Paper Mill Playhouse's 2023–2024 season in Millburn, New Jersey, will feature five musicals, including the world premiere of a new musical based on the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby.
The Great Gatsby—featuring a book by Kait Kerrigan, music by Jason Howland, and lyrics by Nathan Tysen—will launch the season beginning October 12. Directed by Marc Bruni with choreography by Dominique Kelley and music direction by Daniel Edmonds, performances will continue through November 12.
The Tony-winning Fiddler on the Roof will follow, running December 6, 2023-January 7, 2024. The classic Joseph Stein-Jerry Bock-Sheldon Harnick musical, which will feature the original choreography of the late Jerome Robbins, will be directed by Paper Mill Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee.
After Midnight—the musical revue that transports audiences to the Cotton Club of the Harlem Renaissance—will kick off the new year at the Tony-winning regional theatre. Conceived by Jack Viertel with selected text by Langston Hughes and music from Duke Ellington, Jimmy McHugh, Harold Arlen, and others, performances are scheduled for January 31-February 25.
The new musical Gun & Powder, which previously played Virginia's Signature Theatre, will be seen at the Paper Mill April 4-May 5. Stevie Walker-Webb will direct Angelica Chéri and Ross Baum's musical, which is inspired by the true story of African American twin sisters Mary and Martha Clarke, who passed as white and took extraordinary measures to settle their mother’s sharecropper debt and save her home.
The upcoming season will conclude June 5-30 with Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which charts the rise of pop singer King as well as Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. Casey Hushion will direct the production, which features a book by Douglas McGrath and such pop hits as “One Fine Day,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and “Natural Woman.”
Executive Director Michael Stotts says, “This is a Paper Mill season with something for every theatregoer, as well as for people who may not think theatre is for them. We aim to tell a variety of stories through many musical genres, from the legendary fortitude of two African American women after emancipation, to the traditions and warmth of a Russian Jewish family’s love, to the grandeur of the Jazz Age, all the way to Hall of Fame pop music. Patrons can dive even deeper into these stories through our behind-the-scenes audience enrichment programs, including cast Q&As, Paper Mill Prologues and The Director’s Viewpoint. This season exemplifies the rich history and significance of Paper Mill Playhouse through its 85 years."
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