Review Roundup: Critics Weigh in On BENNY & JOON at Paper Mill Playhouse

Paper Mill Playhouse presents the East Coast premiere of Benny & Joon with book by Kirsten Guenther, music by Nolan Gasser, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture written by Barry Berman and Leslie McNeil. Benny & Joon began performances Thursday, April 4, 2019, and will continue through Sunday, May 5, 2019, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ). Benny & Joon is presented by special arrangement with Larry Hirschhorn. Opening Night is set for Sunday, April 14, 2019, at 7:00pm.

Directed by Jack Cummings III, with choreography by Scott Rink and music direction by J. Oconer Navarro, the principal cast features Claybourne Elder (Sunday in the Park with George) as Benny, Hannah Elless (Paper Mill's The Other Josh Cohen) as Joon, Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder) as Sam, Conor Ryan as Sam at certain performances, (Paper Mill's My Very Own British Invasion) andTatiana Wechsler (Oklahoma) as Ruthie, with Colin Hanlon (Falsettos) as Mike, Paolo Montalban (Paper Mill's The King and I) as Larry,Natalie Toro (A Tale of Two Cities) as Dr. Cortez/Mrs. Smail, Jacob Keith Watson (Carousel) as Waldo/Video Store Owner and Belinda Allyn(Paper Mill's West Side Story).

Based on the 1993 film starring Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, this new musical is a smart, funny, tender-hearted celebration of love: between children and parents; romantic partners; friends; and, most of all, siblings. The pair at the heart of the show are Joon, a young woman dealing with mental illness, and Benny, the big brother who's determined to take care of her. When a charmingly eccentric stranger comes into their lives, he throws their carefully calibrated world off-kilter-maybe for the better. Large in emotional scope and artistic ambition, Benny & Joonembraces a difficult subject with warmth, honesty, and wit.

The production team includes scenic and costume design by Dane Laffrey, lighting design by R. Lee Kennedy, sound design by Kai Harada, Flying by Foy, movement coordinator Lorenzo Pisoni, and orchestrations by Michael Starobin. The production stage manager is Victoria Navarro. Casting by Nora Brennan, CSA.

Benny & Joon will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance schedule: Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 8:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale now starting at $34. 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. All major credit cards accepted. Groups of 10 or more may receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Season subscriptions are on sale now and are available by calling 973.379.3717. Students may order $23-$28 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office on the day of the performance.

Let's see what the critics have to say!

Jay Lustig, NJ Arts: The songs (music by Nolan Gasser, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein) are pleasantly melodic but a bit bland. You might expect the songwriters to add some offbeat touches to mirror the oddness of the characters, but these are few and far between. Scenic designer Dane Laffrey does get into the spirit of the musical, though, creating a miniature train for Sam to ride, and a surrealistic backdrop: an aerial view of the city of Spokane, Wash., where the action takes place.

Jim Beckerman, North Jersey Record: Pinkham is a terrific physical comedian. There is a musical sequence in which Sam is tossing and catching kitchen plates, and the timing is so perfect that the plates fly to the beat of the music, with each catch serving as punctuation.

Marina Kennedy, BroadwayWorld: The musical numbers are a great fit for the story and the vocal performances couldn't be better. Some of the memorable songs include "Saving a Life" by Joon; "Playing for Keeps" by Larry, Mike, Waldo, Joon and Benny; "In My Head" by Sam; "Benny and Joon" by Joon and Benny; "Dinner and a Movie" by Benny, Ruthie, Sam, and Joon; "I Can Help" by Sam and Video Store Owner; "You Meet a Man" by Ruthie; "Yes or No" by Joon; and "This This This" by the Company.

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