Papermill Playhouse Announces New Children's Theatre Series

Perfect for age’s four to fourteen, the Paper Mill Playhouse Children's Theatre Series has partnered with the best and brightest theatre companies to bring charming, whimsical, and educational performances filled with audience participation and adventure. All shows take place on select Saturdays and Sundays in the fall and spring and begin at 10:00am. Tickets are $15 for orchestra and box seats and $12 for mezzanine seats. A facility preservation fee applies. Single tickets range in price from $12 to $15. Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted.  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.

“As Paper Mill Playhouse turns 70 years old, we have established a significant commitment to present only stellar children’s programming,” states Lisa Cooney, Paper Mill’s Director of Education. “Paper Mill’s Arts Education Department scoured the country to bring only the most reputable companies to our stage as we strive to be a leader in quality family programming.”

Madeline & the Bad Hat

November 15 & 16

ArtsPower National Touring Theatre

This original musical based upon the much-loved book captures the blithe yet touching spirit of Ludwig Bemelmans’s Madeline series.  It traces the adventures of a young Parisian girl who – despite starting off on the wrong foot with a mischievous new neighbor – eventually learns that first impressions aren’t everything.  When one fine day the Spanish Ambassador moves into the house next door, Madeline and Miss Clavel and the other girls quickly discover that his son Pepito is a true horror.  Rude and conceited, Pepito seems at first to be nothing but trouble.  But when he unexpectedly finds himself in real danger, it’s up to the resourceful Madeline to get him out of it.  This amusing tale of enemies-become-friends will charm and entertain children and parents alike.

Schoolhouse Rock, Live!

November 22 & 23

Young Audiences of NJ presents The Surflight Theatre

A pop culture phenomenon comes to the stage.  The Emmy® Award winning 1970’s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math, science and politics through clever songs will rock the Paper Mill stage.  Schoolhouse Rock Live is simply good, clean musical fun.  Songs include: “A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing”, “Three is a Magic Number”, “Unpack your Adjectives”, “Just a Bill”, “The Preamble”, “Conjunction Junction”, “Great American Melting Pot”, “Interplanet Janet”, “Interjections” and many more.  Memorable songs combined with comical live action guarantee a fun learning experience for the entire family and nobody does it better than Schoolhouse Rock.  Recommended for ages 5 to 10

 
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

November 28, 29, & 30

Theatreworks USA

This enchanting musical is based on C.S. Lewis’ adventure story about four children of war-torn England, who accidentally enter the land of Narnia by climbing through a magic wardrobe.  This strange and wondrous place is ruled by the cold-hearTed White Witch, who makes the winter last year round.  Although they seem unlikely saviors, the children fulfill an ancient prophecy by defeating the witch, thus restoring sunshine and peace to the spell-bound Narnia and returning the great Lion King Aslan to his throne.  Recommended for ages 6 to 13

 
The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley

December 6 &7

IntraMusic Theatricals

In a whirlwind musical travelogue, Stanley Lambchop – the ultimate exchange student – becomes flattened by accident and puts himself in a big envelope to travel the world as a human letter.  He scours the globe for a solution to his unusual problem.  He’s stamped, posted and cancelled from Washington D.C. to France to Honolulu and beyond.  And whether he’s rapping with the Declaration of Independence, thwarting a robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, or ‘hanging ten’ off the coast of Hawaii, Stanley is closing in on his goal of being a three-dimensional boy once more.  Recommended for ages 4 to 10

 The American Boy Choir

December 9

Paper Mill Playhouse and Young Audiences of NJ presents

The world-renowned American Boy Choir comes home to New Jersey.  Hear middle-school age boys perform a special program of holiday music.  One of the nations most frequently performing professional choral ensembles, and praised by world-class conductors including Zubin Mehta, Seiji Ozawa, and John Williams, these extraordinarily talented and exquisitely trained young singers are certain to delight.  With members ranging in age from ten to thirteen, the American Boy Choir has performed at the Academy Awards®, in television commercials, and in well known concert venues like Carnegie Hall. Recommended for all ages

 

A Christmas Carol

December 13 & 14

Theatreworks USA

‘Tis the season for merriment and fun. Catch the holiday spirit with Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and all the rest in Theatreworks’ heartwarming musical based on the Dickens classic.  A Christmas Carol captures both the humorous and touching moments of the classic story with witty dialogue and fresh new songs, conveying Dickens’ original message that the holiday season should be a “kind, forgiving, charitable time,” a sentiment which still rings true today.  Recommended for ages 6 to 12

 
Ball In The House

March 28

Paper Mill Playhouse and Young Audiences of NJ presents

A quintet of “human drum machines” comes to Paper Mill Playhouse with a sound unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.  This a cappella groups distinct style of pop/rhythm and blues continues to astound audiences around the world.  Also known as “The Cool Whip© Guys” because of their work on Cool Whip© commercials, their complex series of vocal percussive beatbox sounds will have you rocking and rolling right out of your seats.

Recommended for ages 5 to 14

 

Little Red Riding Hood & Other Stories

April 25 & 26

Pushcart Players

Here is an enchanting collection of classic tales – Little Red Riding Hood, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, and Hans Christian Anderson’s All’s Well That Ends Well.  Innovative settings and sing along songs provide the perfect opportunity for involvement and participation in this first theatre-going experience.  Each story is precious with just the right blend of faraway fantasy and contemporary reality.  Watch the wonder and magic of live theatre cast its spell on viewers as they journey into the imaginary world of Little Red Riding Hood and other “Once Upon A Time” favorites. Recommended for ages 5 to 10

If You Give A Pig A Pancake & Other Story Books

May 2 & 3

Theatreworks USA

If you liked Theatreworks USA’s, If You Give A Mouse a Cookie and Other Story Books, you’ll love our latest production of mini-musicals based on your favorite books including Diary of a Worm, Fluffy The Classroom Guinea Pig, Horace & Morris But Mostly Dolores, How I Became a Pirate, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, Lilly’s Big Day, and The Paper Bag Princess.  In If You Give A Pig A Pancake, a bossy pig’s demands frazzle a little girl in this hilarious lesson about cause-and-effect.  Recommended for ages 5 to 9

 
Junie B. Jones

May 9 & 10

Theatreworks USA

Hurray, Hurray!  Junie B. Jones is finally graduating from kindergarten and is ready for first grade, at last.  But getting used to the whole new group of friends, a new teacher, and new glasses is challenging, even for irrepressible Junie B.  Follow her adventures as she writes everything down in her “top-secret personal beeswax” journal.  A new musical based on the books by Barbara Park.

Recommended for ages 5 to 10

 
Happily Ever After: A Cinderella Tale

May 16 & 17

Pushcart Players

A musical adaptation of the classic tale takes us on a magical journey, fueled by inner beauty, courage, and kindness as it triumphs over greed, arrogance and bully behavior.  This enduring story and beautiful musical is the essence of arts in education.  (Please note this production is not based on Disney’s Cinderella.)  Recommended for ages 5 to 12

 
Seussical

May 30 & 31

Theatreworks USA

“Oh, the thinks you can think” when Dr. Seuss’ best-loved characters and stories hit the stage in this unforgettable musical adventure by Broadway veterans Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.  The noble Horton the Elephant, the one-feathered bird Gertrude McFuzz, and the antics of the Cat in the Hat steal the spotlight!  Recommended for ages 4 to 9

 
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.  

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