Paper Mill Playhouses Announces AIDA, CLUE, BRUCE, THE WANDERER For 2020-2021 Season
By: Alan Henry Mar. 24, 2020
BroadwayWorld has learned that the Paper Mill Playhouse will present the launch of a new production of Disney's AIDA, CLUE, BRUCE, and THE WANDERER's rescheduled engagement for their 2020-2021 season.
Paper Mill Playhouse 2020-2021 lineup includes two world-premiere musicals: Wanderer, based on the life and music of Dion, and Bruce, a musical based on the memoir Jaws Log about the making of the 1975 summer blockbuster. Season subscriptions are on sale now and are available by visiting the theater's website at www.PaperMill.org. Due to health restrictions, the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office is closed for in-person transactions until further notice. Paper Mill Playhouse's 2020-2021 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank. Paper Mill Playhouse education and outreach programs are proudly sponsored by Goren Family & the Harmony Helper App.
Paper Mill Playhouse will open its 2020-2021 season with a hilarious farce about one of America's treasured pieces of pop culture with Clue directed by Casey Hushion (October 7-November 1, 2020). Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble for a dinner party at Boddy Manor. Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro game, Clue is a whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter.
Next is the perfect family musical just in time for the holidays, The Sound of Music directed by Mark S. Hoebee (November 25, 2020-January 3, 2021), including such beloved gems as "My Favorite Things," "Edelweiss," and "Climb Every Mountain." Rodgers and Hammerstein's final masterpiece conjures an Austria replete with rolling hills, singing nuns, and a tender love story set in the shadow of World War II.
Beginning the new year, Paper Mill Playhouse presents a reimagined version of the Tony-winning Disney musical Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida directed by Schele Williams with choreography by Camille A. Brown (February 4-March 7, 2021). This updated version of the Broadway smash offers a fresh take on the tale with a contemporary score, while retaining the iconic characters, and powerful love story of the original production. Following the Paper Mill Playhouse premiere, the production will embark on a national tour.
The spring welcomes the world premiere musical of The Wanderer with book by Charles Messina and directed by Kenneth Ferrone (April 8 - May 9, 2021) following the show's postponement from Paper Mill's 2019-2020 season. The new musical, based on the life of Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dion DiMucci, will be worth the wait! An Italian-American kid from the Bronx, Dion 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."
Paper Mill Playhouse closes its 82nd season with the world premiere of Bruce directed and choreographed by Donna Feore (June 9 - July 4, 2021), a new musical based on The Jaws Log by screenwriter Carl Gottlieb. Chronicling the making of an iconic movie, Bruce tells the story of a then unknown 26-year-old director named Steven Spielberg, his beleaguered film set, and the challenges that thwarted him and his team at every turn, including the film's star: an uncooperative mechanical shark named Bruce. At its heart, the show proves that when we are faced with hardship and work together as a team, great things can happen. Donna Feore, renowned for her work with Canada's Stratford Festival, directs and choreographs. Bruce is a co-production with Seattle Rep.
"Paper Mill Playhouse is thrilled to produce this amazing season featuring both new works and reimagined favorites," commented Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director of the Millburn theater. "Producing new works is central to our vision of becoming recognized as one of the most important incubators of new musical projects. In addition, we endeavor to further the art form by producing reimagined works from the musical theater canon. We look forward to welcoming Thomas Schumacher and Disney Theatrical Productions back to Paper Mill Playhouse to collaborate with this formidable creative team on yet another inspiring piece of theater with a newly reimagined production of Aida. I also am enormously happy to present the postponed world premiere of The Wanderer, which our audience has been eagerly anticipating!"
"All of us at Paper Mill Playhouse look forward to turning the lights back on and welcoming audiences back to our theater for this incredibly exciting 2020-2021 season!" said Managing Director Michael Stotts. "We can't get through this crisis and continue to fulfill our mission without the many donors and subscribers who take this journey with us every year. With their support, Paper Mill Playhouse will continue to be a leader in creating and producing world class musical theater and arts education programs while providing access to all."
"We are honored to actively support Paper Mill Playhouse's 2020-2021 season of sensational theatrical performances, which will engage audiences of all ages," said Investors Bank Chairman and CEO Kevin Cummings. "Paper Mill enriches our communities by bringing Broadway-quality productions to local families and theater-lovers. More importantly, the theater inspires more than 40,000 students each year by providing invaluable experiences that inspire them in many positive ways. Our bank believes that arts education helps students recognize and develop their creative capabilities, which will serve them for a lifetime."
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). Youth subscriptions are available for children ages 4-18 with the purchase of an adult subscription with accessible discount pricing. Single tickets will go on sale on August 17, 2020, starting at just $35. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, or online at www.PaperMill.org. PLEASE NOTE: Due to health restrictions, the box office is closed for in-person transactions until further notice. 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. Titles, casting and dates subject to change.
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
October 7-November 1, 2020
Murder and blackmail are 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, Clue is a whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter. Casey Hushion (Resident Director, Mean Girls, Disney's Aladdin) directs.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
Directed by Mark S. Hoebee
November 25, 2020-January 3, 2021
Celebrate the holidays with the heart-soaring melodies of The Sound of Music, including such beloved gems as "My Favorite Things," "Edelweiss," and "Climb Every Mountain." Directed by Paper Mill Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee, Rodgers and Hammerstein's final musical conjures an Austria replete with rolling hills, singing nuns, and a tender love story set in the shadow of World War II.
Elton John & Tim Rice'S AIDA
Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Book by Robert Falls, Linda Woolverton and David Henry Hwang
Choreographed by Camille A. Brown
Directed by Schele Williams
February 4-March 7, 2021
This updated and reimagined version of the Tony-winning Broadway smash offers a fresh take on the tale with a contemporary score, while retaining the iconic characters and powerful love story of the original production. The show features Elton John and Tim Rice's Tony- and Grammy-winning music and a revised book by David Henry Hwang (who co-authored the acclaimed original production with Linda Woolverton and Robert Falls), with direction by Schele Williams (original Broadway cast) and choreography by Tony nominee Camille A. Brown.
THE WANDERER
(A World-Premiere Musical)
Based on the Life and Music of Dion
Book by Charles Messina
Produced in Cooperation with Dion
In Association with Jill Menza
Directed by Kenneth Ferrone
April 8 - May 9, 2021
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."
BRUCE
(A World-Premiere Musical)
A man, a mechanical shark, and the making of a masterpiece
Music by Richard Oberacker
Book and Lyrics by Richard Oberacker and Robert Taylor
Based on the Book The Jaws Log by Carl Gottlieb
Directed and Choreographed by Donna Feore
June 9 - July 4, 2021
Paper Mill brings you a new musical based on the memoir The Jaws Log by screenwriter Carl Gottlieb. Chronicling the making of an iconic movie, Bruce tells the story of then unknown director Steven Spielberg's beleaguered film set and the challenges that thwarted his team at every turn, including the film's star: an uncooperative mechanical shark named Bruce. At its heart, the show proves that when we are faced with hardship and work together as a team, great things can happen. Donna Feore, renowned for her work with Canada's Stratford Festival, directs and choreographs. Bruce is a co-production with Seattle Rep.
Paper Mill Playhouse offers its audience an opportunity to enhance their theater experience with behind-the-scenes views of mainstage productions. Have you ever wanted to sneak a peek behind the curtain? Or wondered what the director was thinking, or how the cast prepares for a show? Join us for one of many revealing insider's experiences. 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. In addition, Paper Mill Playhouse provides autism-friendly performances of both mainstage and children's shows throughout the season. The Sound of Music will feature an autism-friendly performance on Thursday, December 30, at 1:30pm.
Paper Mill Playhouse, a not-for-profit arts organization under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Michael Stotts (Managing Director), recipient of the 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 Theatre
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