(AGENPARL) – mer 18 dicembre 2024 A blue text on a white background
Description automatically generated
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 18, 2024
Continuing the Tony Award-Recognized Institution’s
2024-2025 Season and Marking 86 Years
in Millburn, New Jersey
Paper Mill Playhouse
Announces Full Casting and Creative Team for
New Musical Mystic Pizza
Performances Begin Wednesday, January 29
Through Sunday, February 23
Opening Night is Sunday, February 2
MILLBURN, NJ – December 18, 2024 – Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director; Michael Stotts, Executive Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, is pleased to announce full casting and the creative team for Mystic Pizza, the next production in Paper Mill’s 2024-2025 season.
The new musical begins performances Wednesday, January 29, ahead of a Sunday, February 2, opening night at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ), with the run continuing through Sunday, February 23, 2025.
Based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture with story and characters by Amy Holden Jones (Fox’s “The Resident”), Mystic Pizza features a book written by Sandy Rustin (The Cottage); music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Carmel Dean (The Notebook); music direction by Kristin Stowell (First National Tour of The Cher Show); choreography by Connor Gallagher (Beetlejuice); and direction by Casey Hushion (Mean Girls).
The show also features scenic design by Nate Bertone, costume design by Jen Caprio, lighting design by Ryan J. O’Gara, sound design by Matt Kraus, and hair and wig design by Roxanne De Luna. Casting is by Geoff Josselson Casting.
The cast will feature Krystina Alabado (Mean Girls) as Daisy Arujo, Alaina Anderson (Dear Evan Hansen) as Katherine “Kat” Arujo, Deánna Giulietti (VH1’s “Fuhgeddabout Christmas”) as Josephine “JoJo” Barboza, Ben Fankhauser (Newsies) as Tim Travers, F. Michael Haynie (Wicked) as Bill Montijo, Vincent Michael (Rent at the Muny) as Charles “Charlie” Gordon Windsor, Jr. and others, Jennifer Fouché (Chicago) as Leona Silvia, Mia Gerachis (Sweeney Todd) as Debbie and others, James Hindman (Mary Poppins) as Charles Windsor, Sr. and others, Michael James (Mystic Pizza at La Mirada Theatre) as Lou and others, April Josephine (Mean Girls) as Mrs. Arujo and others, Alyssa M. Simmons (Mystic Pizza at La Mirada Theatre) as Aunt Bonnie and others, Victor Souffrant (Man of La Mancha at Orlando Shakes) as Mr. Barboza and others, Jake Swain (Mean Girls) as Frank and others, Zephaniah Wages (Once on This Island at Pittsburgh CLO) as George and others, and Rachel Kae Wirtz (Bat Out of Hell at the Paris Las Vegas) as Lorna and others. Chachi Delgado (Evita at San Francisco Playhouse) and Adriana Negron (West Side Story at Pittsburgh CLO) will be swings.
Based on the classic 1988 movie starring Julia Roberts, Mystic Pizza is a new musical about three working-class girls who navigate the complexities of life, love and family in a small-town pizza joint. The infectious score features megahits of the 80s and 90s, from “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” to “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” and songs originally recorded by Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper, John Cougar Mellencamp, Debbie Gibson, Wilson Phillips, The Bangles, Belinda Carlisle, Rick Astley, Bryan Adams, among many others.
Mystic Pizza is produced in association with Lively McCabe Entertainment, McCoy Rigby Entertainment, Riverside Theatricals, Thomas B. McGrath, and Primary Wave.
Currently playing at Paper Mill, the holiday classic Irving Berlin’s White Christmas runs through Sunday, December 29 only. Following Mystic Pizza, the 2024-2025 season continues with the world premiere musical Take the Lead (March 29-April 27) and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (May 29-June 29).
Signature Support for Mystic Pizza is provided by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, with M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust serving as the Production Sponsor and The GenWealth Group as the Opening Night Sponsor.
ACCESSIBILITY
AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCES are scheduled for Saturday, February 22, at 1:30pm and Sunday, February 23, at 1:30pm.
OPEN-CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES are scheduled for Saturday, February 22, at 1:30pm and Sunday, February 23, at 7:00pm.
An ASL-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE is scheduled for Sunday, February 23, at 7:00pm.
ABOUT PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE
PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, is a nationally renowned not-for-profit theater under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Michael Stotts (Executive Director). A beloved New Jersey arts institution since 1938, Paper Mill creates and produces groundbreaking new musicals and reimagined classics. Several productions have gone on to Broadway and launched national tours, including The Great Gatsby, Disney’s Newsies, Bandstand, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Bronx Tale, and Les Misérables (25^th Anniversary production). The theater is also the home to an award-winning center for musical theater education and artist training, with outreach programs that impact thousands of students each year. As one of the nation’s premier musical theaters, Paper Mill fosters a creative environment to advance the art form, educate students, develop future theater lovers, nurture inclusion, and provide access for all. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for 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.
BIOGRAPHIES
A person with long black hair and a necklace
Description automatically generated
KRYSTINA ALABADO (Daisy Arujo) is best known for playing Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls on Broadway and voicing Cherri Bomb in the hit animated series “Hazbin Hotel” on Amazon Prime. Broadway: American Psycho, American Idiot. National Tours: Evita, American Idiot, Spring Awakening. Off-Broadway: The Mad Ones, Ain’t No Disco (ATC), David Bowie’s Lazarus (NYTW). Select Regional: Sunday in the Park with George (Dot/Marie, Pasadena Playhouse), Kiss My Aztec (Hartford Stage), Miss You Like Hell (La Jolla Playhouse), Mystic Pizza (Ogunquit/La Mirada), Burn All Night (ART). Film/TV: Better Nate Than Ever, See Something, “Monster High”, Zombie Wedding, “Voltron”, First Reformed, “Tyrant”. Follow on IG/TikTok @krystinaalabado
A close-up of a person
Description automatically generated
A person with her mouth open
Description automatically generated
DEÁNNA GIULIETTI (Josephine ‘JoJo’ Barboza) is beside herself with the honor of playing JoJo! She just returned from starring as Barbara in Barbara and Kenneth at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her favorite credits include Angela in “Fuhgeddabout Christmas” on VH1, Lizzie Borden in “Lizzie,” and Mary Delgado in Jersey Boys. She is so excited to work with this cast and crew. As a Connecticut girly she can attest that Mystic Pizza is a 10/10. Follow along Deanna’s journey @deannagiulietti
A person with green eyes
Description automatically generated
BEN FANKHAUSER (Tim Travers) made his Broadway debut as Davey in the original cast of Disney’s Newsies (Also on Disney+). Off-Broadway: Mack & Mabel, Dear World (City Center Encores!), Saturday Night, Bar Mitzvah Boy, A Commercial Jingle For Regina Comet (co-author) 1st. National Tours: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Spring Awakening. Regional Theatre: Flamingo Kid (Hartford Stage), I Hate Hamlet (Bucks County Playhouse), The Secret Of My Success (Houston’s TUTS), A.D. 16 (Olney Theatre Center), An American In Paris (Music Theater Wichita), Big River, Something Rotten, Fiddler On The Roof (Sacramento Music Circus), She Loves Me (Gulfshore Playhouse). TV/Film credits include: “FBI: Most Wanted,” “The Deuce,” “Indoor Boys.” Ben is a Cleveland native and holds a B.F.A from Ithaca College. @PlzNfankU
A person with a beard
Description automatically generated
F. MICHAEL HAYNIE (Bill Montijo) (they/them) Broadway: The Heart of Rock and Roll, Wicked, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Holler If Ya Hear Me. The original Olaf in the Frozen Tour. Off-Broadway: Carrie (MCC), Dogfight (Second Stage) and others. TV/Film: Jesus Christ Superstar Live! (NBC), Peter Pan LIVE! (NBC), “Not Fade Away” (Paramount). @fmichaelhaynie
A person with blue eyes
Description automatically generated
VINCENT MICHAEL (Charles “Charlie” Gordon Windsor, Jr. and others). Off-Broadway: BAM: Safety Not Guaranteed. Regional: The MUNY: RENT; Goodspeed Musicals: Private Jones; Signature Theatre: Private Jones, Into the Woods, RENT, Assassins (Signature Theatre, Helen Hayes nomination), A Chorus Line, Gypsy, Grand Hotel, Billy Elliot, Jesus Christ Superstar, Miss Saigon; Ford’s Theatre: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Round House Theatre: The Nutcracker; OTC: Kinky Boots, Grease, Joseph…Dreamcoat, Takes One to Know One; Keegan Theatre: Spring Awakening; The Kennedy Center: The Greenwood Tree, Latino Inaugural Awards; DAR Constitution Hall: Horatio Alger Awards; Capital Fringe Festival: Gilded. TV/Film: A Capitol Fourth. Education: Bachelor of Music, CUA. @vincentmichael.k
A person with black hair
Description automatically generated
JENNIFER FOUCHÉ (Leona Silvia). Broadway: POTUS, Chicago, Chicken & Biscuits, Chicago (National Tour). Off-Broadway: White Girl in Danger, SISTAS The Musical (Orig. OBC). Skeleton Crew (Guthrie Theatre). Off-West End: Half me, half you. Richard III (SoHo Shakes) TV: “Law & Order,” “Wu Tang: An American Saga,” “Jessica Jones,” “Quantico,” “Person of Interest,” “SMASH,” “Pinkalicious & Peteriffic,” “Fairly Odd Parents: A New Wish.” Film: B Boy Blues, Crown Heights, In Fear For My Life (Cannes Film Festival). IG: @jkfouche
A close-up of a person
Description automatically generated
MIA GERACHIS (Debbie and others) is thrilled to be joining the Mystic family! She is a New York-based artist originally from Houston, TX. Mia made her Broadway debut earlier this year in the revival of Sweeney Todd. Other notable credits: First National Tour of Pretty Woman, Kinky Boots at the Hollywood Bowl, Jekyll & Hyde, Grease, and Joseph…Dreamcoat. BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch. Instagram: @onomato.mia TikTok:
@miagerachis
A close-up of a person smiling
Description automatically generated
JAMES HINDMAN (Charles Windsor, Sr. and others). An award-winning actor and playwright. 6 Broadway shows, 5 tours, 20 Film and TV shows including Oceans 8, “The Gilded Age,” “Ironfist.” Most recently: His one-man show What Doesn’t Kill You ran off-Broadway at 59E59 Theatre. Now Comes The Fun Part (The ‘How The F#%K Did I Get This Old’ Musical) ran at The York Theatre. Upcoming: Pete ‘n’ Keely at Carnegie Hall starring Jennifer Simard and Chris Sieber. Insta: james_hindman_nyc
A person with a beard smiling
Description automatically generated
MICHAEL JAMES (Lou and others). Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson (A Christmas Story), McCoy/Rigby (Fiddler on the Roof, Waitress, The Little Mermaid, Mystic Pizza, Newsies, Mamma Mia!), Musical Theater West (Wizard of Oz), Musical Theatre Guild (Follies), Goodspeed Opera (Bye Bye Birdie), Pittsburgh CLO (Altar Boyz, Newsies, Mamma Mia!), Maltz Jupiter (West Side Story, How to Succeed…, Chicago), Sacramento Music Circus (Mamma Mia!). Television: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”. Point Park Alumni. @itsmichaeljamesbrown
A close-up of a person smiling
Description automatically generated
APRIL JOSEPHINE (Mrs. Arujo and others). Proud to be back bringing Sandy Rustin’s fantastic writing to life under the direction of the inspiring Casey Hushion. It is an utter triumph to be in women-led theatrical spaces! Recent credits: Mystic Pizza (McCoy Rigby @ La Mirada Theater); Mean Girls First National Tour. Select regional houses: La Jolla Playhouse, 3-D Theatricals, Lamb’s Players Theater, MTW, Moonlight Stage Productions. @itsapriljosephine
A person with glasses smiling
Description automatically generated
ALYSSA M. SIMMONS (Aunt Bonnie and others) is so happy to be back in the pizza shop! Select Regional: Shrek (3-D Theatricals), White Christmas (Musical Theatre West), RENT (McCoy Rigby Entertainment), Meet Me in St. Louis (5-Star Theatricals), Sunday in the Park with George (Musical Theatre Guild) and The Little Mermaid (Tuacahn Center for the Arts). You can hear her in Epic Games’ “Fortnite” and Sanrio+Sunblink’s “Hello Kitty Island Adventure.”
A person with a beard
Description automatically generated
VICTOR SOUFFRANT (Mr. Barboza and others). Proud native of Puerto Rico. Select theatre credits include On Your Feet (Emilio), Evita (Magaldi), Man of La Mancha (Padre), Assassins (Zangara) and Titanic (Fleet). @insta.vms
A person with blonde hair wearing a red shirt
Description automatically generated
JAKE SWAIN (Frank and others). Excited to be back after originating Frank in the world premiere of Mystic Pizza! Broadway: Mean Girls (Tyler Kimble, u/s Aaron Samuels). Regional: Little Shop of Horrors (Oregon Cabaret Theatre); Oklahoma! & Bye Bye Birdie (Goodspeed); Forever Plaid (Eccles Theatre); Rent (Theatre Aspen). National Tour: Mean Girls, Elf. BFA in Acting (BYU). Film: The Cosmos Sisters, The Last Hurrah, Zombied. @jacobmonte
A close-up of a person
Description automatically generated
ZEPHANIAH DIVINE WAGES (George and others) is thrilled to be joining the cast and crew of Mystic Pizza. Zephaniah is a recent graduate of Texas State University BFA Musical Theatre Program (Go Bobcats, Eat Em Up). Previous credits include: Once On This Island (PCLO), Seussical (PCLO), Great Comet (PCLO).
A close-up of a person smiling
Description automatically generated
RACHEL KAE WIRTZ (Lorna and others) is so excited to be back in the pizza shop! She is a stunt actor and performer in LA working various shows at Disneyland and Universal Studios such as originating Peggy Carter in Rogers the Musical, Helen in Waterworld, Beth/Dante in The Purge: Dangerous Waters, and Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season. Rock ‘n’ Roll has a special place in her heart especially having finished Bat Out of Hell at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas in 2022. @rachelkae18
A person with curly hair smiling
Description automatically generated
CHACHI DELGADO (Swing) is from Oakland, California and is super excited to be returning to the pizza shop! When he’s not performing you may catch him enjoying family, eating food, or watching “Survivor.” Unit Tour: Mystic Pizza. Regional: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Choir Boy, Evita, Fun Home, A Chorus Line, Follies, Hello Dolly. T.V./Film: Loop (Disney+), Freaky Tales (Sundance), We’re Not Strangers, Sweet 15, McDonalds, Toyota. Video Game: Choreographer/dancer for NBA 2K25.
A close-up of a person
Description automatically generated
ADRIANA NEGRON (Swing) is honored to join the cast of Mystic Pizza! Most recently Adriana played Anita at PCLO and Kansas City Starlight. Other notable credits: The Broadway National Tours of Aladdin, The Prom and CATS. She has also performed internationally with A Chorus Line in Shanghai and West Side Story at the IHI Stage Around in Tokyo. @_adriananegron
CARMEL DEAN (Music Supervision, Arrangements, Orchestrations) is a Grammy-nominated theatre musician hailing from Australia and based in New York. As Musical Director and/or Arranger: Broadway: The Notebook, Funny Girl, If/Then, Hands on a Hardbody, American Idiot, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. West End: Clueless (upcoming). Off-Broadway: Really Rosie, Everyday Rapture, Vanities, Elegies. Other international: Fun Home, Chicago, 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening & Closing Ceremonies. Television: “Up Here.” As composer: Maiden Voyage (London 2025), Renascence (Off-Broadway), Well-Behaved Women (studio album & multiple regional/international productions). Education: MFA in Musical Theatre Writing (New York University), BMI Lehman Engel Musical Workshop. Awards: Fulbright Scholar, Sydney Theatre Award, Off-Broadway Alliance, Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award for Composition.
KRISTIN STOWELL (Music Director) is a music director, pianist, composer, arranger, copyist, and educator based in Washington, D.C. She has previously served as music director for the Mystic Pizza world premiere (Ogunquit Playhouse) and west coast premiere (La Mirada Theatre). Other recent credits include serving as music supervisor for the National Tour of The Cher Show, and as music director for the world premiere of On Cedar Street (Berkshire Theatre Group). Her original award-winning musical Endometriosis: The Musical was featured in the 2022 Minnesota Fringe Festival, and she has been a music supervisor for Norwegian Cruise Lines for the past decade. Kristin currently serves on the faculty of American University.
MATT KRAUS (Sound Design). Broadway: Liza’s at the Palace…, Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway, Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony. Off Broadway: Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (New Victory), Caucasian Chalk Circle and 50 Shades!, Lone Star Love, Stage Struck and Spotlight Bar onboard Princess Cruises. Regional: The Guthrie Theater, Paper Mill Playhouse, St. Louis Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Walnut Street, Maltz Jupiter, and Bay Street Playhouse, to name a few. Audio Coordinator for “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon-Remotes” and The 2020 NBA Reboot Bubble. Matt won an Emmy Award for his work on Disney’s Broadway Hits at Royal Albert Hall which is streaming on DIsney+.
ROXANNE DE LUNA (Wig & Makeup Designer). Ogunquit Playhouse: Wig Designer 2018 to present, Paper Mill Playhouse: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (2024). Cleveland Playhouse: Amadeus, Light It UP! (World Premiere). Two River Theater: The Scarlet Letter (World Premiere). Big League Productions: The Cher Show. 1st National Tour, Tuacahn & North Carolina Theater: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (2023), Kinky Boots (2020). Playmakers Repertory Company LORT-D: My Fair Lady, Intimate Apparel (2017). She was born and raised in El Paso, TX. Graduate with her Master of Arts from University of Cincinnati- Conservatory of Music in Wig & Makeup Design, 2015.
# # #
______________________
BoneauBryanBrown1, 1460 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 United States