Nick Adams, Jessica Grove, Liz McCartney & More to Star in Paper Mill's Revamped THE LITTLE MERMAID; Full Cast Announced!

Paper Mill Playhouse has just announced the cast and creative team for Disney's The Little Mermaid, based on the classic animated film of the same title. The American premiere of this brand new production will feature a revamped script, additional songs, a new physical production and an entirely fresh interpretation of the piece. Paper Mill Playhouse's reimagined production will play at partner theaters Kansas City Starlight and Pittsburgh CLO. Disney's The Little Mermaid will be directed by Glenn Casale with original choreography byJohn MacInnis. The cast includes acclaimed Broadway performers: Nick Adams (Prince Eric), Jessica Grové (Ariel), Liz McCartney (Ursula), Alan Mingo, Jr. (Sebastian) and Edward Watts (King Triton). Disney's The Little Mermaid will run at the Millburn, New Jersey, theater from May 29 through June 30, 2013. The official press opening is Sunday, June 2, at 7:00pm. Disney's The Little Mermaid is proudly sponsored by Bank of America.

In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. Based on the enchanting 1989 Disney animated film and one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories, The Little Mermaid is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. The score features the classic songs "Part of Your World," "Kiss the Girl" and the Academy Award-winning Best Original Song, "Under the Sea" composed by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken and his longtime collaborator, the late Howard Ashman, as well as new songs by Mr. Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater. The book for the musical is by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Doug Wright.

Disney's The Little Mermaid will be performed eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Family-Friendly Performance Schedule: Wednesday at 7:00pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm, Friday at 7:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm. Single tickets are on sale now and range from $26 to $97. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.papermill.org. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted. Groups of ten or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. The theater will host a special, Autism/Sensory-friendly performance of Disney's The Little Mermaid on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at 4:00PM. This performance is designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum or with other developmental disabilities, and planned in cooperation with Autism New Jersey and Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers.

"The Paper Mill Playhouse version of Disney's The Little Mermaid has never been seen before," stated director Glenn Casale. "The script and the structure of the piece are entirely new. Ursula and Triton have new songs. It is a family adventure that you will want to share with your sons and daughters."

Disney's The Little Mermaid features a cast of Broadway veterans and Paper Mill favorites. Nick Adams (Prince Eric) starred on Broadway as Adam/Felicia in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, as well as A Chorus Line, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, La Cage and The Pirate Queen. Adams was also featured in the films Sex and the City 2 and An Englishman in New York. Matt Allen (Scuttle) last appeared at Paper Mill Playhouse in Pippin. Allen was seen on Broadway in The Wedding Singer, Oklahoma! and Annie Get Your Gun. Sean Patrick Doyle (Jetsam) appeared on Broadway in the 2010 revival of La Cage aux Folles and Off Broadway inVolpone and Wig Out!. Jessica Grové (Ariel) appeared on Broadway in A Little Night Music,Sunday in the Park with George (Celeste), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Dorothy), LES MISERABLES (Eponine) and The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy) at Madison Square Garden. Scott Leiendecker (Flotsam) appeared in the national tours of Fiddler on the Roof (Fruma-Sarah) with Topol and Harvey Fierstein, Camelot, Steps in Time with Tommy Tune and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Liz McCartney (Ursula) joins the cast directly from Broadway's Annie. Other Broadway credits include South Pacific (PBS), Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!, Thoroughly Modern Millie,Taboo, Dance of the Vampires and LES MISERABLES. Ms. McCartney was praised by critics for her portrayal of Ruth in Paper Mill Playhouse's Pirates!. Alan Mingo, Jr. (Sebastian) starred in Paper Mill's successful revival of Once On This Island as Papa Ge in 2012. His Broadway credits include The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), Rent (Tom Collins) and the national tours ofShrek (Donkey), Hairspray (Seaweed) and The Lion King (Simba). Christian Probst (Flounder), a student at Yale University, appeared at the Muny in St. Louis in Beauty and the Beast (Chip), Mame (Young Patrick), Peter Pan (Michael/John), Oliver! (Oliver) and The Sound of Music (Friedrich). Timothy Shew (Chef Louis) has ten Broadway shows to his credit including 1,600+ performances as Jean Valjean in LES MISERABLES and the recent revival ofEvita with Ricky Martin. Edward Watts (King Triton) last appeared at Paper Mill Playhouse in the critically acclaimed production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Adam). On Broadway, Watts appeared in Scandalous (Robert Semple/David Hutton) and Finian's Rainbow. His Off Broadway credits include Encores' It's . . . Superman (Superman) and The Fantasticks (El Gallo). Ron Wisniski (Grimsby) appeared in the national tours of Beauty and the Beast(Lumiere), Annie (F.D.R.) and Tintypes (Teddy Roosevelt). Off Broadway, Wisniski was featured in George Abbott's Frankie, A Most Secret War, Pillars of Society and Tom Jones.

Rounding out the cast are: Kristine Bennett, Ward Billeisen, Lauryn Ciardullo, Thay Floyd, KC Fredericks, Rod Harrelson, Lisa Karlin, Nicole JavAnna Johnson, Morgan Kirner,Erica Mansfield, Dennis O'Bannion, Robbie Roby, James Shackelford, Katie Ulrich andJessica Wockenfuss.

Glenn Casale (Director) helmed the Broadway production of Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby (Tony Award nomination, Best Revival), filmed by A&E (two Emmy Awards). Off Broadway Casale directed The Property Known as Garland, Dragapella at Studio 54 (Lortel Award nomination, Outstanding Musical). Internationally Casale directed Disney's The Little Mermaidand Beauty and the Beast (Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Russia). Casale's work has been seen throughout the United States in productions of Dr. Dolittle; Ballroomstarring Tyne Daly and Charles Durning; Wrestlers starring Mark Harmon and George Clooney;From the Top starring Carol Burnett; Camelot starring Michael York and The Prisoner of Second Avenue with Jason Alexander. Casale is artistic director for the California Musical Theater in Sacramento.

John MacInnis (Choreographer) recently choreographed the European productions ofDisney's The Little Mermaid currently running in Holland, Russia, and Japan. He also choreographed Beauty and the Beast in more than five European countries, including a touring production currently running in Spain. In 2011 he served as associate choreographer of the Tony Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon. Other credits include directing and choreographing the Olympic Medals Ceremonies at the 2002 and 2012 Winter Olympic Games. From 1999 to 2001, he directed and choreographed the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

Craig Barna (Music Director) musically directed the Broadway productions of Peter and the Wolf (Brian Blessed), Peter Pan (Cathy Rigby), Jesus Christ Superstar (Ted Neeley/Carl Anderson) and the national tours of Camelot (Michael York/Lou Diamond Phillips), Cats, Singin' in the Rain and Grease (Jack Wagner). Television credits include A&E's Peter Pan, the 1999 Tony Awards, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Today Show, and CBS This Morning.

Disney's The Little Mermaid design team includes:

Scenic design by Kenneth Foy. Foy's credits include the Broadway productions of Candidastarring JoAnne Woodward, Macbeth with Nicol Williamson, the David Merrick production of Oh, Kay!, the 20th anniversary production of Annie, An Evening with Jerry Herman, and the 1989 Tony Award-winning production of Gypsy directed by Arthur Laurents.

Costume design by Amy Clark and Mark Koss. Clark's design credits include Chaplin(Broadway), On Your Toes (Encores!) Show Boat (Goodspeed) and Monster at the Door (Alley Theatre). Koss designed costumes for California Musical Theater's Disney's The Little Mermaid, Fiddler on the Roof and The Producers.

Lighting design by Charlie Morrison. Morrison's credits include Groovaloo, Grinch, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Miss Saigon, Aida, Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady, The King and I, Gypsy,42nd Street, Smokey Joe's Cafe, The Who's Tommy, Titanic, The Music Man and many others.

Sound design by Paper Mill Playhouse Resident Sound Designer Randy Hansen. Over the past twenty-five years, Hansen has designed hundreds of musicals, plays, and live events all over the country.

Hair and wig design by Leah J. Loukas. Loukas recently designed hair and wigs for Paper Mill's production of The Sound of Music. On Broadway, Loukas designed Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, American Idiot, Irena's Vow, as well as Shakespeare in the Park's Into the Woods.

Paul Rubin will serve as the flying sequence choreographer. Mr. Rubin's work was seen on Broadway in Wicked, Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby, Curtains, The Pirate Queen, Frozen, The Green Bird, Kiss Me, Kate, Dance of the Vampires, Fiddler on the Roof and Saturday Night Fever. The Production Stage Manager is Kim Vernace.