FEATURING PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE’S STAR-STUDDED LINEUP OF BROADWAY LEGENDS INCLUDING NEW TONY AWARD WINNER ANDRÉ DE SHIELDS, TONY AWARD WINNERS LILLIAS WHITE & DONNA MCKECHNIE PLUS A FINAL PERFORMANCE FROM THE LATE GEORGIA ENGEL.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Michael Stotts- Managing Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, along with Sony Masterworks Broadway announces the July 19^th release of HALF TIME (ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING), with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Nell Benjamin and additional music by Marvin Hamlisch and Ester Dean.  Available for preorder now, the album features music from the Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin-written musical, which made its 2018 debut at Paper Mill Playhouse and tells the uplifting true story of ten New Jersey seniors with extraordinary dreams.

The Half-Time (Original Cast Recording) features some of the last songs written by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, who passed away during the show’s early gestation.  The album also features a who’s who of Broadway talent, including five-time Emmy Award-nominated actress Georgia Engel (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Everybody Loves Raymond), Tony and Emmy Award winner Lillias White (The Life, Sesame Street), Tony and Drama Desk Award winner Donna McKechnie (A Chorus Line) and Emmy Award winner André De Sheilds (The Wiz), who most recently won a Tony for his role in Hadestown.  The Original Cast Recording is dedicated to the memory of Georgia Engel.

Based on the motion picture Gotta Dance, directed, written and produced by Dori Bernstein, Half Time tells the incredible true story of ten determined dreamers who audition to dance at half time for a major basketball team., inspired by the true story of the Brooklyn Nets NETSational dance team. They have three things in common: they love to dance, they have something to prove, and they are all over 60. Only after making the cut do they learn they won’t be dancing tap, salsa or swing—instead, they will bring down the house with a style that is entirely new to them: hip-hop. Take the uplifting journey with these dreamers—and the young coaches who inspire them along the way—as they battle self-doubt, stereotypes and even each other for a chance to bust a move at center court in front of 20,000 screaming fans. Together they remind us that in life, when the odds are stacked against you and the challenges seem too great to overcome, it’s not the end of the game—it’s Half Time.

HALF-TIME (ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING) – TRACK LISTING

1. A Number – Company
2. Who Wants to See That? – Haven Burton and Company
3. Princess – Lillias White and Nkeki Obi-Melekwe
4. Follow Me to the Party – Donna McKechnie, Kathryn Kendall, Lori Tan Chinn, Lillias White, Nancy Ticotin, Lenora Nemetz, Kay Walbye, André De Shields
5. Dorothy/Dottie – Georgia Engel, Garrett Turner, Valton Jackson
6. The Prince of Swing/There You Are – André De Shields, Mary Claire King, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe
7. Swagger – Haven Burton, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, Mary Claire King, Georgia Engel and Company
8. The Waters Rise – Lori Tan Chinn
9. They All Get to See That – Haven Burton
10. Princess (Reprise) – Lillias White, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, Garrett Turner
11. ¿Como No? – Nancy Ticotin and Company
12. The Prince of Swing (Reprise) – Georgia Engel and André De Shields
13. Too Old for This – Donna McKechnie
14. New Point of View – Company
15. Gotta Get Up – Haven Burton, Lillias White, Georgia Engel and Company
16. Time Machine (Bonus Track) – Donna McKechnie

ABOUT SONY MUSIC MASTERWORKS

Sony Music Masterworks comprises the imprints Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait and Masterworks Broadway. Our artists range from icons to newly developing talents in classical, crossover and adult alternative music, plus new and legendary jazz artists. Our vast catalog of musical theater recordings features classic shows and original cast albums of today’s Broadway hits, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Prom, SpongeBob SquarePants, Hello, Dolly! (starring Bette Midler), Groundhog Day, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, On Your Feet!, Kinky Boots, Once, If/Then and An American in Paris.

HALF TIME is produced by Dori Berinstein and Bill Damaschke.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, presents Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, based on the film from Universal Pictures, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, and book by Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge.  Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn begins performances TOMORROW, Wednesday, November 21, 2018, and will continue through Sunday, December 30, 2018, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ). Bank of America is the Major Sponsor of Irving Berlin’s Holiday. Paper Mill Playhouse’s 2018-2019 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank.

Directed by Mr. Greenberg (The Baker’s Wife, 1776 – Paper Mill), and with choreography by Denis Jones (Mary Poppins – Paper Mill,Holiday Inn – Broadway, Tony nomination), music direction by Shawn Gough (Annie, Paper Mill), the principal cast features Paige Faure(Honeymoon in Vegas – Paper Mill) as Lila Dixon, Jordon Gelber (Avenue Q) as Danny, Ann Harada (Avenue Q) as Louise,  Jeff Kready(Thoroughly Modern Millie – Paper Mill) as Ted Hanover, Hayley Podschun (Peter Pan – Paper Mill) as Linda Mason, Nicholas Rodriguez(Tarzan) as Jim Hardy with Jian Harrell and Aidan Alberto alternating in the role of Charlie Winslow.

They are joined by Jordan Beall, Gene Biscontini, Colin Bradbury, Tricia DeSario, Taylor Fields, Kelly Gleason, Juliane Godfrey, Berklea Going, Joshua Israel, Julie Kavanagh, Mallory Nolting, Clifton Samuels, JT Teeling, Karl Skylar Urban, Amy Van Norstrand,Scarlett Walker, Travis Ward-Osborne, and John T. Wolfe.

In this musical based on the beloved Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire film, Jim Hardy leaves behind the hustle and bustle of showbiz for a quiet life on a Connecticut farm. Jim’s agrarian efforts are a flop, but things start looking up when he falls for a talented schoolteacher, and together they infuse their sleepy rural setting with some Broadway razzle-dazzle. Fresh from a Broadway run, this heartwarming, toe-tapping production features more than 20 classic songs from the Berlin catalog, including “Easter Parade,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Steppin’ Out with My Baby,” and “White Christmas.”

Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance schedule: Wednesday at 7:00pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm, Friday at 7:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm. Please note:  There are no performances on November 22 (Thanksgiving Day), December 24 (Christmas Eve) and December 25 (Christmas Day).  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. Bank of America is the Major Sponsor of Irving Berlin’s Holiday.

IRVING BERLIN (Music & Lyrics) wrote scores to 13 Broadway musicals, contributed to seven revues, and wrote songs for 12 classic Hollywood movie musicals. Born in Russia, he immigrated to the Lower East Side of New York City, where he started his career as a singing waiter and soon became a lyricist, composer, and music publisher. He built the Music Box Theatre to house his Music Box Revues. Among his more than 1,200 songs, many of which are considered classics today, is “God Bless America,” for which he established a fund that receives all revenue from the song and distributes it to the Boy and Girl Scouts.

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is proud to announce John Doyle’s production of The Color Purple will open the 2018-2019 season, replacing the previously announced Unmasked. The Tony Award-winning revival of The Color Purple that exhilarated Broadway will thrill audiences at Paper Mill Playhouse from September 26 to October 21. With a soul-raising, Grammy-winning score infused with jazz, gospel, ragtime and blues, The Color Purple is an unforgettable and moving revival of the American classic. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and Academy Award-nominated feature film, The Color Purple leaves its mark on the soul. Casting will be announced at a later date.

From Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller and Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated film comes a stage musical with a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell, and Allee Willis. This stirring family chronicle follows the inspirational Celie as she journeys from childhood through joy and despair, anguish and hope to discover the power of love and life. The original Broadway production ran from 2005 to 2008, earning eleven Tony Award nominations. An enthusiastically acclaimed Broadway revival opened in late 2015 and ran through early 2017, winning two 2016 Tony Awards—including Best Revival of a Musical.

“The Color Purple is a title that has been on my wish list for a number of years and we are thrilled to produce this masterpiece for our audience,” commented Mark S. Hoebee, the theater’s Producing Artistic Director. “John Doyle’s visionary reimagining of this powerful tale will take our audiences on an unforgettable journey. We received news last week from our producing partners in London that due to unforeseen scheduling issues, Unmasked can no longer be presented as part of our 2018-2019 Paper Mill Playhouse season. We look forward to presenting it in a future season.”

Paper Mill Playhouse will produce eight performances a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Three, four and five-show subscription packages are available now starting at just $111. Each subscription package includes a different level of special benefits (see www.PaperMill.org for details). Youth subscriptions are available for children ages 4-18 with the purchase of an adult subscription with accessible discount pricing. Single tickets will go on sale on August 20 starting at just $35. Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, or at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.papermill.org.  Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted.  Groups of ten or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Subscribers who have chosen Unmasked as part of their series will automatically have their seats transferred to The Color Purple. If subscribers would like add tickets to The Color Purple or modify their subscription, they can call the Paper Mill Playhouse subscriptions office at 973.379.3717.

Following The Color Purple, Paper Mill Playhouse will produce Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (November 21-December 30) based on the beloved Bing Crosby/Fred Astaire film. This heartwarming, toe-tapping production features more than 20 classic songs from the Berlin catalog, including “Easter Parade,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Steppin’ Out with My Baby,” and “White Christmas.” Next winter, Paper Mill Playhouse presents the world-premiere musical My Very Own British Invasion (January 31-March 3), directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. The 1960s British music scene comes to life with songs from Herman’s Hermits, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Petula Clark, The Moody Blues, and other legendary bands of the era. The spring brings the East Coast premiere of Benny & Joon (April 4-May 5). Based on the 1993 film which starred 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 final production of the season, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast(May 29-June 30), an international sensation that has played to more than 35 million people in 13 countries. Based on the Academy Award–winning animated feature, the stage production includes all of the original songs from the movie by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, plus additional gems by Menken and Tim Rice. Titles, casting and dates subject to change.

Paper Mill Playhouse offers its audience an opportunity to enhance their theater experience with behind-the-scenes views of mainstage productions.  Have you ever wanted to sneak a peek behind the curtain? Or wondered what the director was thinking, or how the cast prepares for a show? Join us for one of many revealing insider’s experiences.  Visit the Paper Mill Playhouse website at www.papermill.orgfor dates for our Director’s Viewpoint Series, Conversation Club Series, Q&A’s with the Cast and more.

Paper Mill Playhouse offers people with disabilities the opportunity to see live theater with dignity and independence through a myriad of award-winning access programs and services, including audio description and sensory seminars for the blind, Braille and large-print programs, American Sign Language interpretation for the deaf, open-captioning for those with hearing loss, and assistive listening devices. In addition, Paper Mill Playhouse provides Autism-friendly performances of both mainstage and children’s shows throughout the season.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Todd Schmidt (Managing Director) and recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is one of the country’s leading regional theaters.  Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

For additional information, please visit www.papermill.org.