By Andrew Gans
12 Mar 2006

Aerialist Mam Smith in Carnival.
photo by Jerry Dalia

The Paper Mill Playhouse production of Carnival — starring Charlie Pollock as Paul, Jennifer Allen as Rosalie and Elena Shaddow as Lili — officially opens at the New Jersey theatre March 12. Previews began March 8.

The company also features Paul Schoeffler as Marco, Eric Michael Gillett as Jacquot and Nick Wyman as Schlagel. The ensemble comprises Noah Aberlin, Jason Babinsky, Alexander Cassens, Albert Christmas, Drew Cortese, Jim Corti, Michael Fielder, Hector Flores, David Garry, Vinson German, Sarah Lin Johnson, Nikka Lanzarone, Richard Pruitt, Benji Randall, Krissy Richmond, Julia Sann, Mam Smith, Allison Stodola and Mindy Wallace.

Directed by Erica Schmidt with choreography by Peter Pucci, Carnival will play a limited engagement through April 9.

The creative team for the production includes Christopher Barreca (set design), Michelle R. Phillips (costume design), Donald Holder (lighting design), Randy Hansen (sound design), Jason Hayes (hair, wigs and make-up design), Jesse Mooney Bullock (puppet design), Frank Maugeri (puppet coach), Chic Silber (circus effects), Peter Samelson (magic design) with musical direction by Tom Helm.

Carnival!, which bowed on Broadway in 1961, features a score by Bob Merrill and a book by Michael Stewart. The original Broadway cast featured Anna Maria Alberghetti, Kaye Ballard, Henry Lascoe, James Mitchell, Pierre Olaf and Jerry Orbach.

The musical, according to press notes, tells the story of "a shy lonely orphan who is enchanted with the desire to join the glamorous carnival. Searching for her place in the carnival, she joins a puppet act and soon finds that love makes the world go 'round."

Charlie Pollock made his Broadway debut in Urinetown. His Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick . . . BOOM!; Lola; Loot; Cock & Bull Story and Opus Profundum. His regional credits include Tommy, Godspell, Violet and King of the Moon. On screen Pollock has been seen in "Walking Charley" and "Gun."

Elena Shaddow has been seen on Broadway in The Woman in White, Fiddler on the Roof, Nine, Sweet Smell of Success and Les Misérables and Off-Broadway in Water Coolers.

The Paper Mill Playhouse is located on Brookside Drive in Millburn, NJ. Tickets, priced $19-$68, are available by calling (973) 376-4343 or by visiting www.papermill.org.