Photos: MYSTIC PIZZA Stars Hang at Florida Pizza Joint Before Paper Mill Playhouse Debut

As Mystic Pizza finishes its run at Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach, Florida, its stars made a visit to a local pizza joint. See photos of Krystina Alabado (Daisy Arujo), Alaina Anderson (Katherine “Kat” Arujo), and Deánna Giulietti (Josephine “JoJo” Barboza) before their Paper Mill Playhouse debut next week.

The photos were taken at South Beach Pizzeria II, where the three stars stopped before they bring their production to Paper Mill Playhouse next Wednesday, January 29. It will officially open on Sunday, February 2, continuing through Sunday, February 23, 2025.

Joining the three stars in the musical are Ben Fankhauser (Newsies) as Tim Travers, F. Michael Haynie (Wicked) as Bill Montijo, Vincent Michael (Rent at the Muny) as Charles “Charlie” Gordon Windsor, Jr. and others, Jennifer Fouché (Chicago) as Leona Silvia, Mia Gerachis (Sweeney Todd) as Debbie and others, James Hindman (Mary Poppins) as Charles Windsor, Sr. and others, Michael James (Mystic Pizza at La Mirada Theatre) as Lou and others, April Josephine (Mean Girls) as Mrs. Arujo and others, Alyssa M. Simmons (Mystic Pizza at La Mirada Theatre) as Aunt Bonnie and others, Victor Souffrant (Man of La Mancha at Orlando Shakes) as Mr. Barboza and others, Jake Swain (Mean Girls) as Frank and others, Zephaniah Wages (Once on This Island at Pittsburgh CLO) as George and others, and Rachel Kae Wirtz (Bat Out of Hell at the Paris Las Vegas) as Lorna and others. Chachi Delgado (Evita at San Francisco Playhouse) and Adriana Negron (West Side Story at Pittsburgh CLO) will be swings.

Based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture with story and characters by Amy Holden Jones (Fox’s “The Resident”), Mystic Pizza features a book written by Sandy Rustin (The Cottage); music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Carmel Dean (The Notebook); music direction by Kristin Stowell (First National Tour of The Cher Show); choreography by Connor Gallagher (Beetlejuice); and direction by Casey Hushion (Mean Girls).

Photos by Chase Bergey, Creative Direction by Deánna Giulietti