So, I'd love to see this, but never been to Papermill. I live in Manhattan. How expensive is it to get there and back? And do I need to go to a matinee, etc?
Takes about an hour to get there from Penn Station and then a 10 minute walk (if that). It's like 8 dollars or something one way. I've been to evening shows there and I've never had a problem getting back to the city.
My advice -- do not go see a matinee at Paper Mill. The audience will be filled with grumpy old senior citizens ("It's too cold", "It's too hot", "I can't see", "What did she say?") and parents with children who they cannot or will not control.
It's usually a bit under an hour, including the walk - which is pleasant, but might take you a bit to figure out the first time. For your first trip out, a matinee might be your best bet, just so that you can figure out the walk back in the daylight and have more than one train option. After a night show, you'll be walking back in the dark - obviously, but it is a safe walk, and there is generally one train IMMEDIATELY after the show if you can rush back and then one roughly 45 minutes later.
Yes, I believe I paid roughly $16 round trip, but not sure if that has changed with the recent fare debates.
There is a pleasant dinner near the train station if you need to kill a few minutes and a sandwich restaurant at the theatre.
I've been to a variety of performance times at Paper Mill and yes, Thursday matinees in particular can be a pill... but if you are okay with a crowd of blue-hairs harping about how smart they are for going to the Paper Mill instead of going into AWFUL New York for a Broadway show and a smattering of school groups at appropriate shows (high school heathens at a Hairspray matinee were giving cliche sitcom screams every time characters kissed and exaggerated sounds of disgust when Edna and Wilbur kissed..) , then go.. tickets are generally a bit cheaper and every bit helps.
I live fairly close to the Paper Mill and it's a wonderful theatre that has some incredible productions. It's very easy to access as others have mentioned from NY. Round trip train will still run you $16 and it's about a 45 minute ride each way.
As others have mentioned though, the overall age of the crowd puts the Wednesday Broadway matinee crowd to shame. Avoid matinees at all costs.
Excellent. I'm ashamed to admit I've never seen Sound of Music, so I'd love to see it just so I know the show, etc. I think a Thursday matinee sounds kind of awesome. I can deal with a lot, in terms of crowd, etc. Can I rush a Thursday matinee? Or do they do TDF? Might make more sense to buy a ticket ahead of time anyway so I'm not out $16, if I can't get a rush ticket.
I saw "A Chorus Line" at Papermill about a month ago. It was a Saturday matinee. Millburn station is your best bet, and it costs $16 round trip.
We got rush tickets, and the box office attendant didn't even check IDs--and she gave us fantastic house seats (must've been the best available, because it was PACKED). I echo what everyone else said about the walk, the diner, and the trip time.
Rush, from my experience, is whatever they have left. Since Sound of Music is fairly popular, it may be a bit more difficult to rush but the only time in recent memory I couldn't get a rush ticket was for Newsies. That said, since you're coming from New York and literally have no alternative if you find out it's sold out, I would consider buying in advance. I'm not sure if there are any left but the Paper Mill has very inexpensive rear/side orchestra seats (usually $25-$30 if memory serves correctly) for musicals that have very good views. The mezzanine is very far back behind the orchestra and is miles away. I would definitely grab the rear orchestra if you can get them over rear mezzanine, even if the orchestra is all the way to the side.
The only time I've seen Paper Mill shows on TDF are when the show sells horribly. This is usually for plays and happened often last year during Forum. For Sound of Music, I highly doubt this will be a problem and would bet it will never appear on TDF.
Enjoy and I hope you come to love one of my favorite regional gems as much as I do!
Just checked - they're $34 and there are only a few scattered seats left at various performances at that price. I'd grab them; they're only $8 more than rush and you get a guaranteed decent seat.
I have Tuesday off work, and I'd love to go see Sound of Music, as I've never seen it, and never been to Papermill. If I go to the 7pm show on Tuesday, will it be easy to get a train back to the city?
From the review I read, the show is clocking in at close to 3 hours. Check the New Jersey transit schedule online and go from there. I saw Ragtime out there and I regret going at night. I had just missed a train back to the city, and had to wait another hour until the next one came. I didn't get back to my hotel until close to 1AM (that was an 8:00 curtain though).
I just went there yesterday and had no problem getting back to the city. The station is about a 5 min. walk from the theater (there is a walkway from the station to the theater) and train arrives right on schedule.
I thought it was really good. Very talented cast, excellent voices. But it felt somewhat too long to me. The first act clocked in at 1 hr. 35 min. ! The nun chorale could definitely be cut with no detriment to the show.
Yes, at the window or at the NJ Transit machines. Make sure you buy round trip in case the show ends late and you need to rush to the train back. You can buy tickets onboard but they charge a lot more.
Out of curiousity, has anyone yet said if this is the original version, or more like many recent productions incorporating changes to the movie (ie is How Can Love Survive there? Does Maria sing My Favorite Things with the Mother Abbess?)
Yes, Maria sings My Favorite Things with the Mother Abbess. It's actually quite different from the movie, but I was told that this is the original version. I've never seen the original version, so I can't tell.
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Posted: 10/24/12 at 12:49am