Elena Shaddow, Michael Hayden, and Paul Schoeffler will comprise the love triangle at the heart of Carnival, the Bob Merrill musical that will be presented at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, NJ from March 8th through April 9th; opening night is set for March 12th.
Shaddow will play Lili while Hayden has been cast as Paul and Shoeffler as Marco. In addition, the show will feature Eric Michael Gillett as Jacquot and Nick Wyman as Schlagel (with the role of Rosalie yet to be cast). Erica Schmidt will direct the colorful Carnival, Peter Pucci will handle the choreography and Tom Helm will serve as musical director.
In Carnival, Lili is "a shy lonely orphan who is enchanted with the desire to join the
glamorous carnival. Searching for her place in the carnival, she joins
a puppet act and soon finds that love makes the world go 'round," state Paper Mill press notes. In addition to "Love Makes the World Go Round," the musical's score includes "Mira," "Her Face," "Beautiful Candy," "Always, Always You" and other songs. With music and lyrics by Merrill and a book by Michael Stewart, Carnival opened on Broadway on April 13th, 1961 and ran for 719 performances. It starred Anna Maria Alberghetti (who won a Tony Award for her work), Jerry Orbach and Kaye Ballard, among others.
Shaddow, who is currently an understudy for the role of Laura in The Woman in White, has appeared on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof, Nine, Sweet Smell of Success and Les Miserables. She appeared off-Broadway in The Water Coolers, and regional credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, Senor Discretion Himself and My Fair Lady.
Hayden received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the revival of Judgment at Nuremberg and a Drama Desk Award nomination for his work in the Lincoln Center revival of Carousel. Other Broadway credits include Henry IV, Enchanted April and Cabaret.
Schoeffler recently appeared as Vittorio in the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity. His other Broadway credits include Nine, Peter Pan, Victor/Victoria and Cyrano--The Musical. A Paper Mill Playhouse veteran, he has appeared there in She Loves Me, Nine, My Fair Lady and Phantom (the Yeston version).
Carnival's creative team will include Michelle R. Phillips (costumes), Christopher Barreca (sets), Donald Holder (lighting), Randy Hansen (sound),
Jason Hayes (hair, wigs and make-up), Jesse Mooney Bullock
(puppet design), Frank Maugeri (puppet coach), Chic Silber (circus
effects), Peter Samelson (magic design).
In conjunction with the Main Stage producton of Carnival, The Renee Foosaner Art Gallery, located on the Mezzanine Level of the theatre, will continue its series of art exhibitions with "Art Organized by the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art" on display March 8 - April 9, 2006. The Renee Foosaner Art Gallery is open one hour prior to performances, during intermission and on Fridays from 12PM - 3PM. Admission to the exhibits is free.
The 2005-2006 season continues with William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (April 19 through May 21, 2006) with music by the new age group GrooveLily and concludes with Jerry Herman's Hello, Dolly! (June 7
through July 23, 2006).
Tickets range from $19-$68. Call (973) 376-4343 or visit www.papermill.org.