Photo Flash: Paper Mill's CAN-CAN Cast and More Take Part in Spirit Day 2014

GLAAD's 2014 Spirit Day is today, October 16, and invites Americans to wear purple to take a united stand against bullying and show support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. Paper Mill Playhouse staff, crew, orchestra and the cast of CAN-CAN participated in Spirit Day, and you can check out a photo below!

Spirit Day coincides with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network's (GLSEN) "Ally Week" as well as National Bullying Prevention Month. According to GLSEN's 2011 National School Climate Survey, 63.5 percent of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation; 43.9 percent, because of their gender expression. GLSEN also reported that 81.9 percent of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation; 63.9 percent, because of their gender expression.

Paper Mill just opened its 2014-2015 season with a Broadway-bound, world-class revival of Can-Can, starring Kate Baldwin as Pistache and Jason Danieley as Aristide. This new production features direction by David Lee (Frasier, Cheers) and choreography by Patti Colombo (Paper Mill's Peter Pan, On the Town, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers). The show features a book by Abe Burrows (Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) and a re-crafted script by Joel Fields (Ugly Betty, The Americans) and David Lee. Also in the cast are Michael Berresse (Hilaire Jussac), Greg Hildreth (Boris Adzinidzinadze), Michael Kostroff (Jean-Louis), Mark Price (Hercule), and Justin Robertson (Étienne). In Can-Can, Pistache, a Parisian café owner, decides to feature the scandalous dance the Can-Can, but will her defiance of the law end her business and her love life?

Photo courtesy of Paper Mill Playhouse.