Opening Night for ‘Half Time’ was this past Tuesday, June 12 at Paper Mill Playhouse
Opening Night for Half Time, a new musical, was last evening, June 12, 2018. The show is from a book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin. Music is by Matthew Sklar with lyrics by Nell Benjamin and additional music by Marvin Hamlisch and Ester Dean.
Half Time tells the uplifting true story of ten New Jersey seniors with extraordinary dreams. It is based on the motion picture Gotta Dance, directed, written and produced by Dori Berinstein.
Half Time is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell and co-choreographed by Nick Kenkel with music direction by Charlie Alterman. The creative team of Half Time reunites Mitchell with his Kinky Boots collaborators, including David Rockwell (Scenic Design), Gregg Barnes (Costume Design) and Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design). Also on the creative team are Nick Kenkel (Co-Choreography), Randy Hansen (Sound Design), Jason Lee Courson (Projection Design), Josh Marquette (Hair and Wig Design), Larry Hochman (Orchestrations), and Telsey + Company (Casting). The Production Stage Manager is Jason Brouillard.
Featured in the cast are Georgia Engel (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” The Drowsy Chaperone) and Tony and Emmy Award winner Lillias White (The Life, “Sesame Street”) along with André De Shields (The Wiz, The Full Monty, Ain’t Misbehavin’) and Tony award winner and Broadway legend Donna McKechnie (A Chorus Line). Also featured are Haven Burton, Lori Tan Chinn, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, Nancy Ticotin Madeleine Doherty, Tracy Jai Edwards, Mary Claire King, Lenora Nemetz, and Kay Walbye.
Rounding out the cast are Alexander Aguilar, Ken Ard, Sydni Beaudoin, Tami Dahbura, Paula DeLuise, Gabriela Garcia, Talya Groves, Kathryn Kendall, Valton Jackson, Summerisa Bell Stevens, Garrett Turner and Gayle Turner.
Half Time will have a limited engagement through Sunday, July 1, 2018, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive) in Millburn, NJ. Performances are eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. The performance schedule includes Wednesday at 7:30pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm and 8:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm.
Tickets are on sale now starting at $34. Tickets may be purchased by calling 973.376.4343, at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.PaperMill.org. Groups of 10 or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Students may order $23 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse box office on the day of the performance.
It was a very enthusiastic audience at the show. They were on their feet to give a huge round of applause to the cast and musicians. Here are some photos from the Curtain Call on Opening Night.
All photos are by Lianne Schoenwiesner of Spotlights Photography (http://www.spotlightsphotography.com/)
Haven Burton and Donna McKechnie
Georgia Engel, Andre DeShields, Haven Burton, and Donna McKechnie
Lenora Nemetz
Madeline Doherty, Lori Tan Chinn, Nancy Ticotin, Andre De Shields, Donna McKechnie, Georgia Engel, Lillias White, Kay Walbye and Lenora Nemetz
Haven Burton
Tracy Jai Edwards
Alexander Aguliar
Lillias White
Georgia Engel
Full cast