Mystic Pizza is a Delicious Slice of Theater at Paper Mill Playhouse

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Karen Nowosad

Mystic Pizza Review

Photo Credit – Jeremy Daniel 2025

A new musical, Mystic Pizza, is giving theater goers very enjoyable entertainment at the Paper Mill Playhouse. At the performance I attended, people were singing along to some familiar tunes, smiling and applauding enthusiastically. Mystic Pizza is based on the classic 1988 movie of the same name starring Julia Roberts. This production adapts from that movie with a book written by Sandy Rustin. If you are a fan of the movie, you will see some changes, but the basic story remains intact.

Casey Hushion directs an outstanding cast who give high energy performances as they sing and dance their way into your heart. The spirited dance numbers use choreography by Connor Gallagher. Well designed sets by Nate Bertone have good details which help them transform easily throughout the performance. The band is located on an elevated platform where the music arranged by Carmel Dean receives direction by Kristin Stowell.

Mystic Pizza celebrates the 80s and 90s. The music and costumes are all relatable to that time. But this show is a lot more than that. It is a beautiful salute to friendships and all the joys they can bring. It also salutes small town life and the happiness of having a community come together and support each other. Additionally, it provides a nice acknowledgment from that community to a small business which is also a part of the fabric of the town.

Stories of Life in Small Town Mystic, Connecticut

Three long time girlfriends come together to celebrate the wedding of one of their own. We are introduced to Josephine “JoJo” (Deánna Giulietti), Katherine “Kat” (Alaina Anderson), and Daisy (Krystina Alabado). Theses three main characters have superb chemistry together as they work to figure out what life is all about and what they want to do. Their singing voices are strong and their harmonies are lovely to listen to.

Deánna Giulietti (Josephine “JoJo” Barboza), Alaina Anderson (Katherine “Kat” Arujo), and Krystina Alabado (Daisy Arujo)

But the wedding between JoJo and longtime boyfriend Bill (F. Michael Hayne) does not go as planned. At the ceremony, the priest gives great emphasis to the union of the two being forever, eternal, etc. These “forever” messages are delivered in a loud voice with a humorous twist by James Hindman. The reality of entering marriage hits JoJo at the altar and she passes out and cancels the rest of the ceremony. It’s not that she doesn’t love Bill. She does, But she is conflicted with wanting to feel that her life will be her own and not just one of being Bill’s wife.

Now in a small town, news of the unfulfilled nuptials spreads fast. The community introduces itself by singing John Mellencamp”s “Small Town” as scenes of activities unfold. And this song is cleverly used with two Reprises in this first act as new emphasis on life of the community unfolds.

Romance Enters Each of the Friends’ Lives

An interesting part of the story is the way each of the three friends have romances enter their lives. These romances are significant because they change each of them.

JoJo and Bill work on their situation even as Bill’s band, the Lobster Rolls, perform at the Peg Leg Club. This band doesn’t do much to develop the plot but it does provide good chances to include some songs and dance number. Bill has a fishing boat business and that does develop the plot more than the band does.

Kat works for a management group that rents out properties. This is how she meets Tim Travers (Ben Fankhauser). Kat works several jobs to get enough money to go to Yale where she has been accepted. But her meeting Tim throws her off balance and suddenly she’s in a relationship. Fankhauser does a fine job creating Tim as a character. He includes some little signs right from the start about him being a cad. So when Kat ends up heartbroken, its not a total surprise.

Daisy is the sexy one of the three friends. She isn’t pleased with her life but isn’t sure of how to change it. It is only after she meets Charles “Charlie” Gordon Windsor, Jr. (Vincent Michael) that more focus comes in. This is one area of the show that delves into social and class structure and Daisy learns much from it. There is a fine outcome in all of this for Daisy at the end and she finishes with new dreams and hopes.

The Mystic Pizza Shop

All three of the girls work as waitresses at the Mystic Pizza Shop owned and run by Leona Silvia (Jennifer Fouché). The character Leona is warm and nurturing also with a great voice. She has a big secret: she will not disclose the ingredients of the sauce she uses on the pizza. And that keeps it special and it gives Mystic Pizza its distinctive flair.

However, the shop is in trouble. In the off season, business is very slow and Leona is having a difficult time making a living. So the three girls devise a plan to get the local television restaurant critic, the Fireside Gourmet, to come and review the pizza. Eventually, their plan works and the critic comes to the shop for a pizza. Again we get to see some humorous acting from James Hindman in his second role in the show. His visit and later his commentary on tv delivered directly to the audience provide some very funny moments in the show. The results of his review make major changes for Leona and the three friends.

Alaina Anderson (Katherine “Kat” Arujo), Krystina Alabado (Daisy Arujo), Jennifer Fouché (Leona Silvia), and Deánna Giulietti (Josephine “JoJo” Barboza)

The scenes in the pizza shop are amongst the best parts of the show. Would like to have seen even more.

Music Abounds

If you are a fan of pop music from the 1980s and 90s, you will have a great time listening to all the music this show uses to tell its story. In addition to “Small Town,” audiences are treated to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Addicted to Love,” and a unique version of “Into the Mystic.” All of these are in the first act.

The second act opens with “Manic Monday” sung by The Lobster Rolls. As things get more serious for the Mystic Pizza Shop the song “All I Need is a Miracle” comes in. The show ends on a strong positive note with “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”

There are other songs that add to the enjoyment of seeing this show provided by the band.

To Go to the Show

This is one you don’t want to miss so grab your tickets now! Get them at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office or online at papermill.org

Mystic Pizza runs 2 hours, 20 minutes which includes one intermission.

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‘A Christmas Carol’ is Festive and Fun at Shakespeare Theatre NJ

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Karen Nowosad
A scene from A Christmas Carol at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

A Christmas Carol at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey – A Review

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (STNJ) enjoys a reputation of producing outstanding shows during the holiday season. This year brings another offering to that fine reputation with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. This is one of the best productions you will see of old Scrooge’s journey from being a miser of a man into one who knows how to keep Christmas well.

Paul Mullins directs this production which includes many touches that add both interest and fun to the story. Add to that a well written script from Neil Bartlett delivered by a superb cast as well as excellent staging, lighting, sound, and costumes and you get a play that you will long remember.

A Time Honored Classic Story

England’s great writer Charles Dickens wrote the text of “A Christmas Carol.” It was published on December 19, 1843. According to information found on arts.gov, it was written in in just six weeks, under financial pressure. It has been reported that Dickens wrote the story while taking hours-long nighttime walks around London. No doubt, those evening walks helped to set the mood of the tale.

The characters in A Christmas Carol all revolve around the actions of one man: Ebeneezer Scrooge. He’s very tight with his wealth of money and not a joy to be around. He scrimps on supplying the coal needed for heat in his office, and his workers are always cold during the winter. He begrudges having to give them off on Christmas Day. Included in this group of three is the kind man Bob Cratchit, played with distinction by Andy Paterson.

Anthony Marble plays the role of Scrooge. He delivers a performance that captures the essence of a man who has neglected his own personal life in order to be successful. He is cold-hearted and not interested in warming up to people. However, that all changes after he meets the three ghosts on Christmas Eve led by his deceased business partner Jacob Marley.

The arrivals of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future all bring out incidents related directly to Scrooge. There are some very fine staging effects used as each arrive. For example, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears to come up from the floor through the bed. And the arrival of the ghost of Christmas Future brings a very tall frightening figure to the stage.

Scrooge’s Transformation

If you know the story, you will recall when Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning, he is very thankful that he has survived. He becomes a changed man. He goes out to visit his nephew and his wife and spends Christmas with them. The next day at the office, he gives Bob Cratchit a raise. Scrooge learns about the health of Cratchit’s son, Tiny Tim, and his time with the ghosts convinces him he has to help. And he also starts to donate money to causes that he had turned away before.

The play ends, assuring those listening that Scrooge became a man who honored Christmas from that day forward.

The Multi-role Playing Cast

Helping to get to that wonderful ending, is an outstanding cast. With the exception of Anthony Marble who plays Scrooge, the other seven actors play one role listed in the program but then have et al next to their names. This means they play more than one role in the play. In the After Talk held last week, they disclosed that there are some quick costume changes that take place backstage in order to cover all parts. Yet they look delightfully prepared for their parts.

Ghost of Christmas Present, et al – Jeffery M. Bender

Ghost of Christmas Past, et al – Emily S. Chang

Marley, et al – Celeste Ciulla

Mrs. Cratchit, et al – Gina Lamparella

Fred, et al – Ty Lane

Bob Cratchit – et al – Andy Paterson

Belle – et al – Fiona Robberson

Clever Stage Techniques

A Christmas Carol can be a rather dark play. But here at the STNJ, there are numerous stage techniques incorporated into the play to overcome that darkness.

For example, there is a light on a table close to where Scrooge is at. Every time it goes on, an actor is seen holding it and he gives out a singing type sound.

One of the favorites of the night is in the opening scene when Scrooge and his employees are seen in the office. Every time the door opens, one actor throws snow in through the door opening. Yes, it does represent a snow storm outside but it got everyone laughing in the audience.

There are many other clever stage techniques that audiences can enjoy in this play.

To Go to the Show

To learn more about A Christmas Carol or to buy tickets, visit the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey website at this location.

The show is running now through December 29, 2024.

A Christmas Carol runs a little over 2 hours with one 15 intermission.

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‘Gene & Gilda’ is a Love Letter to Them

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Karen Nowosad
Jordan Kai Burnett as Gilda and Jonathan Randell Silver as Gene – Photo Credit T. Charles Erickson

The George Street Playhouse presents Gene & Gilda in a limited run through December 22, 2024. The show is written by Cary Gitter and directed by Joe Brancato.

There are only two people in the cast: Jordan Kai Burnett who plays Gilda Radner
and Jonathan Randell Silver who plays Gene Wilder. Both of these players turn in performances that are warm and realistic. The best part of these two is the on stage chemistry that they have. This chemistry projects a strong sense of the identities that both of these people had. Additionally, it allows an audience to feel completely enveloped in their story.

Sets are basic and functionally used to tell the story. There is well written dialog which is well presented throughout the show to tell the story and allow the characters to develop.

George Street Playhouse’s Managing Director, Edward Herrera, wrote the following in the opening notes of the Program which sums up what this play brings:

“In a time when our world is marked by division and discord, the love between Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner stands as a testament to connection, resilience, and humor in the face of life’s trials.“

The Story Covers the Couple’s Time Together

The show opens with Gene Wilder doing an interview where he is asked to reflect back on Gilda. He is a little hesitant at first but as he speaks, Gilda, in spirit concept, comes on stage. The show becomes an exchange that they have about their lives together.

The dialog brings out the love between the two, but there are humorous moments as well. The entire production holds your interest as the years they are together are described.

We hear about how they met on the 1982 set of the movie of “Hanky Panky.” Gilda admits she was a bit scared meeting Gene as he was already a big star by then. He had already starred in some movie classics including The Producers, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and the 1974 hit Young Frankenstein.

She certainly had nothing to be shy about as her own success was also riding high. That amazing work she did as a female comic was very apparent when she joined the first cast of Saturday Night Live. Here she created such memorable characters as Emily Litella, Roseannadanna, and her take off on Barbara Walters going by the name Baba Wawa. By the time she met Wilder, she had been on Saturday Night Live for more than 5 years, won an Emmy for her work there, and performed in a one woman show on Broadway.

Gilda was impressed with Gene when they met and he was intrigued with her innovative comedic style that people loved.

Although the film “Hanky Panky” was not a real success for either one, their relationship was established as they fell in love.

Marriage and Continued Work

Gene and Gilda were married in 1984 in the South of France. They developed a special love for this area of the world. The conversations that continue in the play bring out all of these aspects in addition to the encouragement each gave to the other.

In 1986, they began work on the movie Haunted Honeymoon. Gene wrote, directed, and acted in the film. Sadly, Gilda is diagnosed with ovarian cancer and it becomes the last screen appearance she has.

Gilda’s Death

Gilda’s death is well handled in this show. There could probably have been included about the gallant fight she made. Her decline becomes more evident. Eventually the scene on stage becomes that of the couple’s beloved location in France where it symbolically represents her death at age 42.

But what continues to come through in this show is the love and respect these two people had for each other. It is fair to say this is a type of love letter to both Gene and Gilda about their love and lives together.

To Go to the Show

Tickets to Gene & Gilda are now on sale at www.georgestreetplayhouse.org. Groups of 10 or more save 20 percent.

Live Stream Opportunity

You might be busy at this time of year or live out of the New Brunswick area. Here’s an opportunity see a live presentation of this play.

George Street Playhouse and The League of Live Theater will offer
two live streamed performances of Gene & Gilda. The simulcast performances
will air on Friday December 13 at 7:30pm ET and Saturday December 14 at
2:00pm and 7:30pm ET.

Additionally, George Street Playhouse and The League of Live
Stream Theater will also offer closed captioning for the final simulcast live
performance on Saturday December 14.

Tickets for these live streamed performances begin at $39 and are available for purchase at
www.lolst.org/geneandgilda.http://www.lolst.org/geneandgilda


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