Paper Mill Announces 'Kiss Me, Kate' Casting

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Artistic Director, Mark W. Jones-Executive Director) announces its mainstage production of Cole Porter's masterpiece Kiss Me, Kate, returning to the Paper Mill Stage after a 40 year absence.  Directed by Paper Mill favorite James Brennan, Kiss Me, Kate won the very first Tony Award for Best Musical in 1949 - and has been delighting audiences ever since. Kiss Me, Kate will run at the Millburn theatre from April 16 through May 18, 2008. 

Kiss Me, Kate will play the following performance schedule: Wednesdays at 7:30PM, Thursdays at 2:00PM & 7:30PM, Fridays at 8:00PM, Saturdays at 2:00PM & 8:00PM and Sundays at 2:00PM & 7:30PM.  Single tickets are now on sale and range in price from $25 to $92.  Student rush tickets are $20 and are available the day of performance in person with current student ID. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973-376-4343, or at the Paper Mill Box Office on 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 25% discount on tickets and should call 973-379-3636 ext. 2438.  Paper Mill is proud to announce a Family Week special offer.  From Wednesday, April 16 through Sunday, April 30, buy one adult ticket at full price and receive a child's ticket at half price. This offer is subject to availability, and is not valid on previous purchases.

"Kiss Me, Kate, inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, is a charming story following two musical theatre actors-once married, now divorced - as they star together in a Broadway-bound musical version of Shakespeare's play. Soon, tensions mount and tempers flare, until it seems no amount of acting can save this show. But when two gangsters arrive to settle an old score, success becomes a matter of survival," press notes state.

Kiss Me, Kate brings an all-star cast with familiar favorites and brilliant newcomers to the Paper Mill Stage. Broadway regular Timothy J. Alex (Bill/Lucentio) returns to the Paper Mill stage where he last appeared in the critically acclaimed production of Pirates!. On Broadway Mr. Alex appeared in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Never Gonna Dance, Man of La Mancha, Sweet Smell of Success, Thou Shalt Not, and Chicago. New to the Paper Mill stage is Mike McGowan (Fred/Petruchio), who most recently appeared on Broadway in The Apple Tree and The Producers.  Paper Mill favorite Michele Ragusa (Lilli/Kate), a New Jersey resident, was last seen on the Paper Mill stage as Amalia in She Loves Me and recently received both Lortel and Drama League Award nominations for Christopher Durang's Adrift In Macao at Primary Stages.  She appeared on Broadway in Urinetown, Ragtime, A Class Act, Titanic and Cyrano.  Amanda Watkins (Lois/Bianca) most recently appeared at Paper Mill Playhouse as Maria in The Sound of Music.  Her Broadway/National Tour credits include Sweet Charity, Urinetown, South Pacific (Nellie-National Theatre Best Actress nomination), Cabaret, Grease, Beauty and the Beast, and Cats.

Rounding out the Kiss Me, Kate cast is: Megan Adams, Elliott Bradley, Stephen Carrasco (Hortensio), Desiree Davar, EuGene Fleming (Paul), Herb Foster (Harry/Trevor), Katie Hagen, Wes Hart (Gremio), Cameron Henderson, Todd Horman, Tiffany Howard, Danielle Jordan, Kate Marilley, Rod Roberts, William Ryall (Second Man), Stacey Sargeant (Hattie), Eric Shorey, Bob Stoeckle (GenerAl Harrison Howell), Elisa Van Duyne, Kyle Vaughn, Gordon Joesph Weiss (First Man) and Ryan Worsing.

Kiss Me, Kate will be directed by Paper Mill favorite James Brennan who most recently directed A Wonderful Life for the Millburn Theatre. Mr. Brennan has created productions of Call Me Madam at the Goodspeed Opera House, On Your Toes and Noises Off at the Cape Playhouse on Cape Cod, and She Loves Me at the Paper Mill Playhouse. He has also directed the Paper Mill's productions of Noises Off, Sound of Music, and Crazy For You (which was televised on PBS), as well as the Broadway concert revivals of Cole Porter's Jubilee and Jerome Kern's Sally. Choreographer Patti Colombo returns to Paper Mill Playhouse after the critically acclaimed production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which she choreographed in 2007. Ms. Colombo also choreographed Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby on Broadway which was taped for television. Paper Mill's resident master of music Tom Helm will be the music director for Kiss Me, Kate.

Scenic design is by James Fouchard, who last created Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for Paper Mill Playhouse in 1999. Mr. Fouchard has created the sets for the National Tours of Can-Can (starring Chita Rivera), The Show-Off (starring Jean Stapleton) and Jolson: The Musical (starring Mike Burstyn).  Costumes will be designed by Gail Baldoni who designed Paper Mill's productions of A Wonderful Life and She Loves Me.  Lighting design is by F. Mitchell Dana. Sound design is by Randy Hansen. Hair and wig design is by Mark Adam Rampmeyer. The Production Stage Manager is Richard Rauscher.

Paper Mill Playhouse, a not-for-profit arts organization, is one of the country's leading regional theatres. Paper Mill's programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional major support is provided by funding through a grant from the New Jersey Department of State, the National Endowment for the Arts, and generous contributions from many corporations, foundations, and individuals. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of Theatre Communications Group, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.