ROBERT DE NIRO
Single tickets for the 2015-16 season of the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn — which will feature a rare directing effort by Robert De Niro — will go on sale Monday. (Season subscriptions are already on sale.) For information, visit papermill.org.
De Niro will co-direct, with Jerry Zaks, a new musical version of “A Bronx Tale” that is written by Chazz Palminteri and based on his 1990 one-man show (which also inspired the 1993 movie that De Niro directed and starred in). Alan Menken, whose credits include “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Newsies,” did the music, and Sergio Trujillo (“Jersey Boys,” “Memphis,” “The Addams Family”) did the choreography.
It is one of two new musicals being presented at the Paper Mill this season; the other is the big band musical “The Bandstand,” which kicks off the season, in October and November. All five shows being presented in the season, which is the Paper Mill’s 77th, are, in fact, musicals.
Here is the schedule:
Oct. 8-Nov. 8: “The Bandstand” (World Premiere). Music by Richard Oberacker. Book and lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker. Direction and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler.
Nov. 25-Jan. 3: “A Christmas Story: The Musical.” Based on the 1983 film. Music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Book by Joseph Robinette.
Feb. 4-March 6: “A Bronx Tale” (World Premiere). Book by Chazz Palminteri. Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Glenn Slater. Direction by Robert De Niro and Jerry Zaks. Choreography by Sergio Trujillo.
April 6-May 1: “Pump Boys and Dinettes.” Book, lyrics and music by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann.
June 1-26: “West Side Story.” Music by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Arthur Laurents. Direction by Mark S. Hoebee. Original direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins.
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