, and took off on an adventure to “bluegrassify” every show tune they could! Since 2016, the Playbillies have continued to share original arrangements, marrying two of America’s greatest traditions—bluegrass and Broadway—via social media, live concerts, and private events. Their lively, eclectic set list includes favorites from Chicago, Bandstand, Fiddler on the Roof, Rent, Hello, Dolly!, even Bruce Springsteen, and more. theplaybillies.wixsite.com 

July 14–17 : Jenna Pastuszek: Get Happy!

The vibrant singer-actor Jenna Pastuszek and musical director Joshua Zecher-Ross celebrate the world’s greatest entertainer, Judy Garland, in Get Happy!—not an impersonation show, but a cleverly curated set list of both classics and forgotten gems honoring Judy Garland’s legacy. Lifelong Judy fans will enjoy songs from The Wizard of Oz, Easter Parade, Judy at Carnegie Hall, Judy at The Palace, The Judy Garland Show, and more, while the younger generation will discover an artist who truly transcends time. “Forget your troubles” and join us for a wonderful time! www.jennap.com 

July 21–24: Kathryn Allison: The Sophisticated Ladies of Broadway and R&B  

Kathryn Allison made a rousing Brookside Cabaret debut last summer and returns, along with music director Elijah Caldwell, to impress with her soulful powerhouse vocals. She was first seen on the Paper Mill Playhouse stage as a student and performer in New Voices and has since appeared on Broadway in Aladdin, Wicked, and the current revival of Company; in concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Joe’s Pub, and Rockwood Music Hall; and in Paper Mill’s streaming Sing in a New Year! celebration. Other TV/film and recording credits include John Cameron Mitchell’s Anthem: Homunculus, Loveville High, Elementary, The Bachelorette, and more. Her debut album, Something Real, was released in 2019. www.kathryn-allison.com  

July 28–31: Elena Shaddow with Meg Zervoulis 

Elena Shaddow, a familiar face at Paper Mill, makes her Brookside Cabaret debut lending her glorious soprano stylings to favorite Broadway tunes and love songs. She appeared on the main stage as Mary in Mary Poppins, Mother in A Christmas Story, Maria in The Sound of Music, Lili in Carnival!, as well as in the virtual Sing in a New Year!. Broadway: The Visit, La Cage aux Folles, The Bridges of Madison County, The Woman in White, Fiddler on the Roof, Nine, Sweet Smell of Success, Les Misérables. NYC, tour, and regional credits include Anna in The King and I, Clara in The Light in the Piazza, Fanny in Fanny at City Center Encores!, The Bacchae at the Public, Marian in The Music Man (Muny), Francesca in The Bridges of Madison County (Williamstown), Olivia in Twelfth Night (Shakespeare NJ). Concerts with the Orchestra of Saint Luke’s at Carnegie Hall, Royal Philharmonic at the Royal Albert Hall, Pacific Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, and others. www.elenashaddow.net 

August 4–7: Marieann Meringolo: Between Yesterday and Tomorrow 

Award-winning recording artist and entertainer Marieann Meringolo makes her Brookside Cabaret debut with her critically acclaimed show, Between Yesterday and Tomorrow, celebrating the three-time Academy Award–winning songwriting team of Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The Bergmans have written lyrics not only for numerous television shows, films, and stage musicals, but also for some of the biggest and best singers of our time: Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Michael Jackson, Johnny Mathis, and most notably Barbra Streisand, who has recorded 64 of their songs. Marieann’s heart-soaring tribute, directed by Will Nunziata with music direction by Doyle Newmyer, transports audiences with such unforgettable favorites as “The Way We Were,” “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?,” “Where Do You Start?,” “Nice ’n’ Easy,” “That Face”, “The Windmills of Your Mind”, “It Might Be You,” and more. www.marieannmeringolo.com 

August 11–14: Elizabeth Ward Land: Still Within the Sound of My Voice 

Elizabeth Ward Land returns with her moving Linda Ronstadt tribute concert, Still Within the Sound of My Voice, which drew audience raves last summer at the Brookside Cabaret; it won the 2020 Bistro Award for Outstanding Tribute Show. Liz is known for her versatile career encompassing musicals, plays, concerts, voice-overs, commercials, film, and television. Her Broadway, Off Broadway, tour, and regional credits include Amazing Grace, Memphis, Passion, Sunset Boulevard, Curvy Widow, City of Angels, Les Misérables, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Singin’ in the Rain, and more. She’s performed sold-out concerts at the Green Room 42, 54 Below, SOPAC, and elsewhere across the country. Liz’s acclaimed debut CD, First Harvest, is available on iTunes. www.elizabethwardland.com 

August 25–28: Dion Simmons Grier

Dion Simmons Grier is a lifelong Jersey boy and earned his BFA at Montclair State University. Twice a Rising Star Award nominee, he attended Paper Mill’s Summer Musical Theater Conservatory, performed in New Voices, and was cast in the main stage production of Sister Act (rescheduled to 2022). Dion’s other professional credits include Nicely Nicely in Guys and Dolls and Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors at Theatre Aspen. He has performed in cabarets, concerts, and musicals at various venues including Lincoln Center and NJPAC. Instagram: @DionSimmons_  

September 1–4: Liz McCartney with Jimmy Horan

Liz McCartney has appeared at Paper Mill in Pirates!, Mary Poppins, and Ever After, but perhaps most notably as Ursula in The Little Mermaid. On Broadway, she performed in My Fair Lady, Sunday in the Park with George starring Jake Gyllenhaal, South Pacific, Annie, The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Les Misérables. Liz created the roles of Sue Tilly in the Boy George musical Taboo and Rebecca in Dance of the Vampires. She was part of the City Center Encores! productions of Road Show, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, and Carnival with another Paper Mill alum, Anne Hathaway. She has toured in Cinderella (Fairy Godmother), Wicked (Madame Morrible), and The Little Mermaid. She received a Joseph Jefferson nomination for her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd at Chicago’s Drury Lane Theatre. Other regional highlights include Souvenir (Florence Foster Jenkins) and Into the Woods (The Witch). Liz has received two best actress awards from the New York Musical Theatre Festival and a Backstage Bistro Award for her show Rosemary and Time: A Musical Biography of Rosemary Clooney. She has appeared on TV and film, at cabarets around New York, and can be heard on several cast albums. She is also a writer, composer, and costume designer.

September 8–11: Kelli Rabke: Tiny Giants 

Kelli Rabke brings her brand-new show to the Brookside Cabaret, celebrating big—though small—ladies of song in Tiny Giants: Petite Powerhouses from Garland to Gaga. In this salute to Edith Piaf, Bette Midler, Stevie Nicks, and many more, Kelli and her trio (John Fischer, piano; Sean Harkness, guitar) perform unforgettable songs from nine decades of popular music. Kelli got her “big break” as Dorothy in Paper Mill Playhouse’s The Wizard of Oz and went on to play the Narrator in the Broadway revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (US cast recording), and Éponine in Les Misérables on Broadway, among others, and she returned to Paper Mill in the landmark production of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden. Kelli is now a staple in the NYC cabaret world. Her first solo cabaret debuted to a sold-out crowd at Feinstein’s/54 Below, and she has since been featured in shows ranging from Sondheim to Streisand to Bernstein. www.kellirabke.com 

September 15–18: Andrew Kober 

Andrew Kober makes his courtyard debut after appearing in both Cinderella and Unmasked at Paper Mill. Broadway: Beautiful, School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George, She Loves Me, Les Misérables, Hair. National Tour: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Off Broadway and regional: Roundabout Theatre Company, the Public Theater, MCC, New York Theatre Workshop, the Old Globe, Yale Rep, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bucks County Playhouse, Denver Center Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, and four summers at Shakespeare in the Park. TV: Fosse/Verdon (FX Network), Ray Donovan (Showtime), House of Cards (Netflix), Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Blue Bloods (CBS), Pan Am (ABC), The Plot Against America (HBO). Twitter: @andrewkober 

September 22, 23: Kathryn Allison: The Sophisticated Ladies of Broadway and R&B  

Kathryn Allison made a rousing Brookside Cabaret debut last summer and returns, along with featuring music director Elijah Caldwell, to impress with her soulful powerhouse vocals. She was first seen on the Paper Mill Playhouse stage as a student and performer in New Voices and has since appeared on Broadway in Aladdin, Wicked, and the current revival of Company; in concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Joe’s Pub, and Rockwood Music Hall; and in Paper Mill’s streaming Sing in a New Year! celebration. Other TV/film and recording credits include John Cameron Mitchell’s Anthem: Homunculus, Loveville High, Elementary, The Bachelorette, and more. Her debut album, Something Real, was released in 2019. www.kathryn-allison.com  

September 24, 25: Nicholas Rodriguez  

Nicholas Rodriguez wowed Brookside audiences last summer and has starred in Paper Mill’s productions of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn and Some Enchanted Evening and has had an extensive career on Broadway, film, and the concert stage. He toured the US as Captain Georg Von Trapp in The Sound of Music directed by Jack O’Brien. Off-Broadway he starred in The Toxic Avenger and Almost Heaven: Songs of John Denver as well as numerous regional theater productions around the country; he earned a Helen Hayes Award for his portrayal of Curly in Oklahoma! at Arena Stage in Washington, DC, as well as nominations for My Fair Lady and Carousel. His debut album, The First Time…, based on his one-man show of the same name, fuses Rodriguez’s love of theater with jazz, blues, folk and pop. He is perhaps best known for the role of Nick Chavez on ABC’s One Life to Live, for which he received the GLAAD Media Award and the 2009 Visibility Award. www.thenickrod.com 

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“TOGETHER AT HOME” 

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 

Honoring Merck with an evening featuring special guests Andy Blankenbuehler, Deborah Cox, Beth Leavel, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rob McClure, Alan Menken, Chita Rivera, Stephen Schwartz, Susan Stroman, and more
plus students from Paper Mill education programs.

(Millburn, NJ) Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Mike Stotts-Managing Director) is hosting its largest fundraising event of the year, the Paper Mill Playhouse Together at Home Gala, to be held virtually on Friday, June 4, 2021. The event will be hosted on Virtual Tables, a unique, interactive platform designed to evoke the excitement and glamour of Paper Mill’s in-person galas. The virtual cocktail party begins at 6:30pm, followed by a star-studded one-hour program at 7:00pm that will include performances, tributes, and a live auction including a chance to bid on tickets to Elton John’s Final Farewell at Madison Square Garden Concert and a New York Yankees luxury suite experience for two people to watch the game with world series champion players. Silent auction will be active during the event and continue until 10:00pm the night of the event. 

The gala is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank, FirstEnergy, and David Yurman. In addition to VIP tickets, show-only tickets are available for a suggested donation of $30. All proceeds from the gala support Paper Mill’s world-class productions, professional training programs, celebrated arts education programs, and community outreach. 

“This year’s event is more critical than ever,” said Mike Stotts, Paper Mill’s managing director. “The proceeds from our gala will help ensure that we are ready to launch an exciting season of live theater this fall, bring students back to our Theater School for in-person instruction, and serve our most vulnerable children through our Theater for Everyone program.” 
 

“This gala promises to be an entertaining and fun way to support the theater when we need it most,” said Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee. “We’ve lined up several of Paper Mill’s favorite artists to perform and reminisce about their experiences at our theater. There will also be a chance to bid on many exciting auction items. After a long and trying year, this will be an especially joyful celebration.” 

This year’s honoree is Merck, a longtime partner of Paper Mill and steadfast supporter of the performing arts. Paula Alston, Vice President of Facilities at Merck, will receive the Byrne/Keane Arts Advocate Award. And special recognition will be given to the Paper Mill staff for their tireless dedication over the past year.  

“We are thrilled to honor our longtime partner Merck, whose support makes some of our core programs possible,” said Gala Chair Carolyn Ferolito. “And it was especially important to us to recognize the devoted staff members of Paper Mill, who went above and beyond to keep our theater afloat while the world was shut down. Our staff members often don’t get accolades for the critical work they do behind the scenes, but all of them are stars. And this year more than ever, they deserve a standing ovation.”  

For more information on the Paper Mill Playhouse Gala or to purchase individual tickets, tables, or raffle tickets, please contact Leigh Schaedel at 973-315-1663 or lschaedel@papermill.org, or visit Paper Mill’s website at www.papermill.org/support-us/events/. 

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 Mike Stotts (Managing Director). A beloved NJ 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 of 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. 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. 

www.PaperMill.org
facebook.com/PaperMillPlayhouse
Twitter: @paper_mill
Instagram: papermillplayhouse

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SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD
A JOLLY HOLIDAY WITH DISNEY ON BROADWAY
CLUE
THE WANDERER (World Premiere)
SISTER ACT

MILLBURN, NJ (May 18, 2021) — Paper Mill Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee and Managing Director Michael Stotts have announced the lineup for the upcoming reopening season and look forward to welcoming audiences back to the theater for live performances.

The Paper Mill Playhouse 2021–2022 lineup includes three eagerly anticipated productions that were postponed from previous seasons—Sister Act, Clue, and the world-premiere musical The Wanderer. Season subscriptions are on sale now and are available by visiting the theater’s website at www.PaperMill.org. Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2021–2022 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank.

Paper Mill will open its 2021–2022 season with Songs for a New World, the groundbreaking musical that put Tony Award–winning composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown on the map (October 13–November 7, 2021). From the deck of a Spanish sailing ship bound for a new land to the ledge of a Fifth Avenue penthouse, Songs for a New World transports audiences through time to meet a startling array of characters on the brink of a life-changing decision. Brown (Honeymoon in Vegas, Parade, The Bridges of Madison County) weaves their stories together in a powerful collection of songs that examine life, love, and the choices we make. Carolyn Cantor (Paper Mill’s Diary of Anne Frank) directs.

Next up, Paper Mill brings audiences a delightful show for the whole family—A Jolly Holiday with Disney on Broadway (December 1, 2021–January 2, 2022). Some of Broadway’s brightest stars will perform hits from Disney’s biggest Broadway shows in this festive concert. Enjoy your favorite songs from The Lion King, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, Aladdin, Hercules, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Aida, High School Musical, Freaky Friday, and Frozen. Like Mary Poppins herself, this show is guaranteed to make your heart feel light!

Murder and blackmail are back on the menu with Clue (January 26–February 20, 2022), which gets its Paper Mill production after a postponement from the fall of 2020. Casey Hushion (Paper Mill’s upcoming streaming production of Beehive) directs this hilarious farce-meets-murder-mystery based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro game. Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? One of America’s most treasured pieces of pop culture comes to the stage in a production that will leave you dying of laughter.

The season continues with the long-awaited world-premiere musical The Wanderer (March 24–April 24, 2022), rescheduled from the 2019–2020 season, directed by Kenneth Ferrone and choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby. The new musical is based on the life and music of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dion DiMucci, an Italian-American kid from the Bronx who 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. The Wanderer is the riveting true story of New York’s rebel king, the man Bruce Springsteen calls “the link between Frank Sinatra and rock and roll.” Starring Michael Wartella (Chasing Rainbows, Wicked) as Dion, Christy Altomare (Anastasia), and Joey McIntyre (Wicked, Waitress, New Kids on the Block). The Wanderer is written by Charles Messina (A Room of My Own) and is produced in association with Jill Menza and Charles Messina.

And finally, the sisters will sing when Sister Act takes the stage (June 1–26, 2022) after a postponement from 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 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.

“We are so thrilled that we are able to bring three of our previously postponed shows into next season—Sister Act, Clue, and the world premiere of The Wanderer,” said Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director of the Millburn theater. “And the entire family of course will enjoy A Jolly Holiday on Broadway with Disney. We chose to kick off this reopening season with Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World, because right now all of us are re-emerging into a new world. At this moment, we need the power of theater to help us begin to heal and move forward. After this long, dark year, we are ecstatic to be able to welcome live audiences back to Paper Mill for a season filled with music, laughter, and light.”

“We simply could not have made it through this crisis without the support of the loyal subscribers and donors who have kept our theater going and our spirits lifted while our doors have been closed,” said Managing Director Michael Stotts. “Thanks to their generosity, we were able not only to survive but to emerge ready and able to continue producing the world-class musical theater for which Paper Mill is renowned. We are eternally grateful, and our hearts are full. All of us at Paper Mill Playhouse look forward to turning the lights back on and welcoming our Paper Mill family back to our theater for a joyful 2021–2022 season!”

“After the devastating year we all have endured, the 2021-2022 season of Paper Mill Playhouse is a beacon of hope. Investors Bank is honored to provide its support, particularly for the inspiration, enrichment, and arts education Paper Mill brings to our students, our families, and our community. We are proud to see the lights shining and the curtain going up on the treasure that is Paper Mill’s new season.” said Investors Bank Chairman and CEO Kevin Cummings.

Paper Mill Playhouse continues to prepare for the most responsible opening possible and will reopen in the fall with a thorough Covid safety plan that incorporates the latest recommendations from its medical advisors and the CDC. The theater will announce the full details of our finalized plan over the summer. The health and safety of patrons, artists, and staff remains Paper Mill’s top priority as they plan their return.

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 $114. Each subscription package includes a different level of special benefits (see www.PaperMill.org for details). Accessibly priced youth subscriptions are available for children under 18 with the purchase of an adult subscription. Tickets to individual shows will be on sale beginning September 7. That date may be adjusted if there are continuing unknowns about mandated Covid-related capacity and distancing restrictions. Visit www.Papermill.org for the most up-to-date information. Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling 973.671.4355, or online at www.PaperMill.org. The box office will reopen in person on September 7 at noon. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2021-2022 SEASON

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD

Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Carolyn Cantor
Oct 13–Nov 7, 2021

It’s about one moment, that moment you think you know where you stand…

This groundbreaking musical put Tony Award–winning composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown on the map. From the deck of a Spanish sailing ship bound for a new land to the ledge of a Fifth Avenue penthouse, Songs for a New World transports audiences through time to meet a startling array of characters on the brink of a life-changing decision. Brown (Honeymoon in Vegas, Parade, The Bridges of Madison County) weaves their stories together in a powerful collection of songs that examine life, love, and the choices we make.

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A JOLLY HOLIDAY WITH DISNEY ON BROADWAY

Dec 1, 2021–Jan 2, 2022

A merry and magical celebration for the whole family

Celebrate the holidays with some of Broadway’s brightest stars performing hits from Disney’s biggest Broadway shows in this festive concert. Enjoy your favorite songs from The Lion King, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, Aladdin, Hercules, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Aida, High School Musical, Freaky Friday and Frozen. Like Mary Poppins herself, this show is guaranteed to make your heart feel light!

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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
Jan 26–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.

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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 New York’s rebel king

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 Michael Wartella (Chasing Rainbows, Wicked) as Dion, Christy Altomare (Anastasia), and Joey McIntyre (Wicked, Waitress, New Kids on the Block).

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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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Paper Mill Playhouse offers its audiences the opportunity to enhance their theater experience with behind-the-scenes views of mainstage productions.  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.  Visit the Paper Mill Playhouse website at www.PaperMill.org for dates for our Director’s Viewpoint Series, Conversation Club Series, Q&As with the cast, and more.

Paper Mill Playhouse 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.

Programs, dates, and artists are subject to change.

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 NJ 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 of 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. 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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www.PaperMill.org
facebook.com/PaperMillPlayhouse
Twitter: @paper_mill
Instagram: papermillplayhouse

The post PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE ANNOUNCES 2021–2022 SEASON AND PLANS TO REOPEN IN THE FALL appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

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LIST OF NOMINEES & WINNERS

2021 Rising Star Awards Program

As one of the nation’s leading theaters, Paper Mill Playhouse has a well-earned reputation for launching both performers and shows for Broadway. The theater was the recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award. Since their inception in 1996, the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater presented by the Investors Foundation have ignited the careers of many notable performers, all of whom attended high school in New Jersey. Among the early nominees and winners are Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables), Tony Award winners Laura Benanti (Gypsy) and Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Tony nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin), Shanice Williams, star of NBC’s The Wiz Live! and Olivier Award nominee Jared Gertner (The Book of Mormon).

This year’s award recipients will be announced during the 2021 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards Presented by the Investors Foundation, which will stream on Paper Mill Playhouse YouTube and Facebook outlets on Monday, June 7 at 7PM.

Among the top nominated high school performances and student achievement efforts, Delaware Valley Regional HS has five nominations, Ridge HS has four nominations, and St. Peter’s Preparatory School, Union HS and Madison HS each have three nominations.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic caused rolling school building closures and social distancing restrictions, leaving many New Jersey high schools unable to produce a traditional musical at their schools with a live audience.  Despite the restrictions, theater educators found new ways to teach students with strict Covid protocols in place, or explored new concepts for virtual rehearsals and performances.

With this in mind, Paper Mill launched an abridged Rising Star Awards program that preserves essential elements that serve both students and teachers and continues to provide a meaningful recognition platform for the school community.  Paper Mill welcomed video submissions of student performances for a shorter list of categories: Outstanding Solo Performance by an Actor and Actress; Outstanding Performance by a Small Ensemble and Large Ensemble; the Student Achievement Awards for non-performance contributions; the Rising Star Scholarships for graduating seniors and the Theater for Everyone Inclusion and Access Award.  A new honor, Outstanding Educator Award, has been added. Winners will receive the crystal Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award made exclusively by Tiffany & Company.

“After a most difficult year, the Rising Star Awards are a testament to the determination and commitment of student performers and the dedication of the teachers involved in high school theater programs,” said Investors Bank Chairman and CEO Kevin Cummings. “Investors Bank is proud to present the awards and to encourage students to rise up each day in pursuit of their dreams. You are the essence of the show business mantra, ‘the show must go on.'”

In addition to recognizing performances, Paper Mill Playhouse will award $5,000 in scholarships at the awards ceremony.  Five $1,000 cash scholarships are given to outstanding individual students who plan to continue studying theater performance, education, or technical theater in college. In addition, Paper Mill Playhouse is pleased to award a prize of $1,000 to a school receiving the 2021 Rising Star “Theatre for Everyone” Inclusion and Access Award, a partnership with the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, to recognize excellence in the promotion and practice of creative inclusion of students and adults with disabilities as performers, designers, musicians, and production staff. This award seeks to recognize and reward a school that takes steps to ensure their performances are accessible to audiences with disabilities.

New to the Rising Star Awards in 2021 is the Outstanding Educator Award which will put the spotlight on educators nominated by their home school districts for their distinguished service to their students and theater programs.  A $1,000 prize will be granted to the recipients’ school theater programs.

Lastly, students receiving a Final Nomination in the Outstanding Performance by an Actor and Actress categories will receive a full scholarship prize to attend Paper Mill Playhouse’s competitive professional training program, the Summer Musical Theater Conservatory, at the Millburn theater during the month of July. Conservatory students take advanced classes in singing, acting and dance on a hybrid schedule – both in-studio and online—and will appear in the filmed musical theater montage, New Voices of 2021: Stand By Me.  New Voices is directed by Paper Mill’s professional creative staff and will be filmed in July with a World Premiere in September.

Rising Star scholarships are made possible by Ruth Bedford in memory of Jane Burgio, Walt Santner in honor of Janet Sovey, and the Douglas Michael Krueger Scholarship Fund Trust.

The 2021 Rising Star Awards Ceremony and the “Theater for Everyone” Inclusion and Access Award are part of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance 2021 Stages Festival, made possible by support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts; Bank of America; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; OceanFirst Foundation; the George A. Ohl, Jr. Trust; New Jersey Historical Commission; and Fund for the New Jersey Blind. njtheatrealliance.org/stages

LIST OF NOMINEES & WINNERS

 OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS NOMINEES

Alex Belle, Collier HS, “My New Philosophy” from YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN

Emma Casertano, Ocean County Vocational Technical Schools-Grunin Performing Arts Academy, “The Music and the Mirror” from A CHORUS LINE

Leonor Fontanez, Delaware Valley Regional HS, “Cleaning Women” from WORKING

Halle Lipton, St. Peter’s Preparatory School, “Lying There” from EDGES: A SONG CYCLE

Kyra Longenecker, Madison HS, “I Want to Go to Hollywood” from GRAND HOTEL

Khadijah Sankoh, Union HS, “Waiting for Life” from ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

Yemie Woo, Pascack Hills HS, “Fabulous Baby” from SISTER ACT – WINNER

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR NOMINEES

Will DeLargy, Morristown HS, “All I Care About is Love” from CHICAGO

Collin Flanagan, Madison HS, The Lady Must be Mad” from ILYRIA

Michael Bryant Kessie, Delaware Valley Regional HS, “Joe” from WORKING – WINNER

Nicholas Matos, St. Peter’s Preparatory School, “Monticello” from EDGES: A SONG CYCLE

Miguel Ramirez, Lawrence HS, “Dulcinea” from MAN OF LA MANCHA

Max Rodriguez, Ridge HS, “Gus: The Theatre Cat” from CATS

Jonah Ruderman, Livingston HS, “Who I’d Be” from SHREK: THE MUSICAL

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A SMALL ENSEMBLE NOMINEES

County Prep HS, ”The Most Amazing Thing” from LITTLE WOMEN, featuring Ivellisses Segovia, Mathew Segovia, Kayla Velazquez

Delaware Valley Regional HS, Brother Trucker” from WORKING, featuring Michael Bryant Kessie, Dakota Krouse, Maddy Clyde, Mark Westling, Gabi Pfefferte, Tori Kelly

Ocean County Vocational Technical Schools-Grunin Performing Arts Academy, ”Sing” from A CHORUS LINE, featuring William Einbinder, Gabriella DeBenedict

Pinelands Regional HS, ”Secrets” from THE ADDAMS FAMILY, featuring Nadia Vito, Lily Targett

Ridge HS, Macavity” from CATS, featuring Elisabeth Schmitt, Eileen Brady, Eve Armstrong, Samantha Rascio, Morgan Connell, Gabriella Hairston, Jordan Perla – WINNER

Summit HS, ”King of New York” from NEWSIES, featuring Sydney Veloso, Hope Pierotti, Avery Johnson, Anna Sullivan, Theo Errig, Ethan Engmann

Union HS, ”Forever Yours” from ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, featuring Khadijah Sankoh, Makayla Michel

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A LARGE ENSEMBLE NOMINEES

Columbia HS, “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from HAIRSPRAY

Delaware Valley Regional HS, All the Livelong Day” from WORKING

Madison HS, ”On My Way” from VIOLET

Ridge HS,  “The Jellicle Ball” from CATS

St. Peter’s Preparatory School, “Become” from EDGES: A SONG CYCLE

Summit HS, “Seize the Day” from NEWSIES – WINNER

Union HS, “Mama Will Provide” from ONCE ON THIS ISLAND

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD NOMINEES

Atlantic County Institute of Technology, Dominic Roberts, Dance Captain – WINNER

Bridgewater-Raritan HS, Liz Driscoll, Dance Captain

Bridgewater Raritan HS, Sophia Pedroso, Stage Manager – WINNER

Delaware Valley Regional HS, Simon Kinderman, Designer: Cinematography/Production/Pit – WINNER

Immaculate Heart Academy, Grace Capeless, Assistant Director/Film Editor – WINNER

José Martí STEM Academy, Felix Tavarez, Assistant Choreographer

José Martí STEM Academy, Clarisse Moreno, Kathy Bernal, Oliver Villalta, Writing Team – WINNER

Morristown HS Lorelei Eck, Student Director

Mount Saint Dominic Academy, Hema Davalla & Sophia Garske, Production Stage Managers

Mount Saint Dominic Academy, Kiera Carbone, Ava Ciauro, Lynn Jean-Baptiste, Sound Board Operators

Pascack Hills HS, Valentina Cannao, Scenic Designer & Assistant Director

Piscataway HS, Melly Merida, Scenic Illustrations – WINNER

Randolph HS, Kathleen Brennan, Christine Hamilton, Jilliane Najera, Digital Designers

Ridge HS, Morgan Beatty, Student, Director – WINNER

Summit HS, Emma MacPherson, Costume Crew Head – WINNER

Toms River HS North, Archie Bird, Tech Crew – WINNER

Voorhees HS, Owen Tabor, Choreographer/Dance Captain

Westfield HS, Ben Zakharenko, Sound Designer – WINNER

Westfield HS, Josh Saxon, Scenic Designer / Asst. Technical Director

OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARD NOMINEES

Elizabeth Volpe, Atlantic County Institute of Technology

Pete Gambino, Cherry Hill HS East

Michael Penna, Collier HS

John Giresi, Fair Lawn HS – WINNER

Jim DeVivo, Holmdel HS

Blake Spence, Madison HS

Cindy Dwyer, Mater Dei Prep – WINNER

Jodi Bosch, Mount Olive HS

Jensyn Modero, Mount Saint Dominic Academy

Bart DiFrancia, Pinelands Regional HS

Anne Poyner, Summit HS – WINNER

Steven Collins, Union County Academy for Performing Arts

Nancy Reynolds, Voorhees HS

THEATER FOR EVERYONE INCLUSION AND ACCESS AWARD NOMINEES

Collier HS

Madison HS – WINNER

Piscataway HS

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Dear Paper Mill Family of Supporters,

On behalf of the board of trustees, staff, crew, volunteers and artists of Paper Mill Playhouse, we want to thank you–members of the community, donors, funders, subscribers, ticket buyers, students, and parents for your stalwart and unflagging support of this beloved theater. For many of you, we know that Paper Mill has been central to your lives for many years. For some of you, decades.

The theater was founded in 1938. It has survived floods and fires. It has survived near financial ruin. It now must survive COVID-19 and its aftermath. Many of you will remember that we nearly closed our doors for good in 2007. It was through the collective efforts of all of you who are considered part of the Paper Mill Family that we survived. And not only survived, but we thrived. The past eight years have proven to be some of the best in our 82 year history. We would not be where we are today, if you all were not here cheering us on. We need you to keep cheering, and to cheer louder than ever.

As you know, we have cancelled or postponed productions, performances, classes, and our annual gala as well. We are still hoping to bring you Sister Act this season; if there is ANY possibility of us opening our doors soon, we will do all within our power and might to do it.

Paper Mill Playhouse today operates with a staff and crew of over 100 individuals. With artists and additional technical support, we employ well over 600 people annually. As you make choices about how to support your community during this time, please consider making a donation to Paper Mill Playhouse by clicking HERE.

Your donation right now will directly support our employees and the artists of Paper Mill. We are working very hard right now to bring you a new season of extraordinary entertainment that will lift you up, and indeed lift up all of the restaurants and businesses in Millburn that support Paper Mill. 

We are all dazed and in shock with the circumstances of the world right now. We know you are too. From the bottom of our hearts, we hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. And that we all heal after this is over.

With love and gratitude,

Mark S. Hoebee                              Mike Stotts

Producing Artistic Director          Managing Director

The post A LETTER TO OUR FAMILY AND SUPPORTERS appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

Find Tickets

Paper Mill Playhouse will begin the new year with the world premiere Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and written with Richard Curtis.  Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber runs Jan 30—March 1, 2020.  JPMorgan Chase & Co.  is the major sponsor of Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. The 2019–2020 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank. Opening Night is Sunday evening, February 9, 2020 at 7PM.

Directed and choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter (School of Rock, Paper Mill’s Cinderella), with music direction by Michael Patrick Walker, the cast will feature Nicholas Edwards (Frozen), Alex Finke (Come From Away), Alyssa Giannetti (Love Never Dies), Jeremy Landon Hays (The Phantom of the Opera), Kara Haller (School of Rock), Amy Justman (Company), Andrew Kober (School of Rock, Paper Mill’s Cinderella), Angel Lozada (NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar), Mauricio Martinez (On Your Feet!), Bronson Norris Murphy (Love Never Dies), Mamie Parris (School of Rock, Cats), Dave Schoonover (Love Never Dies, Paper Mill’s Cinderella), and Rema Webb (Escape to Margaritaville).

The production team includes scenic and costume design by Alexander Dodge (Paper Mill’s Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz, A Gentleman’s Guide…, Anastasia), lighting design by Tony Award nominee Ed McCarthy (Tony Awards, Kathleen Turner: Finding My Voice), and sound design by Jon Weston (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Big Fish). The Production Stage Manager is Frank Lombardi. Max Quinlan will serve as associate director and Liz Ramos will serve as associate choreographer. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting.

Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wed–Sun and will play the following schedule: Wed at 7:30PM, Thu at 1:30PM and 7:30PM, Fri at 8:00PM, Sat at 1:30PM and 8PM, and Sun at 1:30PM and 7:00PM. Tickets start at $32 and may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, or clicking here. All major credit cards accepted. Groups of 10 or more may receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Students may order $20 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance.

MEET THE COMPANY

NICHOLAS EDWARDS is thrilled to be back in his home state and making his debut at Paper Mill Playhouse! Broadway: Frozen (ensemble, u/s Kristoff, u/s Pabbie). Off Broadway: Spamilton. National Tours: Les Misérables (ensemble, u/s Enjolras), Sister Act (Pablo). DC Area: Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus, Signature Theatre). Other credits include Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman and Judah in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. BFA, Musical Theatre, Montclair State University.

ALEX FINKE was most recently seen as Janice & Others in the hit Broadway musical Come From Away. Other credits include: Broadway: Les Misérables (Cosette); Off Broadway: Johanna in the critically acclaimed revival of Sweeney Todd at Barrow Street Theatre; First National Tour: Anything Goes (Hope Harcourt); Regional: The Unsinkable Molly Brown at the Denver Center, Footloose at PCLO, Music Theatre Wichita. University of Michigan, BFA, Musical Theatre.

ALYSSA GIANNETTI is thrilled to be performing at Paper Mill Playhouse for the first time. She made her professional debut as the Christine Daaé understudy and ensemble swing with the first national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies. Originally from Bloomfield Hills, MI, Alyssa holds a BM in Voice and Opera Performance from Northwestern University.

KARA HALLER. Paper Mill debut! Broadway: School of Rock. National Tours: School of Rock (first national), Beauty and the Beast. Select regional: Harmony (Ahmanson Theatre), Anything Goes (Ogunquit Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse), Beauty and the Beast (Musical Theatre West).

JEREMY LANDON HAYS. Broadway: The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul), Les Misérables. National Tour: Les Misérables (Enjolras, originating at Paper Mill), Cats (Tugger). Television: The Oath (Crackle), Bull (CBS), FBI (CBS), The Blacklist (NBC), Broad City (Comedy Central). Film: Compliance (FX, starring Mary Louise Parker), Sometime Other Than Now (starring Kate Walsh). Jeremy has penned the book to Everything in the Dim Light, a new Broadway musical currently in development, with music and lyrics by The Bones, adapted from the Thomas Hardy novel Far from the Madding Crowd. Jeremy has also written two television pilots, Buried Deep and Take the Black.

AMY JUSTMAN. Paper Mill debut! Broadway: Carousel, In Transit, The Phantom of the Opera, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, White Christmas, Company (PBS Great Performances). National Tour: The Phantom of the Opera. New York: Passion (Classic Stage Company), four Encores! shows. Regional: Cincinnati Playhouse, Baltimore Center Stage, Flat Rock Playhouse, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Opera and concert credits include prisoner of the state (New York Philharmonic), Bernstein’s Mass (Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), A Midsummer’s Night Dream (New York City Ballet), and The Threepenny Opera (Syracuse Opera). TV: Fosse/Verdon. Winner of the Lotte Lenya Competition.

ANDREW KOBER. Most recently: Cinderella at Paper Mill. Broadway: Beautiful, School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George, She Loves Me, Les Misérables, Hair. National Tour: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Off Broadway and regional: Roundabout Theatre Company, the Public Theater, MCC, New York Theatre Workshop, the Old Globe, Yale Rep, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bucks County Playhouse, Denver Center Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, and four summers at Shakespeare in the Park. TV: Fosse/Verdon (FX Network), Ray Donovan (Showtime), House of Cards (Netflix), Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Blue Bloods (CBS), Pan Am (ABC), The Plot Against America (HBO).

ANGEL LOZADA is proud to make his Paper Mill Playhouse debut in Unmasked! He is originally from Orlando, Florida, and is a proud son of Puerto Rican parents! Angel is a Florida State University alumnus (class of 2017) with a BM in Music Theatre. Favorite credits include Jesus Christ Superstar both live on NBC and at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Che in Evita at Riverside Theatre and ACT of Connecticut, and Bernardo in West Side Story at Maltz Jupiter Theatre.

MAURICIO MARTINEZ is a Mexican actor and recording artist. Broadway/National Tour: On Your Feet! (Emilio Estefan). Regional: Evita as Che (Kansas City Rep). TV: El Vato (Netflix—International Emmy Award), Señora Acero 2 (Telemundo), and numerous telenovelas for Univision. On the Mexico City stage, he starred in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Saturday Night Fever, The Drowsy Chaperone, Sweet Charity, and A View from the Bridge, among others. Mauricio has released two pop albums available on iTunes and is currently working on his third solo album.

BRONSON NORRIS MURPHY makes his Paper Mill Playhouse debut with Unmasked. In a career full of celebrating the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Mr. Murphy became best known to American audiences for premiering the role of the Phantom in the first North American production of Love Never Dies: The Phantom Returns. Broadway/NYC: The Phantom of the Opera, Evita (NY City Center). National Tours: Cats, Love Never Dies.

MAMIE PARRIS. Unmasked marks Mamie’s Paper Mill Playhouse debut. On Broadway she garnered acclaim as Grizabella in the revival of Cats and originated the role of Patty in School of Rock. Additional Broadway and first national tour credits include Wicked (Elphaba), 9 to 5 (Judy), On the Twentieth Century, Ragtime, The Drowsy Chaperone, Legally Blonde, and 110 in the Shade. Regional credits include the new musicals Dave (Ellen) at Arena Stage and Life After (Beth) at the Old Globe, as well as roles at Goodspeed, Pittsburgh CLO, and the Muny. Film and television credits include The Blacklist, State of Affairs, and A Standup Guy.

DAVE SCHOONOVER is loving this immediate return to Paper Mill after Cinderella (u/s Sebastian, Lord Pinkleton). National Tours: Love Never Dies (u/s Phantom, Raoul, Gangle), White Christmas (Sheldrake, u/s Bob), Young Frankenstein (u/s Dr. Frankenstein), Cats (Tugger). Off Broadway: The Fantasticks (El Gallo standby). Regional: Annie (Rooster, TUTS), Sweeney Todd (Pirelli, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), Parade (Governor Slaton, Merry-Go-Round), The Music Man (Harold Hill, Forestburgh Playhouse), White Christmas (Bob, Westchester Broadway), Young Frankenstein (Dr. Frankenstein, Ogunquit), Toxic Avenger (Toxie, Hippodrome Theatre), Little Shop… (Orin, Arrow Rock Lyceum).

REMA WEBB most recently appeared in Footloose (Kennedy Center), Hercules (Public Theater/Disney Theatrical), and Little Shop of Horrors (Cape Playhouse). Broadway credits: Escape to Margaritaville, The Color Purple, Violet, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, Ragtime. Off Broadway and regional credits: Little Shop of Horrors, The Cradle Will Rock, The Colored Museum, A New Brain, You’re Standing in My Way: A New Song Cycle, Being Alive.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER (Composer) is the composer of some of the world’s best-known musicals, including Cats, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, and School of Rock. His awards, both as composer and producer, include seven Tonys, seven Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, an Emmy, the Praemium Imperiale, PCLO’s Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theater, a BASCA Fellowship, the Kennedy Center Honor, and a Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Requiem, his setting of the Latin Requiem mass, which contains one of his best-known compositions, “Pie Jesu.” He owns seven London theaters, including the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the London Palladium. He was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen in 1992 and created an honorary member of the House of Lords in 1997. He is passionate about the importance of music in education, and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation is one of Britain’s leading charities supporting the arts and music. In 2016, the foundation announced a $1.3 million arts education initiative with the American Theatre Wing.

RICHARD CURTIS (Cowriter) is a film writer and director, responsible for Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Mr. Bean, Love Actually, The Boat That Rocked, and most recently Trash, About Time, and Yesterday. In the other half of his life, he is cofounder and vice chair of Comic Relief, which he started after visiting Ethiopia during the 1985 famine, leading to the fundraising event Red Nose Day. He has coproduced the charity’s 16 live broadcasts for the BBC since 1988, raising over £1.3 billion for projects in the UK and internationally. In 2015, Richard helped bring Red Nose Day to the United States, in a partnership with NBC and Walgreens, where it has raised nearly $150 million to help children here and around the world.

JOANN M. HUNTER (Director & Choreographer) is always honored to be back at Paper Mill, where she choreographed Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Annie, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Grease, Oliver!, and Curtains. She has 20 Broadway shows to her credit as choreographer, associate choreographer, and performer. Choreography includes: Broadway: School of Rock (also national tour, West End), Disaster, On a Clear Day…, Broadway Bound; Off Broadway: Rock and Roll Refugee, Dedalus Lounge, The Twelve (workshop); Regional: Ever After (Alliance), world premiere of Beatsville (Asolo), A Sign of the Times by Bruce Vilanch (Goodspeed), Harmony by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman (Ahmanson), world premiere of The Nutty Professor directed by Jerry Lewis; National Tour: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She directed and choreographed Debra Monk’s Birthday Bash for BC/EFA. Upcoming: Love Life and SuperYou Off Broadway.

MICHAEL PATRICK WALKER (Music Director). Broadway: 2017 revival of Sunset Boulevard (assistant conductor), Frozen, Aladdin, If/Then, Avenue Q (conductor), Cats, and more. Concert Performances: Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and ten amazing years as Chita Rivera’s associate musical director and pianist. As a composer/lyricist he was honored with an Outer Critics Circle Award and multiple Drama Desk nominations. His musicals include Being Theo, Dog and Pony (with Rick Elice), and the ninth longest running Off Broadway musical of all time, Altar Boyz (with Gary Adler and Kevin Del Aguila). Recordings: Out of Context: The Songs of Michael Patrick Walker, Johnny and the Sprites (coproducer), and the Altar Boyz cast album

ALEXANDER DODGE (Scenic & Costume Design). Paper Mill: Chasing Rainbows, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Importance of Being Earnest, Master Class. Broadway: Anastasia (Outer Critics Circle nomination), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nominations), Present Laughter (Tony nomination), Old Acquaintance, Butley, Hedda Gabler. Recent Off Broadway and regional: Harry Clarke (Minetta Lane/Audible), the premiere of the musical The Flamingo Kid choreographed by Denis Jones (Hartford Stage). Opera: Samson et Dalila (Metropolitan Opera), The Thirteenth Child (Santa Fe Opera), Ghosts of Versailles (LA Opera), Dinner at Eight (Minnesota and Wexford), Il trittico (Deutsche Oper Berlin), and Lohengrin (Budapest). MFA, Yale.

ED McCARTHY (Lighting Design). Recent: Kathleen Turner: Finding My Voice, The Heart of Robin Hood in Hong Kong, Peter Brook’s Tragedy of Carmen. Public Theater: Southern Comfort. Broadway: Adaptation of Coram Boy (2007 Tony nomination for best lighting design of a play). Radio City Christmas Spectacular; over 70 Off Broadway and regional shows; associate lighting designer for all companies of Mamma Mia! in the Western Hemisphere; and many others. Television: the last 20 Tony Awards (earning four Emmy nominations), Live from Lincoln Center, Grammy Awards, Prairie Home Companion, and more. Graduate of, and teacher at, NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

JON WESTON (Sound Design). Paris and West End:  An American in Paris. West End: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Rent, The Who’s Tommy. Broadway design credits include Prince of Broadway; She Loves Me; Amazing Grace; An American in Paris; On the Twentieth Century; You Can’t Take It With You; The Bridges of Madison County; How to Succeed…; The Color Purple; Caroline, or Change; Nine; The Green Bird; Thoroughly Modern Millie. Off Broadway and Regional: Footloose (Kennedy Center); Scotland, PA (Roundabout); Evita (Bay Street); Grey Gardens (Bay Street); The Last Five Years (Second Stage); Death Takes a Holiday (Roundabout); Parade (Mark Taper Forum); Family Guy, Live! (Carnegie Hall).

FRANK LOMBARDI (Production Stage Manager). Paper Mill Playhouse: Million Dollar Quartet, Mary Poppins. Broadway: Betrayal, The Cher Show, Torch Song, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, A Behanding in Spokane, Hamlet (twice, with Jude Law and Ralph Fiennes), Spamalot, Disney’s Tarzan, Hairspray, The Sound of Music, Steel Pier, The Phantom of the Opera, Passion, Side Show, Footloose, The Red Shoes, The Secret Garden. Off Broadway: Plenty (Public). Regional: Camelot (Westport Country Playhouse, CT); Idaho! (Smith Center, Las Vegas); The Will Rogers Follies (Maltz Jupiter Theatre, FL); world premieres of Catch Me If You Can (Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre) and Randy Newman’s Faust (La Jolla Playhouse); The Lion King (original L.A. company).

TARA RUBIN CASTING (Casting). Previous Paper Mill: Chasing Rainbows, The Sting, Bandstand, A Bronx Tale, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Can-Can, Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Tour. Broadway and National Tours: Ain’t Too Proud, King Kong, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, The Band’s Visit, Prince of Broadway, Indecent, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Falsettos, Disaster!, School of Rock, Bullets Over Broadway, Les Misérables, Big Fish, The Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys. Off Broadway: Sing Street, The Other Josh Cohen, Clueless, Gloria: A Life, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Here Lies Love.

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ACCESSIBILITY PERFORMANCES FOR UNMASKED: THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

Paper Mill Playhouse, a leader in accessibility, will offer audio-described performances for Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber on Sun, Feb 23, at 1:30PM and Saturday, Feb 29, at 1:30PM. Prior to these performances at noon, the theater will offer free sensory seminars. Sensory seminars offer an opportunity for patrons with vision loss to hear a live, in-depth description of the production elements of the show and hands-on interaction with key sets, props, and costumes.  There will be a sign-interpreted and open-captioned performance on Sun, March 1, at 7:00PM.

FREE AUDIENCE ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES FOR UNMASKED: THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

CONVERSATION CLUB: Join us Thu evenings, Jan 30, Feb 6, 13, and 20, one hour before curtain for an informal, informative gathering. You’ll learn more about the performance you’re about to see.
THE DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: One hour before curtain on Wed, Feb 5, a pre-show discussion with the show’s director in the Renee Foosaner Art Gallery.
Q&A WITH THE CAST: After the matinee on Sat, Feb 29, stick around for a lively Q&A with cast members directly following the performance.
Paper Mill Playhouse Education & Outreach are proudly sponsored by The Goren Family & the Harmony Helper App.

The post Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber–Cast and Team Announced appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

James Fakult, Chair of Paper Mill’s Board of Trustees, says, “Paper Mill Playhouse is deeply grateful for the Harmony Helper app and the Goren family’s visionary support of our arts education and outreach programs. Paper Mill champions nearly 40,000 students each year with transformative education programs, which are at the heart of our not-for-profit organization.”

Harmony Helper®, the premier app that provides singers the convenience and control of a 24/7 digital rehearsal room anytime, anywhere, announced the full launch on October 29 of the first and only product that adds customizable sheet music scanning to simplify practicing and help singers deliver their best performance. The Harmony Helper app allows singers that cannot afford a vocal coach or rehearsal space to develop the skill levels they need to make the most of their time in the spotlight. It levels the playing field for amateurs and pros alike.

“Paper Mill feels a keen responsibility to ensure children should have access to theater’s life-changing opportunities, regardless of economic, physical, or developmental challenges. Paper Mill responds with high-quality arts education, cultural partnerships, and outreach – impacting teens, aspiring artists, and families of children with autism and other cognitive and developmental disabilities,”  stated Michael Stotts, Paper Mill’s Managing Director.

Based on patented technology, the app is the first comprehensive, easy-to-use learning tool that features accurate real-time feedback, vocal part customization, pitch tracking, record/playback, and vocal part volume control.

Harmony Helper’s new customizable sheet music scanning feature is the first and only of its kind. Users simply upload or take a photo of their sheet music. Harmony Helper then uses Optical Music Recognition (OMR) technology to auto-generate vocal parts. The user then creates their own custom vocal part by answering a few questions about the song. The song is then translated into an easy-to-read piano roll format with accompaniment and flexible part volume controls, giving singers the ability to isolate specific vocal parts and sound while practicing. This unique feature makes all music available to practice the moment a singer is ready to begin learning. For singers who are just learning or struggle with reading sheet music, this patented technology eliminates the friction to allow the aspiring singer to practice. Performers no longer need to be dependent on scheduling time with accompanists to play and record music, and the real-time feedback feature takes away the stress of scheduling with a coach to quickly prepare for an audition or performance.

“Harmony Helper is an indispensable educational resource that will change how every individual and music group approaches learning music,” said Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director at Paper Mill Playhouse. “Harmony Helper solves a myriad of logistical issues facing performers and beginners while giving students the confidence they need to master their music. I consider this app a true game-changer for the arts industry.”

Harmony Helper’s transformative features include:
• Sheet Music scanning/conversion: Allows singers to simply take a photo of any sheet music or upload directly into the app. Using OMR technology, written music is converted to MusicXML and MIDI so it can be viewed in a piano roll format, heard, and rehearsed.
• Vocal part customization: Singers create their custom vocal part for a more personalized experience.
• Real-time feedback: Patented pitch tracker accurately visualizes the singer’s pitch and timing in real-time, calibrated to their abilities and level of expertise.
• Vocal Part Volume Controls: Hear the song in a multitude of different ways using volume controls for vocal parts, metronome, and accompaniment.
• Guided Approach to Learning: Patented 5-Step Approach to Learning and Holding Harmonies equips singers with the necessary tools to tackle even the most complex songs, so they can walk into every live performance or rehearsal confidently prepared.
• Easy Record and Playback: Listen to a song anytime and anywhere, then step into a quiet room to record/practice. Then listen to the recording take alone or with other vocal parts.

In the coming months, Harmony Helper will be announcing the general release of its group sharing features. The patented technology will enable music directors, coaches, and teachers to seamlessly share songbooks and instructions with performers and group members. Performers will receive their music via the app and can easily isolate their part so they can practice on their own time, not just when the director or accompanist is available.

Harmony Helper is now available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

HARMONY HELPER is a singer’s best friend and the only app that utilizes patented technologies to provide singers with the convenience and control of a 24/7 digital rehearsal room anytime, anywhere, regardless of skill level. Harmony Helper improves singing accuracy and builds confidence, helping singers and performance groups deliver their best performances. The innovative learning tool is easy-to-use and complete with the most comprehensive list of features, including part customization, sheet music scanning, real-time feedback, vocal part volume control and a novel 5-step approach to mastering a song. Founded in 2017 by CEO and founder Andrew Goren, Harmony Helper is comprised of a passionate team of expert technologists, seasoned entrepreneurs, and well-respected Broadway performers and performance experts. For more information, visit https://harmonyhelper.com.

Harmony Helper and the Harmony Helper logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Harmony Helper. All other product and company names and marks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners and are mentioned for identification.

The post The Goren Family & the New Harmony Helper App Become Inaugural Sponsor for Paper Mill Playhouse Education/Outreach Programs appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

Directed by Mark S. Hoebee (Paper Mill’s Beauty and the Beast) with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter (School of Rock, Paper Mill’s Annie), and music direction by Michael Borth (Paper Mill’s Beauty and the Beast), the principal cast will feature Ashley Blanchet (Frozen) as Ella, Donna English (Paper Mill’s Lend Me a Tenor) as Marie, Rose Hemingway (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) as Gabrielle, Dee Hoty (Paper Mill’s Follies) as Madame, Andrew Kober (Beautiful) as Jean-Michel, Angel Lin (Once) as Charlotte, Christopher Sieber (The Prom, Paper Mill’s Annie) as Sebastian, Billy Harrigan Tighe (Pippin) as Topher, and Michael Wayne Wordly (Miss Saigon) as Lord Pinkleton.

Rounding out the cast are John Barsoian, Kelly Berman, Antonio Beverly, Erin Burniston, Monica Cioffi, Taeler Cyrus, Richard Gatta, Ricky Loftus George, Christopher M. Howard, Derek Luscutoff, Kate Marilley, John Peterson, Dave Schoonover, Cynthia Thorne, Leslie Blake Walker, Isabella Ward, CorBen Williams and Minami Yusui.

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!

The production team includes scenic design by Anna Louizos, costume design by William Ivey Long, costume coordination by Tom Beall, lighting design by Charlie Morrison, sound design by Matt Kraus and hair and wig design by Paul Huntley. The Production Stage Manager is Andrea Cibelli. Casting is by Telsey + Company, Lauren Harris, CSA.

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SCHEDULE
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wed—Sun. Performance schedule Nov 20–24: Wed at 7:30PM, Thur at 1:30PM and 7:30PM, Fri at 7:30PM, Sat at 1:30PM and 7PM, and Sun at 1:30PM and 7PM. Performance schedule Nov 27–Dec 29: Wed at 7PM, Thu at 1:30PM, and 7PM, Fri at 7PM, Sat at 1:30PM and 7PM, and Sun at 1:30PM and 7:00PM. Special Autism-Friendly performance on Dec 26 at 1:30PM. Tickets start at $32 and may be purchased by clicking here. Groups of 10 or more may receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Students may order $20 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance.

MEET THE COMPANY
ASHLEY BLANCHET (Ella). Paper Mill: Ever After; Broadway: Frozen (Elsa u/s), Beautiful (Little Eva/“The Locomotion”), Annie (Star to Be), Memphis (Felicia u/s). National Tour: Beautiful. Select Regional: Oklahoma! (Ado Annie, PCLO), How to Succeed… (Rosemary, TUTS), A Chorus Line (Diana, WVPT). Ashley received her BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan, where she became the first recipient of the Kurt Weill Award for Excellence in Theatre. She is also a proud alum of the Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA.

DONNA ENGLISH (Marie) has been featured in ten productions at Paper Mill including Lend Me a Tenor (Diana), The Sound of Music (Elsa), High School Musical (Ms. Darbus), Hairspray (Velma), Harold and Maude (Mrs. Chasen), and Beauty and the Beast (Madame de la Grande Bouche). Broadway: Living on Love, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Lend Me a Tenor. Off Broadway: Madame X (NYMF Outstanding Performance Award), Christmas in Hell, Taking a Chance on Love, Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!, and Ruthless! (Drama Desk nomination). National Tour: Genie Klein in Beautiful. Donna’s extensive regional credits include principal roles at Long Wharf, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Goodspeed Musicals, and 5th Avenue. She is a proud recipient of the 2019 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship.

ROSE HEMINGWAY (Gabrielle) is so pleased to be making her Paper Mill debut. Some past favorite roles include: Broadway: Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; National Tours: Lauren in Kinky Boots, Sophie in Mamma Mia!; Regional: Misty Mae in Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical (Dallas Theater Center), Belle in Beauty and the Beast (North Shore Music Theatre), Molly in Peter and the Starcatcher (Weston Playhouse), Hazel in Time and the Conways (The Old Globe), and Mary Phagan in Parade (Mark Taper Forum). TV: “Blue Bloods,” “The Mob Doctor.”

DEE HOTY (Madame). Paper Mill: Follies (Phyllis, 1998). Most recently created the role of Mary Cassatt in Susan Stroman’s Marie. Fourteen Broadway shows and counting—most recently Bright Star and Gigi as well as Footloose (Tony nomination), The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public (Tony nomination), The Will Rogers Follies (Tony nomination), and City of Angels. TV/Film: “Dickinson” (Apple TV), “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Sinner,” “Elementary,” “Smash,” “Law & Order(s),” “IED” (indie), “The Chaperone” (Julian Fellowes, 2019). BA from Otterbein, Honorary Doctor of Arts, 1997. A proud member of AEA since 1976, Dee was elected to Council in 2018.

ANDREW KOBER (Jean-Michel). Broadway: Beautiful, School of Rock, Sunday in the Park with George, She Loves Me, Les Misérables, Hair. National Tour: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Off Broadway and regional: Roundabout Theatre Company, The Public Theater, MCC, New York Theatre Workshop, The Old Globe, Yale Rep, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bucks County Playhouse, Denver Center Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, and four summers at Shakespeare in the Park. TV: Fosse/Verdon (FX Network), Ray Donovan (Showtime), House of Cards (Netflix), Boardwalk Empire (HBO), Blue Bloods (CBS), Pan Am (ABC), The Plot Against America (HBO).

ANGEL LIN (Charlotte). National Tour: Once (Emcee, u/s Girl), Kansas City Choir Boy (by Todd Almond, starring Courtney Love, ART/CTG). NYC/Regional: 1969: Second Man (NYTW), Interstate (NYMF), The Other Josh Cohen (Geva Theatre, dir. Hunter Foster), Once (Paramount Theatre), The Wolves (TheatreSquared), Stinky Cheese Man… (Atlantic, dir. Liz Swados), and the title role in the musical/band Riot Antigone on their upcoming album. Workshops/Readings/Concerts: Sing Street (NYTW, assistant MD), KPOP (Ars Nova), Joe’s Pub, Musical Theater Factory, McKittrick Hotel, among others. Voiceover: Pinkalicious (PBS), DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Rockstar Games. BFA, NYU Tisch (Playwrights Horizons Theater School).

CHRISTOPHER SIEBER (Sebastian). Paper Mill: Paper Moon, South Pacific, Peter Pan, Hairspray, and Annie! Broadway: The Prom, Matilda, Pippin, La Cage aux Folles, Shrek (Tony nomination), Spamalot (Tony nomination), Thoroughly Modern Millie, Into the Woods, Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, Triumph of Love, A Christmas Carol. Off Broadway: The Kid, The Boys in the Band. TV: Two of a Kind, It’s All Relative, Ed, Law & Order: SVU, Elementary, The Good Wife, lots of daytime television.

BILLY HARRIGAN TIGHE (Topher). Paper Mill debut! Broadway: Pippin. West End: The Book of Mormon (Elder Price). Off Broadway: Sweeney Todd (Anthony). National Tours: Finding Neverland (J. M. Barrie), The Book of Mormon (Elder Price), Wicked (Fiyero), La Cage aux Folles (Jean-Michel), Dirty Dancing. Favorite regional: Cabaret (Cliff, Ogunquit Playhouse), Back Home Again (Ben, Lesher Center), Hairspray (Link, Marriott Theatre), Happy Days (Potsie, Goodspeed Opera House). Billy has also performed as a guest soloist with symphonies across the country and internationally. Training: CCM BFA, CCCEPA graduate.

MICHAEL WAYNE WORDLY (Lord Pinkleton). Paper Mill Playhouse debut! National Tours: Miss Saigon (revival), The Color Purple (revival), The Little Mermaid (5th Avenue Theatre/national tour). Off Broadway: Spamilton. Regional: Memphis (Henry Award winner), Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and Hairspray.

THE CREATIVE TEAM
MARK S. HOEBEE (Director, Producing Artistic Director) joined the artistic team at Paper Mill Playhouse in 2000. Under his leadership, Paper Mill was presented with the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2016 and in recent years launched such noteworthy projects as the world premieres of Newsies, in partnership with Disney Theatrical Group, Honeymoon in Vegas, Ever After, Bandstand, A Bronx Tale, The Honeymooners, My Very Own British Invasion, and The Sting starring Harry Connick, Jr., as well as the American premieres of the 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables, working alongside Cameron Mackintosh, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the national tour of The Bodyguard starring Deborah Cox. On Broadway, Mark directed the Actors Fund benefit of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas starring Jennifer Hudson. He has directed national tours of Victor/Victoria starring Toni Tennille, Dreamgirls, Company, and An Evening of Lerner and Loewe starring Diahann Carroll. His directing credits at Paper Mill include West Side Story; Beauty and the Beast; Annie; Mary Poppins; Dreamgirls; Hello, Dolly! starring Tovah Feldshuh; Harold and Maude: The Musical with Estelle Parsons; The Will Rogers Follies starring John Davidson; Meet Me in St. Louis; The King and I; Miss Saigon; Disney’s High School Musical; Peter Pan; Smokey Joe’s Cafe; Oliver!; Damn Yankees; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Curtains; and The Full Monty starring Broadway legend Elaine Stritch. He resides in Glen Ridge with his partner Larry Elardo, Broadcast Coordinating Producer for the CBS Evening News and CBS Sunday Morning, and their children, Stephen and Ashley.

JOANN M. HUNTER (Choreographer) is always honored to be back at Paper Mill. She has 20 Broadway shows to her credit as choreographer, associate choreographer, and performer. Choreography includes Broadway: School of Rock (also national tour, West End), Disaster, On a Clear Day…, Broadway Bound. Off Broadway: Rock and Roll Refugee, Dedalus Lounge, The Twelve (workshop). Regional: Ever After (Alliance); world premiere of Beatsville (Asolo); A Sign of the Times by Bruce Vilanch (Goodspeed); Harmony by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman (Ahmanson); world premiere of The Nutty Professor directed by Jerry Lewis; Annie, Grease, Oliver!, Pump Boys and Dinettes, and Curtains at Paper Mill. National Tour: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She directed and choreographed Debra Monk’s Birthday Bash for BC/EFA. Upcoming: Unmasked at Paper Mill, Love Life Off Broadway.

MICHAEL BORTH (Music Director). Paper Mill: Beauty and the Beast. National Tours: Beauty and the Beast (international), The Phantom of the Opera, Man of La Mancha, 25th Annual…Spelling Bee, The Will Rogers Follies, Flashdance, The King and I. Orchestrator and conductor of the original Off Broadway run of The Marvelous Wonderettes, and arranger and orchestrator of its sequels, Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns and Wonderettes: Dream On. Over 50 regional credits including Reprise, Sacramento Music Circus, Musical Theatre West, Music Theatre Wichita, Ogunquit Playhouse, and Pasadena Playhouse. Musical director of the NYC concert and cast recording of Ryan Scott Oliver’s 35mm.

RICHARD RODGERS (Music) & OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II (Lyrics, Original Book). After long and highly distinguished careers with other collaborators, Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960) joined forces in 1943 to create the most consistently fruitful and successful partnership in American musical theater. Oklahoma!, the first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, was the first of a new genre—the musical play, blending Rodgers’ sophisticated style of musical comedy with Hammerstein’s innovations in operetta. Oklahoma! was followed by Carousel (1945), Allegro (1947), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Me and Juliet (1953), Pipe Dream (1955), Flower Drum Song (1958), and The Sound of Music (1959). The team also wrote one movie musical, State Fair (1945, adapted to the stage in 1995), and one for television, Cinderella (1957, remade in 1965 and 1997, and mounted on Broadway in 2013). Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musicals have earned 34 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, and two Grammy Awards.

DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE (Book). Musicals: The Band Wagon (Encores!), Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Sister Act (Tony nomination), Xanadu (Tony nomination; Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle awards). Plays: Shows for Days, The Nance, The Little Dog Laughed (Tony, Olivier nominations; GLAAD Media Award), Mr. & Mrs. Fitch, As Bees in Honey Drown (Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Playwriting Award), Advice from a Caterpillar, The Country Club, Music from a Sparkling Planet, The Cartells. Revues: White Lies; The Late, Late Show; Mondo Drama. Opera: Die Fledermaus (Met debut). Screenplays: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar; Advice from a Caterpillar (Best Feature, Aspen Comedy Festival). Dramatists Guild, Playwrights Walk of Fame.

ANNA LOUIZOS (Scenic Design) is a three-time Tony Award nominee for In the Heights, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and High Fidelity. For Paper Mill: The Baker’s Wife, 25th Annual…Spelling Bee, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, and Honeymoon in Vegas. Other Broadway designs: School of Rock (sets and costumes), Holiday Inn, Dames at Sea, Honeymoon in Vegas, It Shoulda Been You, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Avenue Q, The Performers, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Curtains, Baby It’s You!, To Be or Not to Be, All About Me, Steel Magnolias, Golda’s Balcony. Recent Off Broadway/regional: Scotland, PA (Roundabout); Ever After (Alliance).

WILLIAM IVEY LONG (Costume Design). Select Broadway: Tootsie, Beetlejuice, A Bronx Tale, Chicago, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Cabaret (2014 and 1998 revivals), The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Bullets Over Broadway, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, Grey Gardens, The Boy from Oz, Hairspray, The Music Man, The Producers, Crazy for You, Guys and Dolls, Nine. Mr. Long has been nominated for 17 Tony Awards, winning six times. He was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2005 and elected chairman of the American Theatre Wing in June 2012. Previously at Paper Mill: A Bronx Tale, The Producers. Upcoming on Broadway: Diana.

CHARLIE MORRISON (Lighting Design). Paper Mill: Beauty and the Beast, Annie, Mary Poppins, West Side Story, Elf, Grease, The Little Mermaid, Curtains, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, The Full Monty, Meet Me in St. Louis, and Hello, Dolly!. National/International Tours: The Little Mermaid; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; The Producers; Hello, Dolly!; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Miss Saigon; Aida; Man of La Mancha; Guys and Dolls; Groovaloo; My Fair Lady; The King and I; 42nd Street; The Who’s Tommy; and many others. Regional: Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC), Guthrie, Goodspeed, Seattle Rep, Dallas Summer Musicals, TUTS, 5th Avenue, Kansas City Starlight, Pittsburgh CLO, George Street Playhouse, PlayMakers Rep, Tulsa Opera, and more. Two Helen Hayes Awards (seven nominations).

MATT KRAUS (Sound Design). Broadway: Liza’s at the Palace…, Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway, Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony. Off Broadway: Caucasian Chalk Circle, 50 Shades! The Musical Parody, Forbidden Broadway, Voca People. Audio coordinator for remote shoots at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse (Chasing Rainbows, Beauty and the Beast, Holiday Inn, Lend Me a Tenor, Newsies), St. Louis Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Walnut Street, and more. Matt has also played the Hollywood Bowl, Hampton Court Palace, Olympia in Paris, Sydney Opera House, Monte Carlo Sporting Club, and Vienna State Opera House. He won an Emmy for his work on Disney’s Broadway Hits at Royal Albert Hall.

PAUL HUNTLEY (Hair & Wig Design). London-born Paul Huntley has worked on hundreds of Broadway shows since his 1972 arrival in New York, most memorably the original productions of Amadeus, Cats, Evita, Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd, The Producers, and Hairspray. A recipient of the Drama Desk and Tony Awards, he also has worked with the some of the most legendary leading ladies of the cinema, ranging from Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, and Vivien Leigh to Jane Fonda, Glenn Close, Jessica Lange, and Scarlett Johansson. Currently on Broadway: Tootsie. Previously at Paper Mill: A Bronx Tale and The Producers.

TELSEY + COMPANY (Casting). Broadway/Tours: West Side Story, Tina, The Sound Inside, Linda Vista, Freestyle Love Supreme, Beetlejuice, Oklahoma!, To Kill a Mockingbird, Mean Girls, Frozen, Come From Away, Waitress, Hamilton, Wicked, My Fair Lady, Once on This Island, Hello, Dolly!, Anastasia. Off Broadway: Atlantic Theater Company, Classic Stage Company, MCC Theater, New Group, Park Avenue Armory, Second Stage Theatre. Film: The Kitchen, Mary Poppins Returns, Ben Is Back, The Greatest Showman, Into the Woods, Rachel Getting Married. TV: Tales of the City, Fosse/Verdon, NOS4A2, This Is Us, NCIS: New Orleans, One Day at a Time, Rent, commercials.

ANDREA CIBELLI (Production Stage Manager). Paper Mill: World premieres of A Bronx Tale, The Bandstand, and Honeymoon in Vegas, as well as Beauty and the Beast, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, The Full Monty, Steel Magnolias, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Nutcracker, and New Voices 2013–2019. Broadway: A Bronx Tale, Head Over Heels, Honeymoon in Vegas. Tours: West Side Story, Spring Awakening. International: West Side Story (Japan), Race for Love (China). Regional: Dreamgirls (TOTS), The Little Mermaid (DSM). Other credits include Monkey: Journey to the West, The Mile-Long Opera, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Princeton University Dance Department, and Lincoln Center Festival.

ACCESSIBILITY PERFORMANCES FOR RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA
Paper Mill Playhouse, a leader in accessibility, will offer audio-described performances for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Sat, Dec 14,  at 1:30PM and Sun, Dec 15, at 1:30PM. Prior to these performances at noon, the theater will offer free sensory seminars. Sensory seminars offer an opportunity for patrons with vision loss to hear a live, in-depth description of the production elements of the show and hands-on interaction with key sets, props, and costumes. There will be a sign-interpreted and open-captioned performance on Sun, Dec 15, at 7:00PM.

Paper Mill Playhouse will also present an autism-friendly performance of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Wed, Dec 26, at 1:30PM. This performance is designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum or with other developmental disabilities, and is planned in cooperation with Paper Mill Playhouse’s Autism Advisory Team. The theater environment will be altered for this performance, providing a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming to all families. The performance itself will be adjusted with special attention paid to lighting and sound.

Find Tickets to Autism Friendly Performance

FREE AUDIENCE ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES FOR RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA
CONVERSATION CLUB: Join us Thursday evenings, Nov 21, Dec 5, 12, and 19 one hour before curtain for an informal, informative gathering. You’ll learn more about the performance you’re about to see.
THE DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: One hour before curtain on Wednesday, Nov 20, a pre-show discussion with the show’s director in the Renee Foosaner Art Gallery.
Q&A WITH THE CAST: After the matinee on Sat, Dec 14 stick around for a lively Q&A with cast members directly following the performance.

Major sponsors for Paper Mill Playhouse’s autism-friendly performance of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella are The Goren Family & the Harmony Helper App and Merck.

Major funding for autism-friendly programs is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and Wells Fargo.

Additional support includes Autism Speaks, BD, The Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation, The Karma Foundation, Merck, MetLife Foundation, Nordstrom and Summit Area Public Foundation.

Paper Mill Playhouse will once again, be a collection point for this year’s Jersey Cares Coat Drive during the run of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. For the past 23 years, The Jersey Cares Coat Drive has mobilized the collection and distribution of thousands of “gently used” winter coats to men, women, children, and infants in need. Last year, Jersey Cares collected more than 30,000 coats throughout the state of New Jersey. Paper Mill Playhouse has been a collection partner for more than a decade and will be collecting gently used winter coats from Nov 1—Dec 29. Collection of coats will take place in the lobby at Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ.

Paper Mill Playhouse Education & Outreach are proudly sponsored by The Goren Family & the Harmony Helper App.

The post Cast and Creative Team Announced for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

Winner will Receive a $1000.00 Visa Gift Card Courtesy of
The Harmony Helper App

Paper Mill Playhouse launched a digital scavenger hunt today centered around its new musical Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz. The app-based contest invites participants to “chase the rainbow” by completing a series of online challenges including trivia, puzzles, games, riddles, photo stickers, and more. The winner of the contest will receive a $1,000.00 Visa gift card courtesy of the theater’s arts education sponsor Harmony Helper, a new app that makes it possible to practice harmonizing anytime, anywhere. To participate, simply download the Social Scavenger app available on Apple and Android devices and enter the code “19rainbows.”  The contest runs from Sep 25—Oct 27. For official contest rules click here.

Download the app, enter code “19rainbows” and chase the rainbow today!

Android    iOS

The New Jersey premiere of Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz with a book by Marc Acito, musical adaptation & additional music by David Libby and conceived by and additional lyrics by Tina Marie Casamento opens Paper Mill Playhouse’s 81st season. Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz begins performances Thursday, Sep 26, and will continue through Sunday, Oct 27, at Paper Mill Playhouse. Bank of America is the major sponsor for Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz. Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2019—2020 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank.

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.”

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Paper Mill Playhouse, a leader in accessibility, will offer audio-described performances for Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz. 

Free Audience Enrichment Activities for Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz

The post THE RUN HAS BEGUN appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.