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 

The post BROOKSIDE CABARET RETURNS FOR SUMMER 2021 appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

“Rocktober” Cover Bands Added on Wednesdays

(September 15, 2020) — Paper Mill Playhouse is pleased to extend outdoor cabaret performances into October due to the extremely popular demand of its alfresco summer Brookside Cabaret series at the F.M. Kirby Carriage House Restaurant, along with newly added Wednesday-night “Rocktober” entertainment.

Paper Mill and Broadway veteran singers will return to the Brookside Cabaret for fall performances presented Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 6:30PM, featuring Kathryn Allison (October 1–3); Kelli Rabke, joined by guitarist Sean Harkness and pianist John Fischer (October 8–10); Elizabeth Ward Land’s tribute to Linda Ronstadt, with Matt Castle (October 15–17); and Susan Speidel and Joe Regan (October 22–24). The Carriage House Restaurant offers an exquisite two-course prix fixe menu, including the entertainment, for $70 per person; appetizing small plates are available at the courtyard’s high-top tables ($30 minimum per person). Cabaret performances are subject to weather, with rain dates on Sunday evenings.

Rocktober Wednesdays at the Carriage House will showcase New Jersey’s best rock and roll cover bands each Wednesday evening at 6:30PM (weather permitting), featuring This Old Engine (September 30), Spare Tire Band (October 7), Soular Bone (October 14), and the Squeaky Wheels (October 21). Rock and folk fans can relax and refuel after work with favorite tunes, local brews for the occasion, full bar, and a special menu of small plates. There is no cover charge but a $30 minimum per person. Call 973.315.1707 for Rocktober Wednesday reservations.

Brookside Cabaret and Dining is sponsored by PNC Wealth Management and Szerlip & Co. Jersey Beer Co. is the beverage partner for Rocktober Wednesdays.

The Carriage House Restaurant at the F.M. Kirby Carriage House opens for safe, socially distanced alfresco dining at 5PM Wednesday–Saturday. Prix fixe Sunday brunch includes fresh fruit salad and choice of entrée, served from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, for $30 per person. Reservations are required for Rocktober Wednesdays, Brookside Cabaret, and Sunday brunch. Contactless curbside pickup also is available for dinner or brunch.

For menus, additional information and to make reservations, order curbside pickup, and learn more about our safety protocols, click here.

RESERVATIONS

OR CALL 973.315.1707

BROOKSIDE CABARET PERFORMERS

Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 6:30PM

October 15, 16 & 17: Elizabeth Ward Land with Matt Castle: Still Within the Sound of My Voice: The Songs of Linda Ronstadt
October 22, 23 & 24: Susan Speidel and Joe Regan

ROCKTOBER WEDNESDAYS LINEUP

Wednesdays at 6:30PM

October 14: Soular Bone
A mostly female ensemble (where are all the lady drummers hiding?), Soular Bone crafts rootsy acoustic covers of favorite indie rock songs while delivering sweet harmonies. Comprised of multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, the band creates a rich tapestry of music that will have audiences humming along.

October 21: Squeaky Wheels
The Wheels are in motion! The Squeaky Wheels play indie-rock and coffeehouse covers. They strum, pluck, squeeze, and bow their way through an eclectic repertoire on guitars, accordion, fiddle, flute, mandolin, and anything else they can find to tap!

All performances are weather permitting and all artists and subject to change.

BIOGRAPHIES

Kathryn Allison was first seen on the Paper Mill Playhouse stage as a student and performer in the Summer Musical Theater Conservatory New Voices Concert in 2014. Since then she has appeared in three Broadway shows: Aladdin, Wicked, and the most recent revival of Company. She released her debut album, Something Real, in February 2019, and she has performed at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Joe’s Pub, and Rockwood Music Hall. Other TV/film and recording redits include John Cameron Mitchell’s Anthem: Homunculus, Loveville High, Our Cartoon President, Elementary, and The Bachelorette. Kathryn lends her warm, soulful voice and a musical wisdom beyond her years to pop and R&B standards, show tunes, and more.

Matt Castle is a versatile singer, actor, and arranger. He made his Broadway debut in 2006 playing Peter in Company, directed by John Doyle. Other roles include Jitter in The Musical of Musicals (original off-Broadway cast), Harry in Enter Laughing (York Theatre), and Angie the Ox in Paper Mill’s 2004 production of Guys and Dolls. As a musical director, he has helped develop more than 90 new musicals at Sundance, NYU, Playwrights Horizons, TheaterWorksUSA, Disney Cruise Line, Musical Theatre Factory, Page 73, Weston, Pittsburgh CLO, Philadelphia Theatre Company, the O’Neill, Signature (NYC), Signature (DC), Goodspeed, York Theatre, Barrington, NAMT, NYMF, and CAP21. Highlights include Into the Woods (Fiasco), The Last Five Years (ACT), Once Upon a Mattress (Transport Group), Indian Joe (Goodspeed), and Found (Atlantic, Philadelphia, Los Angeles). He and his husband, Frank Galgano, have written musical arrangements and orchestrations for more than 40 shows, most recently Scotland, PA (Roundabout), Kris Kringle (Proctors), Elf on the Shelf (Mills Entertainment), and a new version of Found (IAMA). In development: Medusa, Dear Shirley.

Dwayne Clark is a multitalented actor, singer, and educator who has had appeared in Broadway productions of The Color Purple, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, In the Heights, Cry-Baby, Urinetown, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Rent, and Tarzan. He was seen in the title role in Makandal, produced by Harlem Stage and the Guggenheim, as well as in the New York City Opera production of Porgy and Bess as Sportin’ Life (also on PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center). Other favorite performances include My Favorite Broadway (PBS) with Nathan Lane, Darius de Haas, and Michael McElroy; Broadway Inspirational Voices; and opening at the Motown Cafe New York for The Temptations, The Four Tops, Diana Ross, and more. Some of Dwayne’s favorite regional theater credits include Tick, Tick…Boom! and Ain’t Misbehavin’. On screen he appeared in Eat Pray Love and on The Michael J. Fox Show.

Louis Danowsky Trio: Multi-instrumentalist and Millburn’s own Louis Danowsky brings you your favorite Broadway hits with his trio of saxophone, bass, and drums. Louis is a recent graduate of Northwestern University who has worked on the music teams of two recent Paper Mill Playhouse productions: Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz and Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Louis, alongside his big band, the DW Jazz Orchestra, has headlined at prominent New York venues including Birdland Jazz Club and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He will be joined by drummer Jared Decker and bassists Sean Decker and Alex Warshawsky.

John Treacy Egan: Recently appeared on Broadway in My Fair Lady at Lincoln Center Theater. His other Broadway credits include Casa Valentina at Manhattan Theater Club. Nice Work If You Can Get It (Chief Berry) and has created roles in Jekyll & Hyde, Sister Act (Joey) and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Chef Louis). He played Max Bialystock in The Producers as well as the roles of Roger DeBris and Franz Liebkind. Paper Mill audiences may have seen John as Mr. Bumble in Oliver, Franz Liebkind in The Producers, and as Tito Merrelli in Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me A Tenor & A Comedy Of Tenors! Off-Broadway, John created roles in Clinton The Musical, Howard Crabtree’s When Pigs Fly!, Disaster The Musical, It Must Be Him, and Batboy The Musical. He has performed at Carnegie Hall as Nicely Nicely in Guys & Dolls with Nathan Lane and Megan Mullaly. He has appeared on television in Gotham, Younger, The Good Wife, The Knick, Boardwalk Empire, Nurse Jackie, 30 Rock, Cupid, Law & Order, and the films Last Night, and The Producers. He can be heard on many theatrical recordings as well as his own solo CDs Count the Stars and On Christmas Morning are available on itunes and cdbaby.com.

Gavin Lee: 
Steppin’ Out with Fred Astair. Spend the evening with Broadway’s Gavin Lee. The two-time Tony nominee is excited to sing and dance his way through the celebrated life of his favorite movie musical icon! Gavin most recently appeared on Broadway in The SpongeBob Musical. He received a Tony Award nomination and won the Drama Desk Award for originating the role of Squidward Q. Tentacles. Before this he played Thenadier in the Broadway revival of Les Miserables. He originated the role of Bert in the West End and Broadway productions of Disney’s Mary Poppins for which he was Olivier and Tony Award nominated as well as winning a Drama Desk and Theatre World Award. He also recently appeared in the 25th Anniversary production of Disney’s Beauty And The Beast as Lumière. While in NYC Gavin has appeared at Carnagie Hall in Showboat, at Madison Square Garden as The Grinch in How The Grinch Stole Christmas and in the World Premiere of Holiday Inn at Goodspeed Opera House. On TV, he has guest starred in Law and Order SUV, Little America, and The Good Wife. He was seen as a regular in the final season of White Collar. His London credits include leading roles in Top Hat, Crazy For You, Peggy Sue Got Married, A Saint She Ain’t. Also Me and My Girl, Over My Shoulder, Oklahoma! and Contact. His regional theater credits include Singin’ In The Rain, Snoopy, Noel Coward’s Masterpieces, Of Thee I Sing, Saturday Night, Alan Ayckbourn’s Whenever, and Chicago. Gavin has recently been seen as a soloist in the Disney On Broadway Concert Series and has performed his solo cabaret in New York, Chicago, and on Disney Cruise Line.

Liz McCartney has appeared at Paper Mill Playhouse as Ruth in Pirates!, Miss Andrew/Bird Woman in Mary Poppins, Louise in Ever After but perhaps most notably as Ursula in The Little Mermaid. On Broadway she performed in the revivals of My Fair Lady, Sunday In The Park With George, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, South Pacific, and Annie. 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. Other Broadway credits include; The Phantom Of The Opera, South Pacific, Mamma Mia, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Les Miserables. Liz created the roles of Sue Tilly in the Boy George musical Taboo and Rebecca in The Dance Of The Vampires. She has toured with Cinderella (Marie/Fairy Godmother), with 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 Theater. Other regional productions include Souvenir (Florence Foster Jenkins), Into The Woods (The Witch). Liz has received two Best Actress awards from the New York Music 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 different cabarets around New York and can be heard on several cast albums. She is also a writer, composer and costume designer.

Erin Maguire is a stand-up comedian/actor/writer/podcast host based in New York City. She has written for Comedy Central’s Roast of Alec Baldwin and recently headlined Caroline’s on Broadway. She has appeared on Gotham TV Live for Oculus/NextVR, ESPN, and the Game Show Network. She appears at clubs all over NYC and has been featured at the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, Boston Comedy Festival, Women in Comedy Festival, and Laugh Your Asheville Off, and she won the Woodstock Comedy Festival. She loves a festival. Her comedy advice podcast Dear Pod (based on the articles of Ann Landers and Dear Abby) reached Apple’s top 100 comedy pods in its first month. Right before the world imploded, Erin played God in David Javerbaum’s Act of God at The Fulton Theatre. Prior to that, she’s been playing God to her two dogs, Scotch and Izzy, while delivering commandments to her husband, Jim. She looks forward to being around live/non-Zoom people but does not look forward to wearing pants again.

Nicole Vanessa Ortiz is from Newark, NJ. Her credits include playing Rusty in Footloose at the Kennedy Center (2019), Sarah in Ragtime at Serenbe Playhouse (2019), the Off Broadway revival of Smokey Joe’s Cafe (2018), and the Leading Lady of Spamilton: An American Parody (2017). She is also the 2012 winner of Wendy’s Next Great Voice on The Wendy Williams Show and was a top 45 finalist in season 5 of American Idol.

Kyle Taylor Parker starred in the world premiere of My Very Own British Invasion at Paper Mill in 2019. He has appeared on Broadway in Kinky Boots and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well as in national tours of Kinky Boots (IRNE Award, best visiting actor) and In the Heights. On television, he was seen in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. His off Broadway and regional theater credits include Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Finian’s Rainbow, Dreamgirls, and Hair. Kyle has performed as a concert artist on some of the worlds most celebrated stages including the Apollo and Radio City Music Hall. His debut album, Broadway Soul, Vol. 1, reimagines Broadway classics with an R&B twist and was released by Broadway Records last August on all music platforms.

Kelli Rabke returns to the Brookside Cabaret with her first-class trio. She 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), 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 show debuted to a sold-out crowd at Feinstein’s/54 Below, and since then she’s been featured in shows ranging from Sondheim to Streisand to Bernstein.

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 performs on Tuesday nights at Don’t Tell Mama in NYC and on Thursday and Sunday nights at 16 Prospect in Westfield, and he can currently be seen online on Virtual Piano Bar on Friday nights at 6 PM. He opened for Steve Ross at the 75th anniversary of the Chrysler Building and has been nominated numerous times as Outstanding Piano Bar Instrumentalist by the Manhattan Association of Cabaret. He is also a teaching artist for the Education Department at Paper Mill and the Performing Arts School at The Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown.

Nicholas Rodriguez starred in Paper Mill’s production of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn and has had an extensive career on Broadway, film, and the concert stage. He recently 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.

Susan Speidel served for 20 years as the Director of Education at Paper Mill, where she founded the Rising Star Awards and the Summer Musical Theater Conservatory. During that time, she also appeared on the Paper Mill stage in The Student Prince, Jesus Christ Superstar, and numerous concerts and Humanities Symposium events. As a performer she has presented cabaret shows at Judy’s Chelsea, The Duplex, Broadway Baby Bistro, Bob Egan’s Cosmopolitan Club, the Stockton Inn, Odette’s, and the Tennessee Williams Theatre in Key West. She has been a soloist with the Seattle and Portland Symphonies, the Orchestra of St. Peters by the Sea, and the Key West Pops Orchestra. With the Pops, she played the title role in Hello, Dolly!, directed by Lee Roy Reams, and also appeared as Stella Deems in Follies. Other regional credits include Rose in Gypsy, Rev. Mother in Nunsense, Mama Morton in Chicago, Gooch in Mame, Saraghina in Nine, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and Emma Goldman in Ragtime. She has directed over 100 professional, community, university, and high school productions, and she teaches as an adjunct in the Theatre Conservatory at Kean University.

Elizabeth Ward Land is known for her versatility across the entertainment industry. Her Broadway and tour credits include Amazing Grace, Memphis, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Passion, City Of Angels, Les Miserables, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Singin’ in the Rain. Off-Broadway, she was seen in Curvy Widow, Sothern Comfort, The Green Heart, and Hello Again. She has starred at many of the nations’ finest regional theaters, including The Old Globe, Pasadena Playhouse, The Alliance and GeVa. Film/TV: Young Adult, Boy Meets Girl, The Gathering, The Good Fight, Elementary, High Maintenance, The Blacklist, Boardwalk Empire and Madam Secretary. Her acclaimed debut CD, First Harvest, released by LMLMusic is available on ITunes. Her show, Still Within the Sound of My Voice: The Songs of Linda Ronstadt won the 2020 BISTRO Award for Outstanding Tribute Show.  She is married to actor Ken Land; plays oboe, piano, guitar, and loves cats.

Rema Webb is a 20-year Broadway veteran who most recently made her Paper Mill debut in the world premiere of Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Last summer she was featured in the Public Theater/Disney Theatrical production of Hercules at the Delacorte Theater. Rema’s Broadway credits include Escape to Margaritaville, The Color Purple, Violet, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, and Ragtime, and her off-Broadway and regional credits include Little Shop of Horrors, The Cradle Will Rock, The Colored Museum, and A New Brain, among others. She has appeared on television and film in NBC’s The Sound of Music Live!, First Born, Beloved, Sudden Death, and Murphy Brown. Rema debuted her critically acclaimed solo concert, Children Will Listen, at 54 Below and gave an encore performance at 42 West. With a mission to pass on her knowledge and inspire the next generation of young artists, Rema is the founder and executive director of On Broadway Performing Arts Training Program.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Michael Stotts (Managing Director) and recipient of the 2016 Regional Theater Tony Award, is one of the country’s leading regional theaters.  Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, 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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(August 25, 2020) – Paper Mill Playhouse announced today that it will continue its popular live Brookside Cabaret every Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday night through September with a talented roster of Broadway and Paper Mill favorites. Brookside Cabaret will feature performances by Kathryn Allison*, Matt Castle, Dwayne Clark, John Treacy Egan*, Elizabeth Ward Land, Gavin Lee*, Liz McCartney*, Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Kyle Taylor Parker, Kelli Rabke, Joe Regan, Nicholas Rodriguez*, Susan Speidel, and Rema Webb.
*Just announced

“We are so grateful to be working with these extraordinary performers and to have a chance to provide them with the audiences they have been yearning for since the shutdown in March. Brookside Cabaret has been a huge hit with audiences and performers. Now we are looking forward to an exciting summer ​of great entertainment in our beautiful courtyard. We’ll keep the cabaret going as long as the weather holds up,” says Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director.

“The Carriage House Restaurant has been adored by Paper Mill’s theater patrons and considered a great amenity for our audience. This time has given the restaurant a real chance to shine and to become a destination on its own. We are happy the community is enjoying the food, atmosphere and entertainment,” says Mike Stotts, Managing Director.

Brookside Cabaret and Dining is sponsored by PNC Wealth Management and Szerlip & Co. 

Carriage House Restaurant Brookside Dining Wednesday–Sunday

The Carriage House Restaurant at the F.M. Kirby Carriage House opens for alfresco dining at 5PM Wednesday–Saturday for prix fixe dinner as well as high-top seating for small plates and cocktails. Brunch is available on Sunday from 11AM—2PM. Diners will enjoy live performances every Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday night.
Brookside dining prix fixe two-course dinner is $40 per person on Friday, and prix fixe two-course dinner is $70 per person with live entertainment. Small plates and cocktails are available at high-top tables ($30 minimum per person on nights with live entertainment). Sunday brunch is $30 per person including fresh fruit salad and a choice of entrée.

Millburn, NJ (July 8, 2020) – Paper Mill Playhouse has announced added performances after the successful launch  of Brookside Cabaret on Saturdays at Paper Mill Playhouse’s Carriage House Restaurant at the F.M. Kirby Carriage House.  Saturday evening performances have been extended through at least Labor Day, and performances have been scheduled on Thursday nights through the summer.

“The excitement and demand from the community to come back to see live performance has been incredible and not just from the audiences but also from the artists,” says Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director.

“We are thrilled to have people back on campus. We are so pleased to have created a safe and thoroughly enjoyable experience with excellent cuisine provided by executive chef, Holly Guber, and a roster of terrific Paper Mill favorite performers,” says Mike Stotts, Managing Director.

The Carriage House Restaurant opens for alfresco dining at 5PM Wednesday–Saturday for prix fixe dinner, as well as high-top seating for small plates and cocktails. Brunch is available on Sunday from 11AM–2PM. Diners will enjoy live performances every Thursday and Saturday night.

The brookside dining prix fixe two-course dinner is $40 per person Wednesday and Friday, and prix fixe two-course dinner is $70 per person on nights with live entertainment. Small plates and cocktails are available at the high-top tables with a $30 minimum per person on nights with live entertainment. Sunday brunch is $30 per person including fresh fruit salad and a choice of entrée. For additional information, to make reservations, order curbside pickup, and learn more about our safety protocols, visit papermill.org/restaurant.

BIOGRAPHIES

Matt Castle is a versatile singer, actor, and arranger. He made his Broadway debut in 2006 playing Peter in Company, directed by John Doyle. Other roles include Jitter in The Musical of Musicals (original off-Broadway cast), Harry in Enter Laughing (York Theatre), and Angie the Ox in Paper Mill’s 2004 production of Guys and Dolls. As a musical director, he has helped develop more than 90 new musicals at Sundance, NYU, Playwrights Horizons, TheaterWorksUSA, Disney Cruise Line, Musical Theatre Factory, Page 73, Weston, Pittsburgh CLO, Philadelphia Theatre Company, the O’Neill, Signature (NYC), Signature (DC), Goodspeed, York Theatre, Barrington, NAMT, NYMF, and CAP21. Highlights include Into the Woods (Fiasco), The Last Five Years (ACT), Once Upon a Mattress (Transport Group), Indian Joe (Goodspeed), and Found (Atlantic, Philadelphia, Los Angeles). He and his husband, Frank Galgano, have written musical arrangements and orchestrations for more than 40 shows, most recently Scotland, PA (Roundabout), Kris Kringle (Proctors), Elf on the Shelf (Mills Entertainment), and a new version of Found (IAMA). In development: Medusa, Dear Shirley.

Louis Danowsky Trio: Multi-instrumentalist and Millburn’s own Louis Danowsky brings you your favorite Broadway hits with his trio of saxophone, bass, and drums. Louis is a recent graduate of Northwestern University who has worked on the music teams of two recent Paper Mill Playhouse productions: Chasing Rainbows and Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Louis, alongside his big band, the DW Jazz Orchestra, has headlined at prominent New York venues like Birdland Jazz Club and Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center. He will be joined by drummer Jared Decker and bassist (Sean Decker/Alex Warshawsky).

Erin Maguire is a stand-up comedian/actor/writer/podcast host based in New York City. She has written for Comedy Central’s Roast of Alec Baldwin and recently headlined Caroline’s on Broadway. She has appeared on Gotham TV Live for Oculus/NextVR, ESPN, and the Game Show Network. She appears at clubs all over NYC and has been featured at the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, Boston Comedy Festival, Women in Comedy Festival, and Laugh Your Asheville Off, and she won the Woodstock Comedy Festival. She loves a festival. Her comedy advice podcast Dear Pod (based on the articles of Ann Landers and Dear Abby) reached Apple’s top 100 comedy pods in its first month. Right before the world imploded, Erin played God in David Javerbaum’s Act of God at The Fulton Theatre. Prior to that, she’s been playing God to her two dogs, Scotch and Izzy, while delivering commandments to her husband, Jim. She looks forward to being around live/non-Zoom people but does not look forward to wearing pants again.

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 performs on Tuesday nights at Don’t Tell Mama in NYC and on Thursday and Sunday nights at 16 Prospect in Westfield, and he can currently be seen online on Virtual Piano Bar on Friday nights at 6PM. He opened for Steve Ross at the 75th anniversary of the Chrysler Building and has been nominated numerous times as Outstanding Piano Bar Instrumentalist by the Manhattan Association of Cabaret. He is also a teaching artist for the Education Department at Paper Mill and the Performing Arts School at The Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown.

Susan Speidel served for 20 years as the Director of Education at Paper Mill, where she founded the Rising Star Awards and the Summer Musical Theater Conservatory. During that time, she also appeared on the Paper Mill stage in The Student Prince, Jesus Christ Superstar, and numerous concerts and Humanities Symposium events. As a performer she has presented cabaret shows at Judy’s Chelsea, The Duplex, Broadway Baby Bistro, Bob Egan’s Cosmopolitan Club, the Stockton Inn, Odette’s, and the Tennessee Williams Theatre in Key West. She has been a soloist with the Seattle and Portland Symphonies, the Orchestra of St. Peters by the Sea, and the Key West Pops Orchestra. With the Pops, she played the title role in Hello, Dolly!, directed by Lee Roy Reams, and also appeared as Stella Deems in Follies. Other regional credits include Rose in Gypsy, Rev. Mother in Nunsense, Mama Morton in Chicago, Gooch in Mame, Saraghina in Nine, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and Emma Goldman in Ragtime. She has directed over 100 professional, community, university, and high school productions, and she teaches as an adjunct in the Theatre Conservatory at Kean University. She holds a BA in English and Theater from Montclair State, an MA in Arts Administration from NYU, and a Doctorate in Liberal Studies from Drew University. She also studied at HB Studios in NY and the Globe Theater in London. She is a recipient of the NJ Governor’s Award for Theatre Education and the NJ Theatre Alliance’s Applause Award, and she was inducted in the NJACT Hall of Fame for her contributions to arts education.

(June 17, 2020) Re-opening of Carriage House Restaurant for Outdoor Dining

Live Performances Every Saturday Night

(June 17, 2020) Paper Mill Playhouse  has announced in-person dining is back! The Carriage House Restaurant at the F.M. Kirby Carriage House will be open for outdoor dining, in addition to curbside pickup, with live cabaret on Saturday nights.
The Carriage House Restaurant will be open from 5PM Wednesday–Saturday for prix fixe dinner, as well as high-top seating for small plates and cocktails. Brunch is available on Sunday from 11AM–2PM.

“Paper Mill Playhouse is situated on a beautiful campus along the brook. We are fortunate to have a perfect setting to provide patrons an elegant al fresco dining and entertainment experience in an area vast enough to comply with state guidelines on social distancing for outdoor dining safety,” Said Mike Stotts, Managing Director.

The Brookside diners will enjoy hearing musical theater favorites each night with live performance on Saturday nights beginning with Brookside Cabaret with Susan Speidel and Joe Regan scheduled for June 20, June 27 and July 4 and July 11 at 7PM.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to provide live musical performances once again. Paper Mill Playhouse has been bringing audiences live theater for 83 years and we will continue to do so by adjusting to what this means in the face of the current pandemic.” Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic director.

For additional information, to make reservations, order curbside pickup and to learn more about our safety protocols CLICK HERE.

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