Musical Revue Featuring Performers with Disabilities Comes to Paper Mill Playhouse

Paper Mill Playhouse has joined forces with the Cranford, New Jersey based non- profit Shining Stars Network to co-produce a performance featuring young artists with disabilities entitled “The Greatest Show!” The showcase will offer audiences an entertaining afternoon featuring your favorite music, dance and production numbers from Broadway and Hollywood, and will take place on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 1:30pm at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ). Tickets are on sale starting at just $25 and may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343 or online at www.PaperMill.org. This event marks an expansion of Paper Mill Playhouse's Theater for Everyone program, an award-winning initiative that includes performances and classes for people with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families. Paper Mill's Theater for Everyone program strives to weave inclusion throughout the fabric of the institution, creating opportunities for people of all abilities to learn, perform and attend performances with independence and dignity.

Shining Stars Network, a regional theater group for young adults with disabilities and their typical peers was created to put a spotlight on the special needs community and showcase their talents. By producing inclusive entertainment, opportunities are provided for people with and without disabilities to work together to create experiences that enhance lives. Shining Stars performers are individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities who perform in inclusive events that build self-esteem and friendships. Performers are shadowed by Shining Star buddies, neurotypical high school students who help Shining Star performers learn new things and develop strong friendships. Founded in 2012 and initially serving Union County, New Jersey, there are now Shining Stars performers from seven different New Jersey counties.  The Shining Stars Network recently celebrated their ten-year anniversary and company members have performed in front of large audiences at the Union County Performing Arts Center, the Paper Mill Brookside Cabaret, and most recently the Gershwin Theater on Broadway in New York City.

“Prepare to be amazed as our special needs performers and their high school buddies take the stage in front of an audience of over 1,000,” shared Shining Stars Director Sally Curci. “When the lights go up, the stars always shine, entertaining with solo acts and full-cast dance choreography. The audience is wonderful, and our performers are amazing. Each and every year our audience has grown along with our cast. They continue to inspire us every day. We are so excited to give our special cast the chance to perform at such a great venue as Paper Mill Playhouse.”

"We are thrilled and honored to create this partnership with the legendary Paper Mill Playhouse," noted Shining Stars Network Co-Founder and CEO Mike Curci. "From our special needs cast members, buddies, parents and our entire team, everyone is very excited for our stars to have the opportunity to perform on the iconic Paper Mill stage. It will be like performing on Broadway and we look forward to co-producing this show with their incredibly talented team."

“The Greatest Show!” is an amazing opportunity to foster a love for performing for these young artists whose gifts are many,” remarked Paper Mill Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee. “We're very pleased to be working with Shining Stars to make this event come to life on the historic Paper Mill stage. When the New Jersey legislature designated Paper Mill as the State Theater of New Jersey in 1972, we made it our mission to ensure that the art and cultural experiences at Paper Mill were available and meaningful to the entire population. This event speaks to that core mission in a meaningful way.”

A national leader in cultural accessibility, Paper Mill Playhouse offers a myriad of award-winning access programs and services, including audio description, sensory seminars, Braille and large-print programs for the visually impaired, American Sign Language interpretation, open-captioning and assistive listening devices for those with hearing loss. In addition, Paper Mill offers classes for adults and adolescents with developmental disabilities to study creative drama and improvisation and provides autism-friendly performances of both mainstage and children's shows throughout the season. 

SHINING STARS NETWORK is a nonprofit organization founded by Sally and Mike Curci that shines the light on the special needs community by creating opportunities in the performing arts, with the goal of building self-confidence and self-esteem while enjoying the experience of performing on stage. In addition, now entering its 6th year, Camp Shine, a two-week intensive special needs performing arts summer camp, will take place the last two weeks of August 2023. For more information on Shining Stars Network or any of their programs, please visit www.ShiningStarsNetwork.org or send your email to info@ShiningStarsNetwork.org.

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