Paper Mill Playhouse
Receives Landmark Gift
To Upgrade Stage Technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

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PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2021-2022 SEASON

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

A hilarious farce-meets-murder-mystery

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

***

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

The post Paper Mill Playhouse Receives Landmark Gift To Upgrade Stage Technology appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

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

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

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

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2019–2020 SEASON

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Our Mission

The mission of Paper Mill Playhouse is to enrich, entertain, and inspire our audience and our students as the nation’s premier musical theater. We foster a creative environment for advancing the art form, education students, and developing future theater lovers, while providing access for all.

Our Impact

Paper Mill Playhouse is New Jersey’s largest producing theater and its community extends to all 21 counties and the New York metropolitan area. The generous production support by corporations and individuals makes it possible for more than 220,000 artists, theater-lovers, and students each year to depend on Paper Mill as an artistic home that inspires and nurtures their creativity. As a professional producing theater, Paper Mill is deeply committed to identifying and nurturing creative talent on the mainstage, including singers, dancers, directors, composers, lyricists, choreographers, actors, and designers. We collaborate with other regional theaters and independent producers to bring our audiences the best in musical theater, from celebrated revivals to new work from the industry’s most talented artists. Paper Mill Playhouse a cultural hub for the community with $20 million of economic impact each year.

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• Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz (New Jersey Premiere)
• Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella
• Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (World Premiere)
• Sister Act
• The Wanderer (World Premiere)

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW!

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Michael Stotts-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is proud to announce the lineup for its 2019–2020 season with three premieres and a total of five musicals. Season subscriptions are on sale now and are available by calling 973.379.3717 or by clicking here. Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2019–2020 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank. Paper Mill Playhouse education and outreach programs are proudly sponsored by The Goren Family & Harmony Helper.

Paper Mill Playhouse will open its 2019–2020 season with a highly anticipated new musical about one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons. Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz (Sep 26–Oct 27) is the story of how five-year-old Frances Gumm became Judy Garland, chronicling her early career from vaudeville to her rise at MGM, where she wins the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Next, a dash of fairytale romance, magical onstage transformations, and of course, glass slippers in this family musical just in time for the holidays, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Nov 20–Dec 29). This enchanting, Tony-nominated Broadway adaptation of the beloved musical will put a spell on audiences of all ages. Next winter, Paper Mill Playhouse presents the world-premiere musical Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Jan 30–Mar 1), about the remarkable life and celebrated work of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Unmasked will feature new material and rediscovered gems, along with the history of their creation intertwined with Andrew’s extraordinary personal story. In the spring, Paper Mill Playhouse welcomes back our good friend and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken with his Tony-nominated musical Sister Act (Apr 1–Ap 26). Based on the 1992 hit film, this feel-good musical follows Deloris Van Cartier as she goes into hiding in a convent—where she clashes, hilariously, with cloistered life. Deloris inspires the sisters with her soulful style, but the church choir’s newfound fame attracts some unwanted attention. Paper Mill Playhouse closes its 81st season with the world-premiere musical The Wanderer (May 28–Jun 28), the story of Dion DiMucci and how he 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.

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

Paper Mill Playhouse will produce eight performances a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Three, four, and five-show subscription packages are available now starting at just $111. Each subscription package includes a different level of special benefits, click here for details. Youth subscriptions are available for children ages 4–18 with the purchase of an adult subscription with accessible discount pricing. Single tickets will go on sale on August 19 starting at just $35. Groups of ten or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Titles, casting and dates subject to change.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2019–2020 SEASON

CHASING RAINBOWS: The Road to Oz
September 26–October 27
Book by Marc Acito
Music Adapted & Additional Music by David Libby
Conceived & Created by Tina Marie Casamento
Directed & Choreographed by Denis Jones

This highly anticipated new musical about one of the world’s most beloved entertainment icons, Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz is the story of how five-year-old Frances Gumm became Judy Garland, chronicling her early career from vaudeville to her rise at MGM, where she wins the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Chasing Rainbows features legendary songs, including “Over the Rainbow,” “You Made Me Love You,” and “Everybody Sing.” The show has already earned praise from Liza Minnelli, who said, “My mother said that her biography is in her music, and now a talented creative team is using that music to tell the story of her early years and her extraordinary rise to fame.”

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA
November 20–December 29
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
New Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II
Directed by Mark S. Hoebee

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

UNMASKED: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
January 30–March 1
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Written with Richard Curtis
Directed by Laurence Connor

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

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

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

THE WANDERER
May 28–June 28
Book by Charles Messina
Directed by Kenneth Ferone

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

Paper Mill Playhouse offers its audience an 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.

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. In addition, Paper Mill Playhouse provides autism-friendly performances of both mainstage and children’s shows throughout the season. Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella will feature an autism-friendly performance on Thursday, December 26, at 1:30PM.

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 Theatre Tony Award, is one of the country’s leading regional theaters.  Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, 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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BENNY & JOON at the Old Globe_Photo by Jim Cox_Hannah Elless and Bryce Pinkham

Directed by Jack Cummings III, with choreography by Scott Rink and music direction by J. Oconor Navarro, the principal cast features Claybourne Elder (Sunday in the Park with George) as Benny, Hannah Elless (Paper Mill’s The Other Josh Cohen) as Joon, Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) as Sam, Conor Ryan as Sam at certain performances, (Paper Mill’s My Very Own British Invasion) and Tatiana Wechsler (Oklahoma) as Ruthie, with Colin Hanlon (Falsettos) as Mike, Paolo Montalban (Paper Mill’s The King and I) as Larry, Natalie Toro (A Tale of Two Cities) as Dr. Cortez/Mrs. Smail, Jacob Keith Watson (Carousel) as Waldo/Video Store Owner and Belinda Allyn (Paper Mill’s West Side Story).

Based on the 1993 film starring Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, this new musical is a smart, funny, tender-hearted celebration of love: between children and parents; romantic partners; friends; and, most of all, siblings. The pair at the heart of the show are Joon, a young woman dealing with mental illness, and Benny, the big brother who’s determined to take care of her. When a charmingly eccentric stranger comes into their lives, he throws their carefully calibrated world off-kilter—maybe for the better. Large in emotional scope and artistic ambition, Benny & Joon embraces a difficult subject with warmth, honesty, and wit.

The production team includes scenic and costume design by Dane Laffrey, lighting design by R. Lee Kennedy, sound design by Kai Harada, flying by Foy, movement coordinator Lorenzo Pisoni, and orchestrations by Michael Starobin. The production stage manager is Victoria Navarro. Casting by Nora Brennan, CSA.

BENNY & JOON at the Old Globe_Photo by Jim Cox_Bryce Pinkham

Benny & Joon will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wed—Sun. Performance schedule: Wed at 7:30PM, Thur at 1:30PM and 7:30PM, Fri at 8:00PM, Sat at 1:30PM and 8:00PM, and Sun at 1:30PM and 7:00PM. Tickets are on sale now starting at $34. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or by 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. Season subscriptions are on sale now and are available by calling 973.379.3717. Students may order $23-$28 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Box Office on the day of the performance.

BELINDA ALLYN (Standby for Joon, Ruthie, Dr. Cortez/Mrs. Smail) is thrilled to be back at Paper Mill Playhouse! She was previously seen at Paper Mill as Maria in West Side Story. Other credits include Allegiance (Broadway), understudy Imelda in Here Lies Love (Seattle Rep), Maria in West Side Story (Riverside Theatre), and Mrs. Claus in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular (NYC). Graduate of Oklahoma City University.

CLAYBOURNE ELDER (Benny). Broadway: Sunday in the Park with George (Soldier, George standby), Bonnie and Clyde (Buck), Torch Song. London: You and Me and Sondheim (Arts Theatre). Off-Broadway: Sondheim’s Road Show (Hollis, Public Theater), One Arm (Ollie—Drama Desk nomination), Allegro (Joseph—Lortel nomination), Two by Two with Jason Alexander (Japheth), Do I Hear A Waltz? (City Center Encores!), Venice (Public Theater). Regional: Sondheim on Sondheim at the Hollywood Bowl, Passion (Giorgio) at Signature Theatre, Angels in America (dir. David Cromer), Into the Woods (dir. Moisés Kaufman, Kansas City Rep). Film/TV: Flatbush Luck, “The Carrie Diaries” (Pete).

HANNAH ELLESS (Joon) returns to Paper Mill Playhouse, where she was last seen originating the musical comedy The Other Josh Cohen. Ms. Elless’s Broadway credits include Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star and the revival of Godspell. Off-Broadway: Summer and Smoke; Come Back, Little Sheba; Picnic; The Other Josh Cohen. Regional: Ophelia in Hamlet, Aricia in Phaedra, Katherine in Henry V, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Elise McKenna in Somewhere in Time, Joon in Benny & Joon (Craig Noel Award nominee). TV/Film: “The Deuce,” “Glee,” The Lake Effect, Nora Ephron Goes to Prison.

COLIN HANLON (Mike) has a recurring role on “Modern Family” as Steven. He has had guest starring roles on “Difficult People,” “The Sinner,” “The Good Fight,” and in the upcoming film Yes. Co-producer and star of the web series “Submissions Only.” The New York premiere of Dot (Vineyard, dir. Susan Stroman) and A. R. Gurney’s last play Final Follies (Cherry Lane, dir. David Saint). Broadway: Falsettos, Rent, Wicked (tour), In Transit. Four shows at George Street Playhouse, most recently The Nerd (dir. Kevin Cahoon); four seasons at NYS&F and the O’Neill; Next Fall (St. Louis Rep). Off-Broadway includes I Love You Because and Pirates of Penzance.

PAOLO MONTALBAN (Larry) returns to Paper Mill with his fourth production. He appeared in The King and I, R&H’s Cinderella, and Nine. He is most recognized as the Prince in ABC/Disney’s TV musical movie of “Cinderella “(with Brandy and Whitney Houston). Broadway: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Pacific Overtures, The King and I. Off-Broadway: Bella: An American Tall Tale (Playwrights Horizons—Lortel nomination), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Delacorte). Regional: Mamma Mia! (5th Avenue), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Denver Center). TV: “Mortal Kombat: Conquest” as Kung Lao, “Madam Secretary,” “The Blacklist.” Film: Just Wright, The Great Raid.

BRYCE PINKHAM (Sam) originated the role of Monty Navarro in the Broadway production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder where he played over 700 performances. Broadway: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Tony, Drama Desk, Grammy nominations), The Heidi Chronicles (Outer Critics Circle nomination), Ghost, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Holiday Inn. TV: Mercy Street, Blindspot, The Good Wife, Person of Interest, God in America, The Get Down, Instinct. Upcoming: Proven Innocent on Fox. Countries visited: 22 and counting. Cofounder of www.zaraaina.org. BA, Boston College; MFA in Acting and bio writing, Yale School of Drama.

CONOR RYAN (Sam at certain performances) is thrilled to return to Paper Mill after playing Trip in the world premiere of My Very Own British Invasion. Television: “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” on NBC. Broadway: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Off-Broadway: Johnny Blood in Desperate Measures at New World Stages (Outer Critics Circle nomination for outstanding actor in a musical) and previously at York Theatre Company; Keen Company’s revival of John & Jen (with Kate Baldwin); Second Stage’s Invisible Thread; Public Theater’s The Fortress of Solitude. Developmental: Charles Bingley in Austen’s Pride (5th Avenue Theatre), Chris McCandless in Into the Wild (The Encore Musical Theatre Company).

NATALIE TORO (Dr. Cortez/Mrs. Smail). Paper Mill debut! Broadway: A Tale of Two Cities (Madame Defarge), A Christmas Carol (Sally), Les Misérables (Eponine). Tours: Evita (Eva Perón), Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary Magdalene), Cats (Grizabella), In the Heights (Camila). Off-Broadway: The Yellow Brick Road, Zombie Prom, The Audience, Pedro Pan. Regional: Benny & Joon (Old Globe), Snow Child (Arena Stage), The Bikinis, Zorba, Blood Brothers, Frances of Guernica, Everything’s Ducky, Fame, The Fix. Television: “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Elementary,” “Person of Interest,” “Black Box,” “Unforgettable.” Soloist with symphony orchestras (Carnegie Hall, Dublin’s National Concert Hall), headliner on major cruise lines around the world, and recording artist.

JACOB KEITH WATSON (Waldo/Video Store Owner). Broadway: Carousel (Enoch Snow), Hello, Dolly!, Violet, The Phantom of the Opera (Joseph Buquet), Amélie. New York/Tour/Regional: 1776 at Encores! (Robert Livingston); the national tour of Chicago (Amos Hart), Bye, Bye, Birdie (Albert), Seussical (Horton), As You Like It (Corin), Twelfth Night (Feste). Symphony: The Music Man (Marcellus Washburn); New York, New York! at the Kurt Weill Festival in Dessau, Germany; Kurt Weill on Broadway at Symphony Space. Jacob is a past winner of the prestigious Lotte Lenya Competition and the NATS National Music Theater Competition as well as a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

TATIANA WECHSLER (Ruthie). Paper Mill debut! First woman to play Curly in Oklahoma! (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). Off-Broadway: X: Or, Betty Shabazz vs. The Nation (Acting Company, Theatre at St. Clement’s/New Victory Theater), Julius Caesar (Acting Company, New Victory Theater), The Golden Bride (National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene). NYC: Othello (Acting Company). Regional: The Legend of Georgia McBride (Marin Theatre Company), Love’s Labor’s Lost (OSF). Tour: X and Julius Caesar (Acting Company). Many concert and reading appearances in major venues around NYC. Big thanks to Nora, the B&J team, and the most supportive family and friends. Proud graduate of NYU Tisch’s New Studio.

KIRSTEN GUENTHER (Book) is the recipient of a Richard Rodgers Award, Rockefeller Grant, Dramatists Guild Fellowship, and a Lincoln Center Honorarium. Current projects include Universal’s Heart and Souls, Measure of Success (Amanda Lipitz Productions), Mrs. Sharp (Richard Rodgers Award workshop; Playwrights Horizons, starring Jane Krakowski, dir. Michael Greif), and writing a new book to Paramount’s Roman Holiday. She wrote the book and lyrics for “Little Miss Fix-it” (as seen on NBC), among others. Previously, Kirsten lived in Paris, where she worked as a Paris correspondent (usatoday.com). MFA, NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. ASCAP and Dramatists Guild.

NOLAN GASSER (Music) is a critically acclaimed composer, pianist, and musicologist—notably, the architect of Pandora Radio’s Music Genome Project. He holds a PhD in Musicology from Stanford University. His original compositions have been performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, among others. Theatrical projects include the musicals Benny & Joon and Start Me Up and the opera The Secret Garden. His book, Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste (Macmillan), will be released on April 30, 2019, followed by his rock/world CD Border Crossing in June 2019. His TEDx Talk, “Empowering Your Musical Taste,” is available on YouTube.

MINDI DICKSTEIN (Lyrics) wrote the lyrics for the Broadway musical Little Women (MTI; Ghostlight/Sh-k-boom). Benny & Joon, based on the MGM film, was a NAMT selection (2016) and had its world premiere at The Old Globe (2017). Mindi’s work has been commissioned, produced, and developed widely, including by Disney (Toy Story: The Musical), Second Stage (Snow in August), Playwrights Horizons (Steinberg Commission), ASCAP Workshop, and Lincoln Center (“Hear and Now: Contemporary Lyricists”). Honors include a Larson Foundation Award and a Constance Klinsky Award from Second Stage. MFA and current faculty: NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. Dramatists Guild and ASCAP.

JACK CUMMINGS III (Director) is the artistic director of Transport Group, where his select credits include Summer and Smoke (coproduction with Classic Stage Company), Renascence (codirected with Dick Scanlan), The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Queen of the Mist, The Audience, Strange Interlude, I Remember Mama, Normal, Once Upon a Mattress, Picnic, The Boys in the Band, and Our Town. Other NY credits: Terrence McNally’s And Away We Go, A Thousand Words Come to Mind, Arlington. Regional credits: Benny & Joon (Old Globe), I Remember Mama (Two River). BA, The College of William & Mary; MFA, University of Virginia. He is married to Barbara Walsh.

SCOTT RINK (Choreographer). Off Broadway: Renascence, Once upon a Mattress, Three Days to See, Queen of the Mist, Hello Again, (Transport Group, dir. Jack Cummings III). Regional: Benny & Joon (The Old Globe), Alice in Wonderland (Birmingham Children’s Theatre). Commissioned works include dances for Ailey II, ABT II, Oakland Ballet, The Ailey School, Harvard University, UNCSA, University of Minnesota, among others. Mr. Rink has created a number of works for his company, danceRINK, performed in NYC and abroad. As a dancer, Mr. Rink performed in the companies of Eliot Feld, Elisa Monte, and Karole Armitage and as principal dancer with Lar Lubovitch.

J. OCONER NAVARRO (Music Director). Paper Mill Playhouse debut! J. was most recently music supervisor for Twelfth Night (Public Works/Shakespeare in the Park). Select credits: new arrangements for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); the world premieres of Rain (The Old Globe), Iowa (Playwrights Horizons), First Daughter Suite (Public Theater), Adding Machine (Minetta Lane); the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center Theater, and more. J. is the recipient of the American Theatre Wing’s Jonathan Larson Grant, an alumnus of the Composer-Librettist Studio at New Dramatists, and resident composer at the Church of Saint Paul the Apostle in NYC. Faculty, MFA: NYU. For CMS.

MICHAEL STAROBIN (Orchestrations). Credits: Renascence, Once on This Island, Sunday in the Park with George, Falsettos, Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing, Freaky Friday, First Daughter Suite, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Kid Victory, If/Then, Little Miss Sunshine, Annie, Dogfight, Leap of Faith, Queen of the Mist, The People in the Picture, Sondheim on Sondheim, Next to Normal (Tony Award), The Glorious Ones, Grinch, Adrift in Macao, Bernarda Alba, Spelling Bee, Assassins (Tony Award), Tom Sawyer, A New Brain, A Christmas Carol, Hello Again, Guys and Dolls (1992), My Favorite Year, In Trousers, Closer Than Ever, Legs Diamond, Romance/Romance, Carrie, Birds of Paradise, Rags, Three Guys Naked, Von Richtofen.

DANE LAFFREY (Scenic & Costume Design). Broadway: set for Once on This Island (Tony, Drama Desk, Hewes Award nominations); set and costumes for Deaf West’s Spring Awakening; set for Fool for Love. Off Broadway: Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout, Lincoln Center, Second Stage, MCC, Playwrights Horizons, BAM Harvey, Transport Group, Atlantic, Labyrinth, Vineyard, Soho Rep, many others. Regional: Mark Taper Forum, Geffen, Huntington, Hollywood Bowl, Williamstown, The Old Globe, Arena Stage, Geffen Playhouse, many others. International work in Tokyo, Osaka, Oslo, and throughout Australia. 2017 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence; nominations for Tony, Drama Desk, and seven American Theatre Wing Henry Hewes Awards.

R. LEE KENNEDY (Lighting Design). Off Broadway: Transport Group: The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Summer and Smoke (Henry Hewes Design Award nomination), Once Upon a Mattress, I Remember Mama (Henry Hewes Design Award nomination), Queen of the Mist (Henry Hewes Design Award nomination), Hello Again, See Rock City (Drama Desk nomination), Bury the Dead (Drama Desk nomination), Normal, The Audience (Drama Desk nomination); The Pearl Theatre Company: And Away We Go. Regional: The Old Globe: Benny & Joon; Philadelphia Theatre Company: The Outgoing Tide (Barrymore Award nomination), The Light in the Piazza (Barrymore Award). Signature Theatre: Cake Off.

KAI HARADA (Sound Design). Broadway: Head over Heels, The Band’s Visit (Tony Award and Drama Desk Award), Amélie, Sunday in the Park with George, Allegiance, Gigi, Fun Home, On the Town, First Date, Follies (Tony and Drama Desk Nominations), and Million Dollar Quartet. Other: A Chorus Line and Grand Hotel (City Center Encores!); Candide (LA Opera); Little Shop of Horrors, Chess, Little Dancer, and First You Dream (Kennedy Center); Silent Night (Washington National Opera); Zorro (Moscow and Atlanta); Hinterm Horizont (Berlin); Sweeney Todd, and Man of La Mancha (Portland Opera); and The Honeymooners (Paper Mill). Audio consultant for the revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Education: Yale University.

LORENZO PISONI (Clowning & Illusions Coordinator). Broadway: Gary, Beetlejuice, Frozen, Noises Off. Off Broadway: All the Fine Boys, Humor Abuse, Harlequin Studies. Other Credits: Pickle Family Circus, Cirque du Soleil. As an actor, Lorenzo’s work on and off Broadway has been recognized with Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Obie, and Outer Critics Circle awards.

NORA BRENNAN, CSA (Casting) a NYC-based casting director. Broadway: Children’s casting director for Billy Elliot: The Musical, Matilda, The Audience starring Helen Mirren. Nora is resident casting director for Transport Group in NYC. Select musicals and plays: Summer and Smoke (Classic Stage Company); Picnic; Come Back, Little Sheba; Renascence; And Away We Go; Queen of the Mist; Hello Again; All the Way Home; The Dark at the Top of the Stairs; and others. She also cast West Side Story at La Scala Opera House and for the past three years has cast the boys for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

VICTORIA NAVARRO (Production Stage Manager). Broadway: The Lion King, The Color Purple. National tours include Matilda, Annie, Oliver!, and Seussical. Paper Mill: Annie, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. Opera: Santa Fe Opera, Virginia Opera. Vicky is an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch and Montclair University as well as a Maplewood resident.

Accessibility Performances for Benny & Joon

Paper Mill Playhouse, a leader in accessibility, will offer audio-described performances for Benny & Joon on Sun, April 28, at 1:30PM and Saturday, May 4, 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, May 5, at 7:00PM.

Free Audience Enrichment Activities for Benny & Joon

CONVERSATION CLUB: Join us Thursday evenings, April 4, 11, 16, and 25 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, at 6:30PM, on Wednesday, April 10, we host a pre-show discussion in the Renee Foosaner Art Gallery.

Q&A WITH THE CAST: After the matinee on Saturday, May 4, 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 & Harmony Helper.

BENNY & JOON
Book by Kirsten Guenther
Music by Nolan Gasser
Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein
Based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Motion Picture written by Barry Berman & Leslie McNeil
Music Direction by J. Oconer Navarro
Choreography by Scott Rink
Directed by Jack Cummings III

The post Cast and Creative Team Announced for Benny & Joon appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

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Paper Mill Playhouse is proud to announce casting and creative team for Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, based on the film from Universal Pictures, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, and book by Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge.  Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn will begin performances Wednesday, Nov 21, and will continue through Sunday, Dec 30, at Paper Mill Playhouse. Bank of America is the Major Sponsor of Irving Berlin’s Holiday. Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2018–2019 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank.

Directed by Mr. Greenberg (The Baker’s Wife, 1776 – Paper Mill), and with choreography by Denis Jones (Mary Poppins – Paper Mill, Holiday Inn – Broadway, Tony nomination), music direction by Shawn Gough (Annie, Paper Mill), the principal cast will feature Paige Faure (Honeymoon in Vegas – Paper Mill) as Lila Dixon, Jordon Gelber (Avenue Q) as Danny, Ann Harada (Avenue Q) as Louise,  Jeff Kready (Thoroughly Modern Millie – Paper Mill) as Ted Hanover, Hayley Podschun (Peter Pan – Paper Mill) as Linda Mason, Nicholas Rodriguez (Tarzan) as Jim Hardy with Jian Harrell and Aidan Alberto alternating in the role of Charlie Winslow.

They will be joined by Jordon Beall, Gene Biscontini, Colin Bradbury, Tricia DeSario, Taylor Fields, Kelly Gleason, Juliane Godfrey, Berklea Going, Joshua Israel, Julie Kavanagh, Mallory Nolting, Clifton Samuels, JT Teeling, Karl Skylar Urban, Amy Van Norstrand, Scarlett Walker, Travis Ward-Osborne, and John T. Wolfe.

In this musical based on the beloved Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire film, Jim Hardy leaves behind the hustle and bustle of showbiz for a quiet life on a Connecticut farm. Jim’s agrarian efforts are a flop, but things start looking up when he falls for a talented schoolteacher, and together they infuse their sleepy rural setting with some Broadway razzle-dazzle. Fresh from a Broadway run, this heartwarming, toe-tapping production features more than 20 classic songs from the Berlin catalog, including “Easter Parade,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Steppin’ Out with My Baby,” and “White Christmas.”

The production team includes set design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Alejo Vietti, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Matt Kraus, hair and wig design by Charles G. Lapointe. The production stage manager is Victoria Navarro. Casting is by Telsey + Company, Laura Wade, CSA.

Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wed—Sun. Performance schedule: Wed at 7:00PM, Thu at 1:30PM and 7:00PM, Fri at 7:00PM, Sat at 1:30PM and 7:00PM and Sun at 1:30PM and 7:00PM. Please note: There are no performances on Nov 22 (Thanksgiving Day), Dec 24 (Christmas Eve) and Dec 25 (Christmas Day). Tickets are on sale now starting at $34. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online by 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. Season subscriptions are on sale now and are available by calling 973.379.3717.  Students may order $23-$28 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance. Bank of America is the Major Sponsor of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn.

“Bank of America is committed to supporting arts and culture in our local markets. We are proud to sponsor Paper Mill Playhouse and its production of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. Organizations like Paper Mill Playhouse help economies thrive and enable individuals to connect with each other across cultures,” said Robert Doherty, president, Bank of America New Jersey. “Holiday Inn is a classic and is guaranteed to make your days merry and bright!”

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PAIGE FAURE (Lila Dixon) is pleased to return to Paper Mill, having previously appeared in Honeymoon in Vegas and On the Town. Broadway: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Ella), Miss Saigon (Ellen u/s), Bullets Over Broadway (Ellen u/s), How to Succeed… (Hedy LaRue). Off Broadway: Joan in Taste of Things to Come. National Tours: R&H Cinderella, A Chorus Line, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Little Women, Aida. Selected regional: Paige in the world premiere of The Heart of Rock & Roll, the new Huey Lewis musical (Old Globe); Lorene in From Here to Eternity (FLMTF); Chess (Kennedy Center); Nice Work… (Eileen) and Seven Brides… (Milly) at Sacramento Music Circus; The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet) at NCT.

JORDAN GELBER (Danny) is excited to make his Paper Mill Playhouse debut. Broadway: Sunday in the Park with George, Buddy in Elf, All My Sons, Avenue Q (original Broadway and Off Broadway cast). Off Broadway: Two Thousand Years, The Joke. TV: Elementary’s M.E. Hawes, Insatiable, The Black List, Mindhunter, Mr. Robot, Boardwalk Empire, Nurse Jackie, Rescue Me, Law & Order: SVU, The Sopranos. Film: upcoming The Kitchen, Bleed for This, Dark Horse, Everyday People (IFP/Gotham Award nomination).

ANN HARADA (Louise) originated the role of Christmas Eve in the Broadway and West End productions of Avenue Q and stepsister Charlotte in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway. Other Broadway: Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables (revival), 9 to 5, Seussical, and M. Butterfly. She performed her solo concert in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series in 2014. Film: Sisters, Trouble, Youth in Oregon, Admission, Hope Springs, Feel, Happiness. TV includes “Smash” (as Linda, the stage manager), “Lipstick Jungle,” “30 Rock,” “Doubt,” “The Good Wife,” “House of Cards,” “Master of None,” “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” “Search Party,” “Younger.”

JEFF KREADY (Ted Hanover). Paper Mill: Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Broadway: Monty Navarro in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Tony Elliot in Billy Elliot, Sunday in the Park with George, and Les Misérables (Jean Valjean u/s). Regional: Tommy in Brigadoon (Pittsburgh CLO), Mr. Snow in Carousel (Goodspeed Opera House), and David Sedaris’s one-man show Santaland Diaries (Hartford TheaterWorks). TV: “The Good Fight” (CBS), “Elementary” (recurring, CBS), “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO). Graduate of Washburn University and former elementary school music teacher. Favorite roles: husband to Nikki, father to Lena (5) and Louise (1). Up next: Tootsie, opening on Broadway this spring.

HAYLEY PODSCHUN (Linda Mason) was last seen at Paper Mill as Wendy in Peter Pan. This is her second time at the Inn, having originated the role of Lila Dixon at Goodspeed Opera House. She played Glinda in the national tour of Wicked, and her Broadway credits include Hello, Dolly!; Something Rotten!; Chaplin (Mildred Harris); Anything Goes; Pal Joey; Sunday in the Park with George; Hairspray (also national tour); and The Sound of Music. TV/Film: “The Blacklist,” “Louie,” “Hairspray” (Tammy).

NICHOLAS RODRIGUEZ (Jim Hardy). Broadway: Tarzan. National Tour: The Sound of Music (Captain von Trapp). Off Broadway: Toxic Avenger, Almost Heaven, Colette Collage, Bajour. Carnegie Hall: Guys and Dolls. Regional: Carousel (Helen Hayes nomination), Mother Courage and Her Children, Oklahoma! (Helen Hayes Award), My Fair Lady (Helen Hayes nomination), Destiny of Desire, and The Light in the Piazza all at Arena Stage, The Ten Commandments at the Kodak Theatre, Muny, ZACH Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Maltz Jupiter Theatre. Film: Sex and the City 2. Television: “Madam Secretary,” Nick Chavez on ABC’s “One Life to Live” (GLAAD Award). His debut album, The First Time…, is now available.

JIAN HARRELL (Charlie Winslow) is thrilled to be making his professional stage debut. Other favorite projects include “Saturday Night Live” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Jian is proud to be part of Hoboken Children’s Theater.

AIDAN ALBERTO (Charlie Winslow Alternate) is excited to be in Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. Aidan has had principal roles in school musicals and local community theaters. Trained at Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Conservatory (2017), he has under his belt many voiceovers and commercials.

IRVING BERLIN (Music & Lyrics) wrote scores to 13 Broadway musicals, contributed to seven revues, and wrote songs for 12 classic Hollywood movie musicals. Born in Russia, he immigrated to the Lower East Side of New York City, where he started his career as a singing waiter and soon became a lyricist, composer, and music publisher. He built the Music Box Theatre to house his Music Box Revues. Among his more than 1,200 songs, many of which are considered classics today, is “God Bless America,” for which he established a fund that receives all revenue from the song and distributes it to the Boy and Girl Scouts.

GORDON GREENBERG (Director, Co-author) directed and cowrote the Broadway stage adaptation of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (Roundabout/Universal, PBS’s Great Performances) and directed the acclaimed West End revival of Guys and Dolls, which starred Rebel Wilson and received six Olivier Award nominations (Savoy Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre). Recent/current work includes The Heart of Rock & Roll (Old Globe); Barnum (Chocolate Factory, London); Terms of Endearment starring Alfred Molina, Calista Flockhart, and Constance Wu (Geffen); cowriting/directing The Secret of My Success (Universal Stage Productions); directing Dietrich:Piaf (Mirvish, Toronto); writing the new book for Meet Me in St. Louis (Muny); cowriting/directing Mystic Pizza (MGM/Araca); cowriting Port Au Prince (New Group); cowriting/directing Ebenezer Scrooge’s Big (Your Town Here) Christmas Show (Bucks County, Old Globe); cowriting/directing The Curious Case of the Curse of Count Dracula (Maltz); and cowriting original movie musicals for the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. Other credits: Jacques Brel… (Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics nominations), Working (Drama Desk), Disney’s Tangled. Paper Mill: The Baker’s Wife, Pirates!, 1776, Happy Days. Regional: Williamstown, Muny, Goodspeed, Huntington, Signature, Dallas Theater Center, NY Stage and Film, Philadelphia Theatre Company. Education: Stanford, NYU, RADA. Member, SDC, WGA, The Dramatists Guild. Co-Artistic Director, Broadway Teaching Group. Artistic Associate, New Group.

CHAD HODGE (Co-author) co-created and was showrunner and executive producer of TNT’s drama “Good Behavior.” He also created and executive produced “Wayward Pines” on Fox. In addition, he created NBC’s The Playboy Club and the CW’s Runaway. His film projects include The Darkest Minds for 20th Century Fox, based on the New York Times bestselling trilogy by Alexandra Bracken, which was released in Aug 2018, and Anita, about notorious singer and orange juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant. Hodge grew up in Chicago and graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University. He lives in Los Angeles.

DENIS JONES (Choreographer). Paper Mill Playhouse: Mary Poppins, Honeymoon in Vegas, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Damn Yankees, The Full Monty, High School Musical, Meet Me in St. Louis. Broadway: Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (Tony Award nomination for best choreography), Honeymoon in Vegas. Other recent credits: How to Succeed… (Kennedy Center); Hey, Look Me Over! and Paint Your Wagon (NY City Center Encores!); Crazy for You (Signature—Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Choreography); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Goodspeed); The Wiz and 42nd Street (Muny—St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Outstanding Choreography); Moonshine: That Hee-Haw Musical (Dallas Theater Center); A Funny Thing…Forum (Two River/Williamstown). Upcoming: Tootsie.

SHAWN GOUGH (Music Director) is thrilled to return for his sixth production at Paper Mill! Previously: The Color Purple, Annie, The Honeymooners, Pirates!, Happy Days. Broadway: Billy Elliot; Violet; Nice Work If You Can Get It; The Light in the Piazza; Sunday in the Park with George; Into the Woods; The Frogs; Kiss Me, Kate!; The Music Man; Aladdin; Les Misérables; Dames at Sea; Chicago; Big Fish; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; The Coast of Utopia; Annie Get Your Gun; The Lion King; Mary Poppins; The Drowsy Chaperone. Off Broadway: Carmen Jones; Cagney; Shockheaded Peter; A Man of No Importance; Tick, Tick…Boom!. Upcoming: Marie by Ahrens and Flaherty, directed by Susan Stroman.

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, 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: Kings (Public Theater), Evita (Bay Street).

ALEJO VIETTI (Costume Design). Paper Mill: Spelling Bee, Damn Yankees, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. New York: Broadway’s Holiday Inn, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (also West End—Olivier nomination, national tour, Japan, UK tour, Australia), Allegiance (Drama Desk nomination). Works for the Radio City Rockettes, Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, NYC Opera, City Center Encores!, Atlantic Theater, among many others, as well as the current revival of Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Selected regional: Alley, Hartford Stage, Goodspeed, Guthrie Theatre, Arena Stage, Old Globe, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Minnesota Opera. Other: Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame (US premiere, Japan, Germany), Ringling Brothers. TDF Irene Sharaff Young Master Award.

JEFF CROITER (Lighting Design). Paper Mill: over a dozen productions including Newsies and Bandstand. Broadway: Bandstand, Falsettos, Holiday Inn, Something Rotten!, Disaster!, Penn & Teller, Newsies, Peter and the Starcatcher, Mothers and Sons, Soul Doctor, Jekyll & Hyde, The Anarchist, The Performers, The Pee-wee Herman Show, Next Fall, Kiki and Herb. Off Broadway includes The True, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Tiny Beautiful Things, Cost of Living, Sweet Charity, Head of Passes, The Last Five Years. Other: Big Apple Circus, Penn & Teller in Las Vegas, Jennifer Muller/The Works. Jeff has received Tony, Hewes, and Bass Awards and Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lortel, Ovation, Irne, and Audelco nominations.

MATT KRAUS (Sound Design). Paper Mill Playhouse: Lend Me a Tenor and Newsies. Broadway: Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway, Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony, Liza’s at the Palace…. Off Broadway: Caucasian Chalk Circle, 50 Shades! The Musical Parody, Forbidden Broadway, Fat Camp, Voca People. Elsewhere: Evita (St. Louis Rep); West Side Story (Barrington Stage); Evita and Ragtime (PA Shakespeare); The World Goes ’Round (Bucks County Playhouse); Buddy Holly Story (Walnut Street); Absinthe (Caesars Las Vegas); audio coordinator for remote shoots at “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Matt recently won a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on Disney’s Broadway Hits at Royal Albert Hall in London.

CHARLES G. LAPOINTE (Hair & Wig Design). Previously at Paper Mill Playhouse: The Sting, The Color Purple, The Outsider, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Over 90 Broadway shows including Hamilton, The Band’s Visit, Beautiful, Anastasia, Torch Song, SpongeBob SquarePants (2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Wig and Hair Design), Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Amélie, Motown: The Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, The Color Purple, In the Heights. Upcoming Broadway: The Cher Show, Beetlejuice. Television: “The Wiz Live!” (Emmy Award nomination), “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” (Emmy Award nomination), “Blue Bloods,” “American Crime,” “Madoff,” “Hairspray.”

VICTORIA NAVARRO (Production Stage Manager). Broadway: The Lion King, The Color Purple. National tours include Matilda, Annie, Oliver!, and Seussical. Paper Mill: Annie. Opera: Santa Fe Opera, Virginia Opera. Vicky is an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch and Montclair University as well as a Maplewood resident.

TELSEY + COMPANY (Casting). Broadway/Tours: Network; The Cher Show; The Prom; American Son; Torch Song; Pretty Woman; My Fair Lady; Mean Girls; Frozen; Once on This Island; Anastasia; Come from Away; Waitress; Hamilton; Kinky Boots; Wicked; Hello, Dolly!; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; On Your Feet!. Off Broadway: Atlantic Theater Company, Classic Stage Company, MCC Theater, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Second Stage Theater. Film: Mary Poppins Returns, Ben Is Back, The Greatest Showman, Miss Sloane, Into the Woods, Margin Call, Rachel Getting Married. TV: “Murphy Brown,” “This Is Us,” “House of Cards,” “Divorce,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “One Day at a Time,” “Atypical,” “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” commercials.

Accessibility Performances for Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn

Paper Mill Playhouse, a leader in accessibility, will offer audio-described performances for Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn on Saturday, Dec 29, at 1:30PM and Sunday, Dec 30, 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 Sunday, Dec 30, at 7:00PM.

Free Audience Enrichment Activities for Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn

Conversation Club: Join us Thursday evenings, Nov 29, Dec 6, 13, 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 at 6:00PM on Wednesday, Nov 21, we host a pre-show discussion in the Renee Foosaner Art Gallery.
Q&A with the Cast: After the matinee on Saturday, Dec 15, stick around for a lively Q&A with cast members directly following the performance.

Paper Mill Playhouse’s 80th anniversary season continues in the winter with the world-premiere musical My Very Own British Invasion (Jan 31—Mar 3), directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell. The 1960s British music scene comes to life with songs from Herman’s Hermits, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Petula Clark, The Moody Blues, and other legendary bands of the era. The spring brings the East Coast premiere of Benny & Joon (April 4—May 5). Based on the 1993 film which starred Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, this new musical is a smart, funny, tender-hearted celebration of love: between children and parents; romantic partners; friends; and, most of all, siblings. The final production of the season, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (May 29—Jun 30), is an international sensation that has played to more than 35 million people in 13 countries. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage production includes all of the original songs from the movie by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, plus additional gems by Menken and Tim Rice.

Paper Mill Playhouse will once again, be a collection point for this year’s ‘Jersey Cares’ Coat Drive during the run of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn.  For the past 22 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 30, 2018. Collection of coats will take place in the lobby at Paper Mill Playhouse, 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ.

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Paper Mill Playhouse is proud to announce the appointment of Michael Stotts as the theater’s Managing Director. A search committee consisting of members of Paper Mill Playhouse Board of Trustees (including James V. Fakult, Board Chair, President, Jersey Central Power & Light and Andy Gottesman, Vice Chair and Search Committee Chair, Chief Executive Officer of Gottesman Real Estate Partners) and key staff conducted a nationwide search to find the right candidate to join Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee to co-lead Paper Mill Playhouse into its next chapter. The committee was seeking a candidate that would embrace and articulate the artistic and institutional vision, and the educational and outreach mission, of Paper Mill Playhouse to staff, board, and patrons, as well as the New Jersey region and the national theater community. Michael (“Mike”) Stotts will oversee the organizational, financial, and business affairs of Paper Mill Playhouse.

A graduate of Queen’s University, Ontario and Columbia University, New York, Stotts has over 32 years of arts management experience, with 28 years in senior leadership positions. He is a motivating leader and strategic thinker with significant experience in producing, marketing, fundraising, finance, contract negotiation/labor relations, board development and human resources. For the past 12 years he served as Managing Director of Hartford Stage in Connecticut, where he led a multi-year campaign to expand and renovate the Stage’s theater facility He held the same position at Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, CT, George Street Playhouse and Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. In 2006, Stotts was hired by Paper Mill Playhouse as a consultant for institutional planning and advancement, where he assisted with fundraising, strategic planning and capital campaign research. As a respected arts leader, Stotts has been a guest lecturer at several universities, and he has served on more than a dozen not-for-profit boards and committees in Connecticut and New Jersey. He has produced several shows that made the transfer to Broadway including Hartford Stage productions of Anastasia, of which he is a co-producer of the Broadway production, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (2014 Tony Award for Best Musical) and Long Wharf Theatre’s production of Sixteen Wounded, and to Off-Broadway including Horton Foote’s The Orphans’ Home Cycle, among many others.

After nearly 80 seasons of live theater, Paper Mill Playhouse welcomes more than 200,000 visitors each year. The annual scope of Paper Mill’s work includes more than 180 mainstage performances, 70 audience enrichment and access programs, 150 education classes, outreach programs, and shows for young audiences. Over the last ten years under the leadership of Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill Playhouse has seen a remarkable renaissance with an established business model that boasts of solid financial results and has laid a foundation for significant growth through an exciting new strategic plan.

“Paper Mill Playhouse is in a great place, with a strong financial foundation, national recognition, world-class artistry and award-winning education and access programs. We are extremely pleased to have an accomplished leader like Mike join Mark Hoebee and the outstanding team at Paper Mill and look forward to building on the tremendous growth and success we have experienced over the past several years.” stated Board Chair James V. Fakult.

Much of Paper Mill Playhouse’s recent institutional achievement can be attributed to its success in developing new musicals and launching national tours of existing shows. Premiering and subsequent transfers of  Newsies (in association with Disney Theatrical Group), Bandstand (in association with Tom Smedes Productions LLC), Honeymoon in Vegas (in association with Dena Hammerstein and Roy Gabay) and A Bronx Tale (in association with Dodger Productions) to Broadway, as well as launching national tours of Little House on the Prairie, The Bodyguard, and the 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables, has established Paper Mill Playhouse as a leading incubator of new musicals. Receipt of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award speaks to the success of the artistic accomplishments of the last decade.

Paper Mill Playhouse is justly proud of its impressive array of education programs that reach nearly 40,000 students each year. Programs as varied as the Adopt-A-School Project, Theater for Everyone, Theater School, Broadway Show Choir, Rising Star Awards, and the Summer Musical Theater Conservatory are examples of this important work. Of many accomplishments in the education realm, one of the most notable is that the playhouse presented the country’s first full-service, autism-friendly performance in 2011. This year, the Theatre for Everyone initiative will serve 3,000 children at these autism-friendly performances and classes especially designed for students with developmental disabilities.  Stotts’s experience includes overseeing the growth of the Hartford Stage education programs into the leading provider of theatre education programs in the state of Connecticut.

Paper Mill Playhouse has developed an Autism Advisory Team to assist in the theater’s programs for people with autism and other developmental disabilities. Findings from this team are shared with other performing arts organizations that are interested in serving these communities. In addition, Paper Mill Playhouse is deeply rooted in its own community and the state of New Jersey. Members of Paper Mill Playhouse’s staff serve on an array of boards, committees, charitable and business organizations to expand its impact on the region.

“Mike will be able to hit the ground running, re-establish his deep roots in New Jersey and continue to build on the strong relationships and ties that bind together Paper Mill Playhouse and its community,” remarked Andy Gottesman Paper Mill Playhouse Vice Chair and chair of the search committee.

Paper Mill Playhouse just completed a critically acclaimed remounting of John Doyle’s The Color Purple to open its 80th anniversary season. The Millburn theater will produce a season of all musicals in its 2018-2019 lineup including a world premiere and an East Coast premiere. Paper Mill Playhouse’s 80th anniversary season also includes Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (November 21-December 30), based on the beloved Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire film. This heartwarming, toe-tapping production features more than 20 classic songs from the Berlin catalog, including “Easter Parade,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Steppin’ Out with My Baby,” and “White Christmas.” In the winter, Paper Mill Playhouse presents the world-premiere musical My Very Own British Invasion (January 31-March 3), directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell. The 1960s British music scene comes to life with songs from Herman’s Hermits, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Petula Clark, The Moody Blues, and other legendary bands of the era. The spring brings the East Coast premiere of Benny & Joon (April 4-May 5). Based on the 1993 film which starred Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, this new musical is a smart, funny, tender-hearted celebration of love: between children and parents; romantic partners; friends; and, most of all, siblings. The final production of the season, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (May 29-June 30) is an international sensation that has played to more than 35 million people in 13 countries. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage production includes all of the original songs from the movie by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, plus additional gems by Menken and Tim Rice.

ABOUT MIKE STOTTS
Mike Stotts has over 32 years’ experience working in the professional theater, including 28 years leading four regional theaters as Managing Director. He is currently in his 13th season as Managing Director of Hartford Stage in Hartford, CT, one of the preeminent theaters in the country, where he led a multi-year, expansion and renovation of the Stage’s theatre facility, completed in the summer of 2018. Working in collaboration with artistic directors, Darko Tresnjak, and Michael Wilson before, he has produced over 70 plays at Hartford Stage, including over 25 world premieres. Prominent productions include Anastasia, currently running on Broadway, national tour and in Madrid, Spain; A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, which received its world premiere at Hartford Stage in 2012 and went on to Broadway and won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Musical; the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegria Hudes; and in 2010 Horton Foote’s The Orphans’ Home Cycle, which enjoyed a celebrated run in Hartford and subsequently at the Signature Theatre in New York, where it won the Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel and Outer Critics Circle awards, among others. Since arriving at Hartford Stage in 2006, he has overseen the growth of the education programs, which have expanded to serve nearly 21,000 students annually. In 2013, he spearheaded the acquisition of the Hartford Children’s Theatre and the integration of its programs into the Hartford Stage Studio program. Prior to Hartford Stage, he served as Managing Director at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT, George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, NJ and the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison, NJ.  He began his career in the general management office at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Stotts currently serves on the board of directors of Billings Forge Community Works, and is a corporator of Hartford Hospital, the Hartford Public Library and the iQuilt Partnership. He was a co-founder and president of the Connecticut Arts Alliance and continues to serve on that board. He served as co-chair of Hartford Performs from 2010 to 2016, and on the boards of the Edward C. and Ann T. Robert Foundation, the National Corporate Theatre Fund (now Theatre Forward), New Jersey Theatre Alliance and ArtPride, NJ. Stotts is originally from Calgary, Alberta. He obtained a B.A. in Economics and Drama at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and an MFA from Columbia University in New York. In 2016, he attended Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management at the Harvard Business School, and in the fall of 2018 he was a member of a delegation of US arts leaders at the 7th Annual Workshop on Theatre Management at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, China.

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JOHN DOYLE TO RESTAGE HIS MASTERPIECE TO OPEN PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 80TH SEASON

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Paper Mill Playhouse is proud to announce casting for The Color Purple, directed by Tony Award winner John Doyle. The Color Purple is a Tony Award-winning revival based upon the novel written by Alice Walker and the Warner Bros./Amblin Entertainment motion picture with a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. Cast members from the 2015 Broadway revival lead the Paper Mill Playhouse company, including Adrianna Hicks (Aladdin, Sister Act – Germany) as Celie, Carla R. Stewart (Ghost – National Tour, Rent – Regional) as Shug Avery and Carrie Compere (Holler If You Hear Me, Shrek the Musical – National Tour) as Sofia.

They will be joined by Gavin Gregory (The Color Purple, The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess) as Mister, N’Jameh Camara (X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation) as Nettie, Jay Donnell (Miss Saigon) as Harpo, along with Darnell Abraham, Amar Atkins, Kyle E. Baird, Angela Birchett, Erica Durham, Bianca Horn, Jamal James, Mekhai Lee, Gabrielle Reid, C.E. Smith, Will T. Travis, Nyla Watson, J.D. Webster, Brit West and Nikisha Williams. The Color Purple will run at Paper Mill Playhouse from September 26 through October 21, 2018. Major support for The Color Purple is provided by the PSEG Foundation. Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2018–2019 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank.

The Color Purple, the Tony Award-winning revival that thrilled Broadway audiences is coming to Paper Mill, where director John Doyle will remount his visionary production. This unforgettable and moving musical based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and Academy Award-nominated film features a soul-raising, Grammy-winning score infused with jazz, gospel, ragtime, and blues. The Color Purple, with a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, is a stirring family chronicle about the power of love and life. This show contains adult themes.

The Color Purple will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wed– Sun. Performance schedule: Wed at 7:30PM, Thu at 1:30PM and 7:30PM, Fri at 8:00PM, Sat at 1:30PM and 8:00PM and Sun at 1:30pPM and 7:00PM. Tickets are on sale now starting at $34. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or by clicking here.  Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted. Groups of 10 or more may receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Season subscriptions are on sale now and are available by calling 973.379.3717.  Students may order $23-$28 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance.

N’JAMEH CAMARA (Nettie). Credits: The Color Purple (first national revival tour), X: or, Betty Shabazz vs. The Nation (world premiere/national tour), Julius Caesar (Off Broadway), Up Here (La Jolla Playhouse), OjO (La Jolla Playhouse), Marguerite to Maya (an original one-woman show), Dance of the Holy Ghosts (Ubuntu Theater Project), The Wiz (Theatre at the Center). MFA Acting from UC San Diego.

CARRIE COMPERE (Sofia) played Sofia in The Color Purple on Broadway as well as on the national tour. Also: The Golden Apple (Lovey Mars/The Siren, Encores!), Holler If Ya Hear Me (Broadway), Shrek: The Musical (national tour). Off Broadway: The Lightning Thief (Sally Jackson), Sistas: The Musical, Lord Tom. Regional: Smokey Joe’s Cafe (TUTS). TV: Seven Seconds, NYC 22, Gurland on Gurland, Show Boat: Live from Lincoln Center.

JAY DONNELL (Harpo). Paper Mill debut! Tours: The Color Purple (Harpo), Miss Saigon (Ensemble, John u/s). Select Regional: Ragtime (Coalhouse); Once on This Island (Agwe); Clybourne Park (Albert/Kevin, Laguna Playhouse); Lythgoe Panto’s Aladdin and His Winter Wish (Genie); Mamma Mia! (Hollywood Bowl); Kiss Me, Kate (Hortensio/Fred); Memphis (Bobby); Frozen—Live at the Hyperion (Grand Pabbie/Bishop); Side Show (Jake); South Pacific (Hollywood Bowl). Commercials: Honda, Allstate, Dodge, Bud Light. TV/Film: Lost Tapes (Discovery Channel), A Portrait of James Dean (Iconoclastic Features).

GAVIN GREGORY (Mister). I’m honored to perform in this musical about love and redemption. Broadway: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (Crown standby), The Color Purple. Tours: The Color Purple (Mister), Kinky Boots (Simon Sr.), The Lion King (first national). Regional: Man of La Mancha (Cervantes/Don Quixote), The Whipping Man (Simon), Ragtime (Coalhouse); Violet (Flick); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Mitch Mahoney).

ADRIANNA HICKS (Celie) is beyond thrilled to be making her Paper Mill Playhouse debut as Celie in The Color Purple! Broadway: The Color Purple (revival, swing), Aladdin (Fortune Teller/Jasmine’s Attendant). National Tour: The Color Purple (Celie). Regional/International: Sister Act (Deloris u/s, Germany), Legally Blonde (Judge/Pilar u/s, Austria), Ragtime (Sarah), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Marlena), and a backup singer for Michael Bublé’s Call Me Irresponsible Tour in Oklahoma.

CARLA R. STEWART (Shug Avery) is excited to make her Paper Mill debut as Shug Avery after touring the country in the same role and making her Broadway debut in the Tony- and Grammy-winning revival (as Olivia/Church Lady). She is still bubbling with joy telling this great story! Recent/favorite regional credits: first national tour of Ghost: The Musical (Oda Mae Brown), The Wiz (Dorothy), Rent (Joanne), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Nell). AMDA New York graduate.

The creative team for The Color Purple includes Tony Award winner John Doyle (Direction, Scenic Design), Darryl Archibald (Music Direction), Tony Award winner Ann Hould-Ward (Costume Design), Tony Award nominee Jane Cox (Lighting Design), Dan Moses Schreier (Sound Design), Drama Desk winner Charles G. LaPointe (Hair and Wig Design), Melissa Chacón (Production Stage Manager) and Telsey + Company (Casting).

JOHN DOYLE (Direction, Scenic Design). Broadway: Sweeney Todd (Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Director), Company (Tony Award for Best Revival), A Catered Affair (Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical), The Visit (Tony nomination, best musical), The Color Purple (Tony Award for Best Revival, Drama Desk Award for Best Director). Off Broadway: Wings (Second Stage); Road Show (Public); Where’s Charley?, Irma La Douce (City Center Encores!). Regional: Kiss Me, Kate! (Stratford Festival); The Caucasian Chalk Circle (A.C.T.); Merrily We Roll Along, The Three Sisters (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Ten Cents a Dance (Williamstown Theatre Festival); The Exorcist (Geffen Playhouse). In the U.K., John has been artistic director of four regional theaters; numerous credits include The Gondoliers, Mack and Mabel (West End), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Oklahoma!, and Amadeus. Opera includes Lucia di Lammermoor (Sydney), Peter Grimes (Met), The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany (Los Angeles). He is artistic director of CSC in New York City, where his productions include Passion, Allegro, Peer Gynt, Dead Poets Society, Pacific Overtures, Fire and Air, and most recently Carmen Jones.

DARRYL ARCHIBALD (Music Director). The Color Purple (national tour); Motown: The Musical (Broadway and national tour); Wicked (Pantages Theatre, substitute conductor); Memphis (national tour); Dreamgirls (national tour, associate conductor); Disney’s The Lion King (national tour, vocal coach/assistant conductor); Dear World with Tyne Daly (VPAC); Jonathan Dove’s Innocence (Banff Centre and Manhattan Theatre Club); Two by Two with Jason Alexander, How to Succeed… with John O’Hurley, The Fantasticks with Eric McCormack, Once on This Island with Ledisi, and Li’l Abner with Cathy Rigby and Fred Willard (Reprise); Great Expectations, My Fair Lady, 1776, Camelot, and Forever Plaid (Utah Shakespeare Festival); A Hollywood Holiday Celebration (ABC TV), The Fountain Show, Christmas Trolley Show (The Grove LA).

ANN HOULD-WARD (Costume Design). Select Broadway: The Color Purple, The Visit, The People in the Picture, A Free Man of Color (Drama Desk nomination), A Catered Affair (Drama Desk nomination), Beauty and the Beast (Tony Award), Into the Woods (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Falsettos, Sunday in the Park with George (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Saint Joan, Little Me. Off Broadway: Pacific Overtures, Dead Poets Society, Passion (Classic Stage Company); Notes from the Field (Second Stage); Russian Transport; The Blue Flower; Road Show; Lobster Alice; Cymbeline. Ms. Hould-Ward’s work can be seen in over 35 international companies of Beauty and the Beast and in shows all over the world. More than 100 regional credits, including Can-Can at Paper Mill. Inaugural recipient of FIT’s Patricia Zipprodt Award.

JANE COX (Lighting Design). Previous collaborations with John Doyle include Pacific Overtures, Peer Gynt, Allegro, and Passion at Classic Stage Company; The Color Purple on Broadway and in London; Road Show; and Lucia di Lammermoor. Recent theater credits include Jitney, Noises Off, and Amélie on Broadway; Othello at NYTW; and Hamlet in London; and previous Broadway credits also include Machinal, All the Way, Picnic, and others. Jane has been nominated for two Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards, and she is a member of the Monica Bill Barnes Company and is the director of the theater program at Princeton University.

DAN MOSES SCHREIER (Sound Design). Broadway: The Iceman Cometh (with Denzel Washington), Falsettos, American Psycho, The Visit, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Sondheim on Sondheim, A Little Night Music, Gypsy (Patti LuPone), A Catered Affair, Radio Golf, John Doyle’s production of Sweeney Todd, Gem of the Ocean, Pacific Overtures, Assassins, Into the Woods, Topdog/Underdog, Dirty Blonde, Noise/Funk. He has composed scores for the Broadway productions of The Merchant of Venice (Al Pacino), Julius Caesar (Denzel Washington), and The Tempest (Patrick Stewart). He has received five Tony nominations and four Drama Desk Awards. Dan is currently composing a musical with Brian Selznick based on Brian’s book The Houdini Box, commissioned by La Jolla Playhouse.

CHARLES G. LAPOINTE (Hair & Wig Design). Paper Mill: The Sting, Newsies, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Outsider, 1776. Over 90 Broadway shows including Hamilton, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Cher Show, Anastasia, The Band’s Visit, SpongeBob SquarePants (Drama Desk Award), Amélie, Motown, Memphis, Allegiance, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, The Color Purple, Doctor Zhivago, Of Mice and Men, Violet, Side Show, The Elephant Man, After Midnight, Clybourne Park, Newsies, Jekyll & Hyde, The Mountaintop, Superior Donuts, Bonnie and Clyde, and In the Heights. Television: “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” (Emmy nomination), “The Wiz Live!” (Emmy nomination), “Blue Bloods,” “American Crime,” “Madoff,” “Hairspray.”

MELISSA CHACÓN (Production Stage Manager). National Tours: The Color Purple, The Bodyguard, The Bridges of Madison County, We Will Rock You, Billy Elliot, Contact, Rent. Off Broadway: Avenue Q. Regional credits include The Iceman Cometh at BAM with Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy, The Bodyguard at Paper Mill Playhouse, and Les Misérables. She earned her MFA in Stage Management from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts.

TELSEY + COMPANY (Casting). Broadway/Tours: The Cher Show; The Prom; Torch Song; Pretty Woman; My Fair Lady; Carousel; Mean Girls; Frozen; Once on This Island; Anastasia; Come from Away; Waitress; Hamilton; Kinky Boots; Wicked; Hello, Dolly!; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; On Your Feet!. Off Broadway: Be More Chill, Atlantic Theater Company, Classic Stage Company, MCC Theater, Park Avenue Armory, St. Ann’s Warehouse, Second Stage Theater. Regional: Arena Stage, Center Theatre Group, Hartford Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, New York Stage and Film, Pasadena Playhouse, Wallis Annenberg Center, Williamstown Theatre Festival. Film: Mary Poppins Returns, The Greatest Showman, Miss Sloane, Into the Woods, Margin Call, Rachel Getting Married. TV: “This Is Us,” “House of Cards,” “Divorce,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “One Day at a Time,” “Atypical,” commercials.

Accessibility Performances for The Color Purple

Paper Mill Playhouse, a leader in accessibility, will offer audio-described performances for The Color Purple on Saturday, Oct 20, at 1:30PM and Sunday, Oct 21, 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 Sunday, Oct 21, at 7:00PM.

Free Audience Enrichment Activities for The Color Purple

Conversation Club: Join us Thursday evenings, Sep 27, Oct 4, 11, and 18 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 at 6:30PM on Wednesday, Sep 26, we host a pre-show discussion in the Renee Foosaner Art Gallery.

Q&A with the Cast: After the matinee on Saturday, Oct 20, stick around for a lively Q&A with cast members directly following the performance.

Paper Mill Playhouse’s 80th anniversary season also includes Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (Nov 21–Dec 30), based on the beloved Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire film. This heartwarming, toe-tapping production features more than 20 classic songs from the Berlin catalog, including “Easter Parade,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Steppin’ Out with My Baby,” and “White Christmas.” In the winter, Paper Mill Playhouse presents the world-premiere musical My Very Own British Invasion (Jan 31–Mar 3), directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell. The 1960s British music scene comes to life with songs from Herman’s Hermits, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Petula Clark, The Moody Blues, and other legendary bands of the era. The spring brings the East Coast premiere of Benny & Joon (Apr 4–May 5). Based on the 1993 film which starred Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, this new musical is a smart, funny, tender-hearted celebration of love: between children and parents; romantic partners; friends; and, most of all, siblings. The final production of the season, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (May 29–June 30), an international sensation that has played to more than 35 million people in 13 countries. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage production includes all of the original songs from the movie by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, plus additional gems by Menken and Tim Rice.

The post Cast Announced For The Color Purple appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

The Show Choir, presented by Overlook Medical Center, has toured the area at impressive venues including Lincoln Center, The Empire State Building, Sun Arena, MetLife Stadium, NJPAC, State Theatre, Bergen PAC, SOPAC and many more. The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir is an audition based, exhibition Show Choir that stems from Paper Mill Playhouse’s award-winning Arts Education and Outreach programs. The choir consists of 70 singer/ dancers between the ages of 15 and 22. See below for a complete list of show choir performers by town.

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“We are thrilled to showcase our largest ensemble to date and welcome the community to join us for some inspiring performances,”

commented Shayne Austin Miller, Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir Director.

“The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir is a highly-competitive, audition-based, free program that showcases the best talent in New Jersey. Our fully-staged concert event, Seize the Day is perfect for audiences of all ages.”

2018 Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir Tour Schedule

SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 7PM
Saint Stephen’s Church, Millburn, NJ
For Tickets: 973.625.5726

SUNDAY, MAY 6, 4PM
Villager’s Theatre, Somerset, NJ
For Tickets: BoxOffice@VillagersTheatre.org

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 4PM
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, New Providence, NJ
For Tickets: Information@StAndrewsChurch.org

SUNDAY, MAY 20, 4PM
Hamilton Stage, Rahway, NJ
For Tickets: UCPac.org/Events or 732.499.8226

SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 4PM
Forum Theatre, Metuchen, NJ
For Tickets: Tickets@ForumArts.net

SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 7PM
Lakeland Regional High School, Wanaque, NJ
For Tickets: 973.831.2240

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1:30PM
Saint Theresa’s Catholic Church, Kenilworth, NJ
For Tickets: StParish@TheChurchofStTheresa.org

SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 8PM
South Orange Performing Arts Center, South Orange, NJ
For Tickets: SOPacNow.org or 973.313.2787

This year’s show choir members include (alphabetical by town): Joshua Dunn (Bayonne), Sean Glennon (Belle Mead), Mia Montero (Berkeley Heights), Nicolette Kelly (Booton), Lindsey Kazar (Branchburg), Liam Driscoll (Chatham), Nathaniel Eck (Chatham), Ronan Green (Chatham), Zariah Rivera (Clifton), Ryan Campbell (Colonia), Matthew Harmon (Cortlandt Manor, NY), Gabrielle Aubrey (Cranford), Olivia Orlando (Cranford), Faith Ricca (Cranford), Laura Salway (Cranford), McKenzie Hegarty (Denville), Benjamin Cruz (Dover), Robert Quiles (Dumont), Georglana Balisage (Elizabeth), Elvin Rodriguez (Elizabeth), Madelin Morales (Fairfield), Anne Hattem (Flanders), George Wenson (Fords), Chris Hara (Franklin), Sydney Hammer (Green Pond), Nicole Verga (Hamburg), Ryan Quish (Hasbrouck Heights), Gina Teschke (Highlands), Amelia Firestone (Hoboken), Jose Fernando Gonzalez-Vidal (Jersey City), Makayla Koski (Kenilworth), Melody Stubbs (Kenilworth), Jordan Hurtado (Kinnelon), Caitlyn McHenry (Kinnelon), Cassie Mateo (Laurel Springs), Jolien Avena (Lincoln Park), Brian Corona (Linden), Anna McCarthy (Madison), Jaclyn Lenox (Martinsville), Jenna Young (Matawan), Sebastian Zuniga (Metuchen), Zachary Fox (Millburn), Alexandra Witek (Monmouth Beach), Elizabeth Witek (Monmouth Beach), Tyler Wrotny (Monmouth Junction), Keeley Gorman (Montclair), Miles Wright (Montclair), Molly McDermott (Morris Plains), Mia Maccarella (Mount Tabor), Leah Slepoi (Mountainside), Yezenia Rodriguez (Newark), Alex McCully (Newton), Randy Campo (North Plainfield), Matt Rodriguez (Nutley), David Villa (Nutley), Michael Magielnicki (Parlin), Jolie Schaub (Pompton Plains), Johnny Mulcahy (Poughkeepsie, NY), Avelyn Simons (Princeton), Matthew Milligan (Rahway), Jason Myers (Rahway), Christopher Smith (Rahway), Helena Chaves (Ringwood), Steph Stone (Short Hills), Faith Dodge (South Plainfield), Noelle Cappuzzo (Succasunna), Samantha Kelleher (Summit), Charlotte Wesson (Summit), Alyssa Carbonell (Union), Pranav Chawla (Union), Amanda Wingo (Union), Evan Caban (Union), Marcus Platt (Union), Casey Rae Borella (Verona), Isaiah Beals (West Orange), Elizabeth Allen (Westfield), Prestine Allen (Westfield), Matthew Meixner (Westfield), Matt Siroty (Westfield), Joseph Gordon (White Plains, NY) and Valencio Lazarczyk (Whitehouse Station).

The post Show Choir Launches 2018 Tour throughout New Jersey appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.