Photo Coverage: Inside Opening Night of BENNY AND JOON, Starring Bryce Pinkham, Hannah Elless, and More at Paper Mill Playhouse
By: Genevieve Rafter Keddy Apr. 15, 2019
Paper Mill Playhouse presents the East Coast premiere of Benny & Joon with book by Kirsten Guenther, music by Nolan Gasser, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture written by Barry Berman and Leslie McNeil. Benny & Joon began performances Thursday, April 4, 2019, and will continue through Sunday, May 5, 2019, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ). Benny & Joon is presented by special arrangement with Larry Hirschhorn.
The show officially opened last night, April 14, and BroadwayWorld was there! Check out the photos below!
Directed by Jack Cummings III, with choreography by Scott Rink and music direction by J. Oconer Navarro, the principal cast features Claybourne Elder (Sunday in the Park with George) as Benny, Hannah Elless (Paper Mill's The Other Josh Cohen) as Joon, Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder) as Sam, Conor Ryan as Sam at certain performances, (Paper Mill's My Very Own British Invasion) andTatiana Wechsler (Oklahoma) as Ruthie, with Colin Hanlon (Falsettos) as Mike, Paolo Montalban (Paper Mill's The King and I) as Larry,Natalie Toro (A Tale of Two Cities) as Dr. Cortez/Mrs. Smail, Jacob Keith Watson (Carousel) as Waldo/Video Store Owner and Belinda Allyn(Paper Mill's West Side Story).
Based on the 1993 film starring 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 pair at the heart of the show are Joon, a young woman dealing with mental illness, and Benny, the big brother who's determined to take care of her. When a charmingly eccentric stranger comes into their lives, he throws their carefully calibrated world off-kilter-maybe for the better. Large in emotional scope and artistic ambition, Benny & Joon embraces a difficult subject with warmth, honesty, and wit.
The production team includes scenic and costume design by Dane Laffrey, lighting design by R. Lee Kennedy, sound design by Kai Harada, Flying by Foy, movement coordinator Lorenzo Pisoni, and orchestrations by Michael Starobin. The production stage manager is Victoria Navarro. Casting by Nora Brennan, CSA.
Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy
Claybourne Elder and Tatiana Wechsler
Jacob Keith Watson, Claybourne Elder and Tatiana Wechsler
Hannah Elless and Bryce Pinkham
Paolo Montalban, Colin Hanlon and Jacob Keith Watson
Paolo Montalban and Colin Hanlon
Hannah Elless and Claybourne Elder
Hannah Elless and Claybourne Elder
Hannah Elless and Claybourne Elder
Paolo Montalban, Colin Hanlon, Tatiana Wechsler, Claybourne Elder, Hannah Elless, Bryce Pinkham, Natalie Toro and Jacob Keith Watson
Tatiana Wechsler, Claybourne Elder, Hannah Elless, Bryce Pinkham, Natalie Toro and Jacob Keith Watson
Paolo Montalban, Colin Hanlon, Tatiana Wechsler, Claybourne Elder, Hannah Elless, Bryce Pinkham, Natalie Toro and Jacob Keith Watson
Paolo Montalban, Colin Hanlon and Tatiana Wechsler
Hannah Elless and Bryce Pinkham
Hannah Elless and Bryce Pinkham
Larry Hirschhorn and Melissa Posen
Larry Hirschhorn and Mark S. Hoebee
Jacob Keith Watson and Elisabeth Watson
Jacob Keith Watson and Elisabeth Watson
Jacob Keith Watson and Colin Hanlon
Jacob Keith Watson and Colin Hanlon
Bryce Pinkham and Hannah Elless
Bryce Pinkham, Hannah Elless and Claybourne Elder
Bryce Pinkham, Hannah Elless and Claybourne Elder
Tatiana Wechsler and Claybourne Elder
Tatiana Wechsler and Claybourne Elder
Belinda Allyn, Tatiana Wechsler, Jacob Keith Watson, Natalie Toro, Bryce Pinkham, Hannah Elless, Mindi Dickstein, J. Oconer Navarro, Nolan Gasser. Conor Ryan, Claybourne Elder, Paolo Montalban and Kirsten Guenther
Belinda Allyn,Mark S. Hoebee, Tatiana Wechsler, Jacob Keith Watson, Natalie Toro, Bryce Pinkham, Hannah Elless, Mindi Dickstein, J. Oconer Navarro, Nolan Gasser. Conor Ryan, Claybourne Elder, Paolo Montalban, Larry Hirschhorn, Michael Stotts and Kirsten Guenther
The Creative Team-Kirsten Guenther (Book), J. Oconer Navarro (Music Director), Nolan Gasser (Music), Mindi Dickstein (Lyrics), Larry Hirschhorn (Producer), Michael Stotts (Paper Mill Managing Director) and Mark S. Hoebee (Paper Mill Producing Artistic Director)
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