New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse has announced a reimagined 2020-2021 season of mostly digital productions, beginning on Saturday, October 24, including several originals anticipating bringing smaller audiences back to the theater if that becomes possible by late spring or early summer of 2021.
Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee explains, “We designed the season to take us one step at a time from solo virtual concerts to full productions in the theater in front of a small number of loyal subscribers. The shows previously announced, including The Wanderer, Clue, and Bruce, will be rescheduled in the 2021-2022 season.”
Paper Mill begins the season with a three-part virtual concert series, Live from the West Side: The Women of Broadway featuring two-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone on October 24 at 8 PM, Tony Award winner and Paper Mill alumna Laura Benanti on November 14 at 8 PM, and Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy-nominated star Vanessa Williams on December 5 at 8 PM. These live-streamed concerts are presented in partnership with of a select group of nonprofit arts organizations from around the country and are a co-production with Dallas Summer Musicals and Entertainment Benefits Group. They are available to stream on demand for 72 hours after the live presentation
The lineup continues with a series of original Paper Mill-produced productions offered exclusively to season subscribers. They are as follows:
SING IN A NEW YEAR!
Directed by Mark S. Hoebee—streaming December 19, 2020-January 2, 2021
Paper Mill Playhouse’s popular summertime outdoor Brookside Cabaret comes inside and onto the Paper Mill stage for a special live concert presentation. A dozen popular Paper Mill performers will sing a unique selection of seasonal favorites just in time to ring in the new year.
SOME ENCHANTED EVENING: THE SONGS OF RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN
Concept by Jeffrey B. Moss, directed by Mark S. Hoebee—streaming February 13-27, 2021
This collection of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beloved compositions will shine the spotlight on five Paper Mill singers in a parade of hits from Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music and more.
PETE ‘N’ KEELY
Book by James Hindman, music by Patrick Brady, lyrics by Mark Waldrop, directed by Mark Waldrop—dates TBA*
Staged as a live taping of a 1968 television special that reunites a divorced singing duo, this kitschy spoof had New York critics singing its praises. As Pete and Keely stroll down memory lane reprising songs from their days of stardom, they take “unscripted” swipes at each other that dredge up hilarious moments from their turbulent past. This charming musical features unforgettable renditions of the era’s popular favorites such as “Fever,” “Bésame Mucho,” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” as well as original songs in the spirit of the times.
BEEHIVE: THE ’60S MUSICAL
Created by Larry Gallagher, directed & choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter—dates TBA
Big hairdos and even bigger voices command the stage in this tuneful tribute to girl groups that made their mark on the music of the ’60s. Featuring such hits as “My Boyfriend’s Back,” “Son of a Preacher Man,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” Beehive chronicles the dramatic transformations of a volatile decade, told from the perspective of six young women who live through it.
Paper Mill’s 2020-2021 subscription package is $275 per person for all seven shows and will be available for purchase to new subscribers beginning October 5. Visit www.PaperMill.org for more information.
individual tickets are now on sale for Live from the West Side: The Women of Broadway only for $30 per household for each livestream event.
Due to health restrictions, the box office is closed for in-person transactions until further notice. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted over the phone or on the website. Programs, casting, prices, and dates subject to change.
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