The Paper Mill Playhouse 2017–18 season will feature world premieres, East Coast debuts, and a musical theatre standard. Among the five titles in the new lineup for the Millburn, New Jersey, venue are Half Time (formerly Gotta Dance!), which was slated for a Broadway bow this spring, and the long-in-development The Honeymooners.
The lineup begins with the world premiere of The Honeymooners, inspired by the classic television series. Performances will run from September 28 through October 29. The musical, featuring a book by Dusty Kay and Bill Nuss, music by Stephen Weiner, and lyrics by Peter Mills, was slated to premiere at Goodspeed Musicals in 2015, but was canceled and instead placed on a fast track to a Broadway bow. An invite-only lab presentation took place last year; the cast featured Laura Bell Bundy, Michael McGrath, Hank Azaria, and Leslie Kritzer. Josh Rando and Joshua Bergasse will direct and choreograph, respectively.
Mark S. Hoebee will helm Annie during the holiday season, with performances running from November 22 through December 31. Denis Jones will choreograph the production of the Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin musical.
The East Coast premiere of The Outsider will begin January 24, 2018. Paul Slade Smith’s comedy premiered under the title A Real Lulu at Wisconsin’s Peninsula Players Theatre in 2015. The play follows an unqualified gubernatorial candidate and the political guru who shapes his campaign. Performances will run through February 18.
John Rando will direct the world premiere of The Sting, based on the 1973 film of the same name. Performances are set for March 29–April 29. Featuring a book by Bob Martin, music by Mark Hollman, and lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, the musical tells the story of a pair of con men in 1936 who plot to bring down Chicago’s most corrupt mob boss. Warren Carlyle will choreograph.
The season concludes with the East Coast premiere of Half Time. The musical features a book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, music by Matthew Sklar, and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Jerry Mitchell will direct and choreograph the show, which tells the true story of a group of senior citizens who are tasked with presenting a hip-hop routine at half time for a major basketball team; performances will run from May 31 through July 1. The show first played Chicago in 2015.
For more information about the new season, visit papermill.org.
