The stage production features original songs by Academy Award winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Leap of Faith, Sister Act, The Little Mermaid) and Jack Feldman, who collaborated on the live-action film. Tony Award-winning playwright Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy) has been brought on board to pen a new book. Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun (The Will Rogers Follies, Grey Gardens) will helm the musical about a newsboy strike, which will officially open Sept. 25. Performances will continue through Oct. 16.
The season will continue with the New Jersey premiere of Irving Berlin's White Christmas, running Nov. 16-Dec. 18. Based on the Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye film, the musical, according to Paper Mill, "tells the tale of two famous song-and-dance men who stage a show in a scenic, snow-topped Vermont inn — and end up finding love with two singing sisters under the mistletoe."
The New Year will kick off Jan. 18, 2012, with Marc Camoletti's comedy Boeing-Boeing. Bernard, an American playboy in swinging '60s Paris, "juggles three flight-attendant fiancées — one American, one French and one Italian" in this farce, which will continue through Feb. 12.
The classic baseball-themed musical comedy Damn Yankees will play the Paper Mill March 7-April 1, and the season will conclude with Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Once on This Island (May 30-June 24). The latter, according to press notes, tells "a tale of romance, tragedy, redemption and rebirth with sunny songs, captivating choreography and an irresistible Calypso beat."
Three, four and five-show subscription packages are available starting at $84. Single tickets will go on sale this summer and range in price from $25 to $96. Student rush tickets are $25 and are available the day of the performance in person with current student ID. 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.