“TOGETHER AT HOME” 

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The season continues with the long-awaited world-premiere musical The Wanderer (March 24–April 24, 2022), rescheduled from the 2019–2020 season, directed by Kenneth Ferrone and choreographed by Sarah O’Gleby. The new musical is based on the life and music of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dion DiMucci, an Italian-American kid from the Bronx who skyrocketed to fame as a teenage heartthrob in the 1950s and early ’60s with hits like “Runaround Sue,” “Teenager in Love,” and “I Wonder Why.” Now, his extraordinary journey comes to the stage in a moving and intimate new musical about a life lived in the glow of the spotlight and in the shadow of addiction. The Wanderer is the riveting true story of New York’s rebel king, the man Bruce Springsteen calls “the link between Frank Sinatra and rock and roll.” Starring Michael Wartella (Chasing Rainbows, Wicked) as Dion, Christy Altomare (Anastasia), and Joey McIntyre (Wicked, Waitress, New Kids on the Block). The Wanderer is written by Charles Messina (A Room of My Own) and is produced in association with Jill Menza and Charles Messina.

And finally, the sisters will sing when Sister Act takes the stage (June 1–26, 2022) after a postponement from the spring of 2020. Based on the 1992 hit film, this feel-good musical comedy smash sizzles with powerful music, spectacular dancing, and a story that’s guaranteed to lift your spirits. The madcap plot is set in motion when disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder and must go into hiding in a convent, where she helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own. Featuring original music by Tony and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), Sister Act was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

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

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

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

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

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

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2021-2022 SEASON

SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD

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

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

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

***

A JOLLY HOLIDAY WITH DISNEY ON BROADWAY

Dec 1, 2021–Jan 2, 2022

A merry and magical celebration for the whole family

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

***

CLUE

Based on the Screenplay by Jonathan Lynn
Written by Sandy Rustin
Additional Material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price
Based on the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture
Based on the Hasbro Board Game Clue
Original Music by Michael Holland
Directed by Casey Hushion
Jan 26–Feb 20, 2022

A hilarious farce-meets-murder-mystery

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

***

THE WANDERER

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

The riveting true story of New York’s rebel king

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

***

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.

***

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

Paper Mill Playhouse offers people with disabilities the opportunity to see live theater with dignity and independence through a myriad of award-winning access programs and services, including audio description and sensory seminars for the blind, Braille and large-print programs, American Sign Language interpretation for the Deaf, open-captioning for those with hearing loss, and assistive listening devices.

Programs, dates, and artists are subject to change.

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

#####

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

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

WATCH ON FACEBOOK  

WATCH ON YOUTUBE

LIST OF NOMINEES & WINNERS

2021 Rising Star Awards Program

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LIST OF NOMINEES & WINNERS

 OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS NOMINEES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR NOMINEES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A SMALL ENSEMBLE NOMINEES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A LARGE ENSEMBLE NOMINEES

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

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

Madison HS, ”On My Way” from VIOLET

Ridge HS,  “The Jellicle Ball” from CATS

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

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

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

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD NOMINEES

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

Bridgewater-Raritan HS, Liz Driscoll, Dance Captain

Bridgewater Raritan HS, Sophia Pedroso, Stage Manager – WINNER

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

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

José Martí STEM Academy, Felix Tavarez, Assistant Choreographer

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

Morristown HS Lorelei Eck, Student Director

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

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

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

Piscataway HS, Melly Merida, Scenic Illustrations – WINNER

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

Ridge HS, Morgan Beatty, Student, Director – WINNER

Summit HS, Emma MacPherson, Costume Crew Head – WINNER

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

Voorhees HS, Owen Tabor, Choreographer/Dance Captain

Westfield HS, Ben Zakharenko, Sound Designer – WINNER

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

OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARD NOMINEES

Elizabeth Volpe, Atlantic County Institute of Technology

Pete Gambino, Cherry Hill HS East

Michael Penna, Collier HS

John Giresi, Fair Lawn HS – WINNER

Jim DeVivo, Holmdel HS

Blake Spence, Madison HS

Cindy Dwyer, Mater Dei Prep – WINNER

Jodi Bosch, Mount Olive HS

Jensyn Modero, Mount Saint Dominic Academy

Bart DiFrancia, Pinelands Regional HS

Anne Poyner, Summit HS – WINNER

Steven Collins, Union County Academy for Performing Arts

Nancy Reynolds, Voorhees HS

THEATER FOR EVERYONE INCLUSION AND ACCESS AWARD NOMINEES

Collier HS

Madison HS – WINNER

Piscataway HS

The post 2021 RISING STAR AWARD WINNERS appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

Rising Star Awards 2017

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on area high schools, causing rolling school building closures, split attendance schedules and social distancing restrictions, leaving many New Jersey high schools unable to produce a traditional musical with a live audience. Theater educators, however, are finding new ways to teach students remotely and are developing exploring how to create musical product through virtual rehearsals and performances.

With this in mind, Paper Mill is launching an abridged Rising Star Awards program that preserves essential elements that serve both students and teachers and will continue to provide a meaningful recognition platform for the school community. Paper Mill will welcome video submissions of student performances for a shorter list of categories: Outstanding Performance by an Actor, Actress, Small Ensemble and Large Ensemble; the Student Achievement Awards for non-performance contributions, the Rising Star Scholarships for graduating seniors and the “Theater for Everyone” Inclusion and Access Award. A new honor, the Outstanding Educator Award, has been added. More details about the 2021 Rising Star program are available by clicking here.

To participate in the program and submit students for awards, New Jersey high schools must first complete the registration process. Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for the first 100 schools that respond. The deadline to register is January 15, 2021, at 5:00PM, and forms are available now online at 2021 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards Registration.

The final nominees will be announced in May, and the 2021 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards Presented by the Investors Foundation ceremony will take place Monday, June 7, at 7:00PM.
In addition to recognizing performances, Paper Mill Playhouse will award scholarships as well. Five $1,000 cash scholarships will be given to outstanding students who plan to continue studying theater performance, theater education or technical theater in college. Through a partnership with the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the 2021 Rising Star “Theater for Everyone” Inclusion and Access Award provides $1,000 to a participating school in recognition of excellence in the promotion and practice of creative inclusion of students and adults with disabilities as performers, designers, musicians and production staff. This award may also recognize and reward a school that takes steps to ensure their performances are accessible to audiences with disabilities.

New to the Rising Star Awards in 2021 is the Outstanding Educator Award, which will shine the spotlight on an educator who has been nominated by their home school for distinguished service to their students and theater programs. A $1,000 prize will be granted to the recipient’s school theater program.

Finally, students who receive a Final Nomination in the Outstanding Performance by an Actor or Actress categories will receive a scholarship to attend Paper Mill Playhouse’s competitive professional training program – the Summer Musical Theater Conservatory. Conservatory students participate in advanced-level classes in singing, acting, dance and other disciplines, and will appear in the New Voices of 2021 showcase performance.

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

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

The post Rising Star Awards Guidelines appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

Experience

This streaming video event will benefit Paper Mill Playhouse as well as other community, amateur, and regional theaters across the country which have been devastated by the pandemic.

BUY TICKET TO STREAM

$55 per ticket
24-hour access can be used Nov 28–Jan 3

“A TOWERING ACHIEVEMENT! YOU’VE SEEN IT BEFORE, BUT NOT LIKE THIS. A personal best for Jefferson Mays. He delivers an epic performance embodying 50 characters.” –The Hollywood Reporter
“FOR TRUE THEATER LOVERS, THERE CAN BE NO BETTER GIFT THIS SEASON. Jefferson Mays is a rare gem and Michael Arden is ingenious.” – Los Angeles Times
“A MOST EXCELLENT SHOW! What a pleasure to watch Jefferson Mays.” – Variety
“MAGNIFICENT IN ALL RESPECTS! Don’t miss this show.” – Los Angeles Daily News

How It Works

• Purchase a ticket from On the Stage streaming through our Paper Mill Playhouse website portal. A portion of your ticket will benefit Paper Mill Playhouse.
• You’ll receive an email from On the Stage with your viewing link.
• Beginning November 28 at 9pm ET / 6pm PT, when you’re ready, you’ll have 24 hours to watch your performance after activating your link.
• Performance can be watched on any device or cast to your TV.
• A Christmas Carol is available for unlimited viewings within a 24-hour period, on or after the opening stream date of November 28, 2020.

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a Paper Mill Playhouse production. We do not have control over ticketing and we are not responsible for the delivery of streaming content. On The Stage is the streaming company for this show, and will be donating a portion of sales to Paper Mill Playhouse and their other partners to support non-profit theaters during the pandemic. All sales are final, no refunds.

The post Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Nov 28–Jan 3 appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

In response to the coronavirus national emergency and statewide school, business and institution closures, dozens of New Jersey high schools participating in the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards were forced to cancel their spring musical. Of the 94 schools on the roster, over two-thirds canceled their shows. In the face of this, the theater has canceled the awards program and ceremony which would have been the milestone 25th annual gathering.

The Rising Star Awards will not go on, but to acknowledge the passion that New Jersey students have for musical theater, Paper Mill will present a virtual celebration of the 2020 participating schools with Rising Star Honors presented by the Investors Foundation, a montage of school video submissions of the shows that happened, or didn’t happen. Schools will share highlights of their performances, rehearsals or create new performances by company members.

Rising Star Honors presented by the Investors Foundation will premiere on Monday, June 1, 2020 at 7PM on Paper Mill Playhouse’s Facebook page.

Joining us is our special host, Rising Star winner, Broadway performer and Olivier nominee, Jared Gertner, along with Rising Star alumni from across the nation!   Since their inception in 1996, the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater have ignited the careers of many notable performers, all of whom attended high school in New Jersey.  Many Paper Mill Rising Star nominees and winners are now working professionally and have won esteemed industry awards while working in theater and film. Along with Mr. Gertner, early Paper Mill Rising Star nominees and winners include Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables), Tony Award winners Laura Benanti (Gypsy) and Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Tony nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin, Mrs. Doubtfire), and Shanice Williams, star of NBC’s The Wiz Live! Click here for a full list of notable alumni.

“Even though the current pandemic has impacted the Rising Star Awards program, it has not dampened students’ interest and enthusiasm for musical theater. These student performers and theater technicians have worked so hard and it is wonderful to have the opportunity to recognize their talent in a unique way,” said Investors Bank Chairman and CEO Kevin Cummings. “Investors Bank is proud to be a part of this program that acknowledges the students and the high school theater programs in which they participate.”

Rising Star Awards–Presented by the Investors Foundation is generously supported by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.
Paper Mill Playhouse Education & Outreach are generously sponsored by The Goren Family & the Harmony Helper App.
Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is grateful for generous contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals.

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.

The post Paper Mill Playhouse Announces Rising Star Honors appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

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

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

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

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

MEET THE COMPANY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE CREATIVE TEAM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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ACCESSIBILITY PERFORMANCES FOR UNMASKED: THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S 2019–2020 SEASON

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Paper Mill Playhouse presents the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast begins performances Wednesday, May 29, 2019.  Due to popular demand, four performances have been added to the performance schedule. The limited engagement will now conclude Wednesday evening, July 3, 2019, at 7PM.  Paper Mill Playhouse will also present an autism-friendly performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Wednesday, June 26, at 1:30PM. This performance is designed specifically for people on the autism spectrum or with other developmental disabilities and their families. The Goren Family & Harmony Helper and Merck are the Major Sponsors of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.  Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2018–2019 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank.

Directed by Mark S. Hoebee, with choreography by Alex Sanchez and music direction by Michael Borth, the principal cast features Belinda Allyn (Paper Mill’s West Side Story) as Belle, Joel Blum (Show Boat) as Maurice, Jenelle Chu (Bernhardt/Hamlet)  as Babette, Kevin Curtis (Paper Mill’s A Chorus Line) as Lefou, Donna English (Paper Mill’s Lend Me a Tenor) as Madame de la Grande Bouche, Stacia Fernandez (Paper Mill’s Bandstand) as Mrs. Potts, Gavin Lee (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Lumiere, Kevin Ligon (Hello Dolly!) as Cogsworth, Stephen Mark Lukas (The Book of Morman) as Gaston, Tally Sessions (Paper Mill’s South Pacific) as The Beast, with Gianni David Faruolo (Fun Home) and Antonio Watson (This Ain’t No Disco) alternating in the role of Chip.

They will be joined by Joe Bigelow, Monica Cioffi, Brittany Conigatti, Justin DeParis, Stephen DiBiase, Jennifer Evans, Annie Gagen, David Michael Garry, Leeds Hill, Brett Michael Lockley, Michael Milkanin, Corinne Munsch, Brett Pederson, Alexa Racioppi, Taylor Rosenberger, Molly Rushing, Bronwyn Tarboton, Matthew Vincent Taylor, and Cynthia Thorne.

Singing teapots and candlesticks, an evil spell, and an unlikely love story are all part of the magic of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, 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 whole family will be enchanted by this gorgeous production, featuring stunning costumes and sets, spectacular dance numbers, and, of course, a fairy-tale ending.

The production team includes scenic design by Kelly James Tighe, costume design by Leon Dobkowski, lighting design by Charlie Morrison, sound design by Matt Kraus, hair and wig design by Leah J. Loukas, makeup design by Dena Olivieri, and fight direction by Rick Sordelet. The production stage manager is Andrea Cibelli. Casting by Telsey + Company, Rebecca Scholl, CSA.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wed–Sun. Performance schedule: Wed at 7PM, Thu at 1:30PM and 7PM, Fri at 7PM, Sat at 1:30PM and 7PM and Sun at 1:30PM and 7PM.  PLEASE NOTE: Due to popular demand, four added performances: Tue, June 18, at 7PM, Tue, July 2, at 7PM, Wed, July 3, at 1:30pPM & 7PM. 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 Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance.

Belinda Allyn (Belle) is thrilled to be back at Paper Mill Playhouse! She was previously seen at Paper Mill as Maria in West Side Story and recently as the standby for the leading ladies in Benny & Joon. 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.

Joel Blum (Maurice) is very excited to appear at Paper Mill. Broadway: Show Boat (Tony nomination), Steel Pier (Tony nomination), The Music Man, 42nd Street, Stardust, After the Night and the Music, A Christmas Carol, Debbie (starring Debbie Reynolds). Off Broadway: Neurosis, Kid Victory, Golf: The Musical (Drama Desk nomination), And the World Goes ’Round, Game Show. Tours: Billy Elliot, Doctor Doolittle, 101 Dalmatians, Annie Get Your Gun, others. Regional: October Sky; Kiss Me, Kate; Tin Pan Alley Rag (Barrymore Award); Meet John Doe (Helen Hayes nomination); Damn Yankees; Pal Joey. TV: Ed; The Sopranos; specials with Bob Hope, Liberace, and Debbie Reynolds; The Sonny and Cher Show; The Tonight Show; Law & Order.

Jenelle Chu (Babette) is so proud to be making her Paper Mill Playhouse debut! Broadway: Bernhardt/Hamlet (Roundabout), Junk (Lincoln Center Theater). Regional: Vietgone (American Conservatory Theater), The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare and Co.). Other NYC credits include These Seven Sicknesses, Serials @ The Flea (The Flea Theater), Good Vibrations (52nd Street Project). TV/Film: White Flags, Elementary, Instinct. Education: University of Missouri–Kansas City; MFA, Yale School of Drama.

Kevin Curtis (Lefou). Paper Mill Playhouse: A Chorus Line. National Tour: A Chorus Line. Off Broadway: Invisible Thread (Second Stage). Regional: The Muny, A.R.T., Denver Center, Geva Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, PCLO, North Shore Music Theatre, TUTS, Stages St. Louis. TV: Younger. Film: Take Care, Newlyweeds.

Donna English (Madame de la Grande Bouche). Broadway: Living on Love, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Lend Me a Tenor, Broadway. Off Broadway: Madame X (NYMF Outstanding Performance Award), Christmas in Hell, Taking a Chance on Love, Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!, and Ruthless! (Drama Desk nomination). National Tour: Genie Klein in Beautiful. This marks her tenth production with Paper Mill. Favorites include Lend Me a Tenor (Diana), The Sound of Music (Elsa), High School Musical (Ms. Darbus), Hairspray (Velma), and Harold and Maude (Mrs. Chasen). Her extensive regional credits include principle roles at Long Wharf, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Goodspeed Musicals, and 5th Avenue.

Gianni David Faruolo (Chip). Regional debut. Recent theater credits: Fun Home (John Bechdel), Peter Pan (Michael Darling), A Christmas Carol (Tiny Tim), and Super! The Musical (Young Mark). Recent cabaret credits: Paul Williams Tribute at Joe’s Pub (Puppeteer/Singer).

Stacia Fernandez (Mrs. Potts) is so happy to return to Paper Mill, where she previously appeared in Annie and Bandstand.  Broadway: Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), Mamma Mia!, The Drowsy Chaperone, Swing!, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Tom Sawyer. Regional: Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Aunt Cleo in A Sign of the Times, Diana in Next to Normal, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls,  Mrs. Anna in The King and I, Grizabella in Cats. Film: Enchanted, Shaggy Dogg, Captain America, Frozen 2. As a playwright, she has written The Loop and A Smalltowne Christmas.

Gavin Lee (Lumiere). Broadway: Squidward in SpongeBob SquarePants (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), Thénardier in Les Misérables, Bert in Disney’s Mary Poppins (Tony and Olivier nominations, Drama Desk and Theater World Awards). Other theater: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Madison Square Garden), Show Boat (Carnegie Hall), Holiday Inn (world premiere, Goodspeed), Mary Poppins (first national tour), The Nerd (Bucks County Playhouse). London’s West End: Top Hat, Mary Poppins, Crazy for You, Peggy Sue Got Married, Me and My Girl, Oklahoma!, and Contact. TV: Woodford in White Collar (season six), Law & Order: SVU, The Good Wife.

Kevin Ligon (Cogsworth) last appeared at Paper Mill Playhouse in the 1988 production of Mack and Mabel. He recently appeared on Broadway in the smash-hit revival of Hello, Dolly! as well as On the Twentieth Century; Bullets Over Broadway; The Phantom of the Opera; Sister Act; Finian’s Rainbow; Young Frankenstein; The Producers; Kiss Me, Kate; 1776; and The Secret Garden. Other credits include Anastasia (Hartford Stage Company), Max in The Sound of Music (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Mr. Bumble in Oliver! (Pioneer Theatre Company), Adolfo Pirelli in Sweeney Todd (Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Celebration), Nicely-Nicely in Guys and Dolls (national tour—Jeff Award), Forbidden Broadway (Off Broadway).

Stephen Mark Lukas (Gaston) is thrilled to make his Paper Mill Playhouse debut. Broadway: The Book of Mormon (Elder Price). Favorite regional credits: Curly in Oklahoma! (Ogunquit Playhouse), Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees (Goodspeed), Lancelot in Camelot (Westport Country Playhouse), Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (Maine State Music Theatre), Captain Phoebus in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Music Theatre Wichita). Television: Gossip Girl, Empire Falls.

Tally Sessions (Beast). Paper Mill: South Pacific (Luther Billis), Little Shop of Horrors. Broadway: Anastasia, War Paint, Falsettos, School of Rock, Big Fish, The House of Blue Leaves, Paramour. Tours: South Pacific, Legally Blonde, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Off Broadway: Giant (Public Theater), Queen of the Mist (Transport Group), Anyone Can Whistle (Encores!), Yank! (York Theatre). Regional: Leading roles at the Old Globe, the Kennedy Center, Goodspeed Opera House, Signature Theatre, the Muny, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Olney Theatre Center. Awards: two Carbonell Awards, Denver’s Henry Award, two Helen Hayes Award nominations, Connecticut Critics Circle nomination. TV: Elementary, Falling Water.

Antonio Watson (Chip). Off-Broadway: This Ain’t No Disco (Atlantic Theater). Professional stage: Caroline, or Change (Tantrum Theater), The Preacher’s Wife (reading), Mandela (reading). TV/Film: Blue Bloods, All the Little Things We Kill, In the Field, Lily, The Late Show, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street. Pixie Dust Players: The People Garden, Oliver! Jr., Winnie the Pooh Kids.

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Creators and Creative Team

Alan Menken (Music). Stage musicals: God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater; Little Shop of Horrors; Beauty and the Beast; A Christmas Carol; The Little Mermaid; Sister Act; Leap of Faith; Newsies; Aladdin; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz; Kicks; A Bronx Tale. Film: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Enchanted, Tangled. Television: Sesame Street, Lincoln, The Neighbors, Galavant. Awards: Tony, Drama Desk, eight Oscars, 11 Grammys, seven Golden Globes, London’s Evening Standard, Olivier, Outer Critics Circle. Honors: Songwriters Hall of Fame, Billboard #1 single and album, Disney Legend, Hollywood Walk of Fame, doctorates from NYU and UNCSA.

Howard Ashman (Lyrics) wrote the lyrics for the Disney animated films The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin (three songs). With composer Alan Menken, he received two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes for Best Song (“Beauty and the Beast” and “Under the Sea”) and four Grammy Awards. He was author, lyricist, and director of the stage musical Little Shop of Horrors as well as the screenwriter for the film adaptation, which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Song.

Tim Rice (Lyrics) has worked in music, theater, and film since 1965, when he met Andrew Lloyd Webber, a fellow struggling songwriter. Their collaborations include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita. Tim has also worked with composers such as Elton John (The Lion King, Aida), Alan Menken (Aladdin, King David, Beauty and the Beast), and Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (Chess). In 2013, he wrote and presented a 52-part series for BBC Radio 2, American Pie, a trawl through the music and musicians of every state. He has won several awards, mainly for the wrong thing or for simply turning up.

Linda Woolverton (Book) wrote the screenplays for Beauty and the Beast (Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee for best picture, the first animated film to receive such a nomination), Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland (dir. Tim Burton), Alice Through the Lookingglass, Maleficent, and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (upcoming) as well as the books for the Broadway musicals Beauty and the Beast (Tony Award nomination for best book, Olivier Award for Best New Musical), Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, and Elton John’s Lestat. She also wrote the young adult novels Star Wind and Running Before the Wind.

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

Alex Sanchez (Choreographer) is thrilled to return to Paper Mill after having served as choreographer for West Side Story, associate choreographer for Carnival, and playing Harry Beaton in Brigadoon. He has directed Sweet Charity, Newsies, and Evita (The Marriott Theatre in Chicago); In the Mood (Bud Forrest Entertainment/national tour); and The World Goes ’Round (Riverside Theatre, NYC). In New York he choreographed Roman Holiday (pre-Broadway/GFI Productions); Giant (The Public Theater—Lortel nomination); Far from Heaven (Playwrights Horizons); Where’s Charley? and Fiorello (New York City Center Encores!); Red Eye of Love (co-choreographer, Amas Musical Theatre—Calloway Award winner).

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

Kelly James Tighe (Scenic Design). Off Broadway/National Tours: Martin Luther on Trial, The Most Reluctant Convert, The Great Divorce, The Fantasticks, Almost Heaven, Movin’ Out, Shear Madness, Cats. Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse, Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, San Jose Rep, Laguna Playhouse, Center Rep, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Sacramento Theatre Company, Gateway Playhouse, Contra Costa Musical Theatre, Diablo Theatre, Ray of Light. Mr. Tighe’s theatrical work is published in the textbook Scene Design and Stage Lighting, and his work as an illustrator has been published in Mooseltoe: A Moose and a Dream. Awards: SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, Drama-Logue, Shellie.

Leon Dobkowski (Costume Design). Paper Mill: Annie, Mary Poppins, Vanya and Sonia…. Past productions with the Muny (St. Louis Theater Circle Awards, Seussical 2014, The Wiz 2018; Judy Award, Tarzan), Weston Playhouse, Theatre Under the Stars, George Street Playhouse, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Irish Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theater, Pittsburgh CLO, Music Theatre Wichita, Engeman Theater, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Feld Entertainment’s Disney Live!, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Westchester Broadway, NYMF (Outstanding Costume Design, Claudio Quest), Cape May Stage, TheaterWorks Hartford (CT Critics Choice Award nomination, The Legend of Georgia McBride). MFA, Yale School of Drama.

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

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

Leah J. Loukas (Hair & Wig Design). Paper Mill: Annie, Mary Poppins, The Honeymooners, Million Dollar Quartet, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Ever After, The Little Mermaid, Oliver!, South Pacific, Grease, Elf, A Christmas Story, The Sound of Music. Broadway: Hadestown; Escape to Margaritaville; Time and the Conways; Marvin’s Room; Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812; Sweat; Oh, Hello; The Heidi Chronicles; On the Town; A Night with Janis Joplin; Vanya and Sonia…; Irene’s Vow; American Idiot. Off Broadway/Regional: Clueless: The Musical, The True (New Group); Detroit ’67 (Hartford Stage/McCarter); White Devil (Red Bull); Plenty, Barbecue, Fortress of Solitude, Julius Caesar, Taming of the Shrew, Love’s Labor’s Lost, Into the Woods (Public).

Dena Olivieri (Makeup Design) is thrilled and honored to join the creative team of Beauty and the Beast at Paper Mill Playhouse, her Paper Mill debut! She won best makeup in the Rhode Island BroadwayWorld Awards for her Beauty and the Beast makeup design in 2017.

Telsey + Company (Casting). Broadway/Tours: Beetlejuice, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, Oklahoma!, Be More Chill, Network, The Cher Show, The Prom, Pretty Woman, My Fair Lady, Mean Girls, Frozen, Come from Away, Waitress, Hamilton, Kinky Boots, Wicked, Hello, Dolly!, Anastasia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 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, Into the Woods, Rachel Getting Married. TV: Tales of the City, Fosse/Verdon, NOS4A2, Rent: Live, This Is Us, House of Cards, One Day at a Time, commercials.

Rick Sordelet (Fight Direction). 44 Broadway productions, including Disney’s The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, The Little Mermaid, and Aida. He has staged the fights for the opera Cyrano de Bergerac starring Placido Domingo at the Metropolitan Opera, The Royal Opera House, and the LaScala in Milan, Italy; and for over 40 productions on five continents. Film: The Game Plan starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; Dan in Real Life starring Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche; and Hamlet starring Campbell Scott. He served as the chief stunt coordinator for Guiding Light and staged the fights for First Jedi, a CD-ROM for George Lucas. Rick received the Lucille Lortel Award for Sustained Excellence in 2007. He teaches at Yale School of Drama.

Andrea Cibelli (Production Stage Manager). Paper Mill: World premieres of A Bronx Tale, The Bandstand, and Honeymoon in Vegas, as well as West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, The Full Monty, Steel Magnolias, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Nutcracker, and New Voices 2013–2018. Broadway: A Bronx Tale, Head Over Heels, Honeymoon in Vegas. Tours: West Side Story, Spring Awakening. International: West Side Story (Japan), Race for Love (China). Regional: Dreamgirls (TOTS), The Little Mermaid (DSM). Other credits include Monkey: Journey to the West, The Mile-Long Opera, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Princeton University Dance Department, and Lincoln Center Festival.

Accessibility Performances and Autism-Friendly Performance for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Paper Mill Playhouse, a leader in accessibility, will offer audio-described performances for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Sat, June 22, and Sun, June 23, 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, June 23, 2019, at 7PM. Paper Mill Playhouse will also present an autism-friendly performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Wed, June 26, at 1:30PM. This performance is designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum or with other developmental disabilities, and is planned in cooperation with Paper Mill Playhouse’s Autism Advisory Team. The theater environment will be altered for this performance, providing a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming to all families. The performance itself will be adjusted with special attention paid to lighting and sound.  For tickets to this special performance, please call the Paper Mill Playhouse box office at 973.376.4343 or click here.

Major sponsors for Paper Mill Playhouse’s autism-friendly performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast are The Goren Family & Harmony Helper, and Merck.

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

Additional support includes Autism Speaks, C.R. Bard Foundation, The Thomas & Agnes Carvel Foundation, The Karma Foundation, Merck, MetLife Foundation, Nordstrom, George A. Ohl, Jr. Trust, and Summit Area Public Foundation.

Free Audience Enrichment Activities for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

CONVERSATION CLUB: Join us Thu evenings, May 30, June 6, 13, and 20 one hour before curtain for an informal, informative gathering. You’ll learn more about the performance you’re about to see.

THE DIRECTOR’S VIEWPOINT: One hour before curtain, at 6PM, on Wed, May 29, we host a pre-show discussion in the Renee Foosaner Art Gallery.

Q&A WITH THE CAST: After the matinee on Sat, June 22, stick around for a lively Q&A with cast members directly following the performance.

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DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Music by ALAN MENKEN
Lyrics by HOWARD ASHMAN AND TIM RICE
Book by LINDA WOOLVERTON
Music Direction by MICHAEL BORTH
Choreography by ALEX SANCHEZ
Directed by MARK S. HOEBEE

*****

The post Beauty and the Beast Cast & Creative Team Announced appeared first on Paper Mill Playhouse.

Paper Mill Playhouse is proud to announce open auditions for the award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir. The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir is a tuition-free, audition-based performance show choir that stems from Paper Mill Playhouse’s award-winning Arts Education and Outreach programs. The choir consists of 60 singer/dancers between the ages of 15 and 22 (Must be 15 years of age by November 1). Auditions will take place at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 119 Main Street in Millburn, NJ, on the evenings of Sunday, Oct 14, Monday, Oct 15 and Tuesday, Oct 16 by appointment only. Callback and makeup auditions will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, Oct 21. To make an audition appointment please fill out the online audition form. For more information please email PMPShowChior@gmail.com or call 973.315.1640. The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir is sponsored by Overlook Medical Center.

The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir acts as ambassadors to Paper Mill Playhouse with an array of performance opportunities throughout the community and beyond. Over the past six seasons, the Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir has delighted more than 500,000 people across the region with rousing renditions of Broadway, pop, and classics. The choir has performed at prestigious venues including MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Center, Sun Arena, Mayo Center, Bergen PAC, NJPAC, The State Theater, The Empire State Building, Paper Mill Playhouse, Asbury Park Convention Center, SOPAC, among others. The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir was voted “Favorite Choral Group” for 2017 and 2018 in the annual People’s Choice Awards.

Students selected to be a part of this talented group will have to opportunity to fine-tune their craft with free, intensive instruction that includes voice and dance training. The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir runs from October through June and rehearses Sunday evenings. Students will still be able to participate in school activities and arts programs. The show choir begins its tour in April and runs through June.

In addition to the Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir, there is a select group of singers chosen from the cast called “Voices of Paper Mill.” This group specializes in a acapella music similar to Pitch Perfect. “Voices of Paper Mill” rehearses on the same day and performs with the show choir.

The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir is led by a professional staff of artists including: Shayne Austin Miller (Director), Matthew Lowy (Music Director), Tony Fania (Dance Director), Leah Killmer (Company Manager), Kathleen Murano (Associate Company Manager), Lisa Cooney (Paper Mill Playhouse Director of Education) and Carrie Rubino (Senior Manager of Education Programs). The show choir will also be joined by Broadway talent throughout the season to choreograph pieces and offer master class instruction.

AUDITION INFORMATION
OPEN AUDITIONS FOR THE 18–19 SEASON ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Sunday, Oct 14, 4:00 – 9:00PM
Monday, Oct 15, 6:00 – 9:00PM
Tuesday, Oct 16, 6:00 – 9:00PM
(Students are appointed half-hour audition slots.)

If you are not available during these times, you may attend callback auditions on Sunday, Oct 21. To make an audition appointment please fill out the online audition form. For more information please email PMPShowChior@gmail.com or call 973.315.1640.

FOR THE AUDITION: Prepare an upbeat pop or musical theater piece of approximately 32 bars that best demonstrates your vocal range. Bring sheet music, in the key you will sing it, in a binder or single sheet taped together that contains the full piano accompaniment. An accompanist will be provided. Students may not perform a cappella or to an audio recording. Students will be taught a brief dance combination, so please bring suitable footwear.

CALLBACK AUDITIONS: Sunday, Oct 21, 6:00pm-9:00pm

AUDITION LOCATION: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 119 Main Street, Millburn, NJ

The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir is sponsored by Overlook Medical Center.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2016, 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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