Paper Mill Playhouse Announces South Pacific Cast

Paper Mill Playhouse, continuing its 75th anniversary season this April, announced the cast to its latest production: the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific.

The show will be directed by Rob Ruggiero and choreographed by Ralph Perkins. Leading the cast are Erin Mackey as Ensign Nellie Forbush, Jason Howard as Emile de Becque, Tony Award nominee Loretta Ables Sayre as Bloody Mary, Tally Sessions as Luther Billis, Doug Carpenter as Lt. Joe Cable and Jessica Wu as Liat. South Pacific will play the Millburn theater from April 9 through May 4. The official press opening night is Sunday, April 13, at 7 p.m. South Pacific is sponsored by American Airlines. Paper Mill Playhouse's 75th Anniversary Season is proudly sponsored byInvestors Bank.

Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener, South Pacific features iconic melodies like "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger Than Springtime," and "There Is Nothing Like a Dame.” One of the most acclaimed musicals of all time, South Pacific is an exquisite story of romance and love set against the backdrop of a lush tropical island during World War II. South Pacific’s original Broadway and revival runs won a combined total of 17 Tony Awards, 5 Drama Desk Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

South Pacific will be performed at Paper Mill Playhouse eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance Schedule: Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and range from $27 to $98. 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. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted. Groups of ten or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680.  

Erin Mackey (Nellie Forbush) was seen on Broadway in Chaplin: The Musical, Anything Goes, Sondheim on Sondheim and Wicked. Ms. Mackey’s film and television credits include Blue Bloods, Gossip Girl, Family Affair, Do Over and The Parent Trap. Jason Howard (Emile de Becque) travels across the world performing with major opera companies and orchestras including the Royal Opera, Paris Opera, Frankfurt Opera and Teatro Colón. Some of Mr. Howard’s favorite roles include Ravenal in Show Boat and Emile in Lincoln Center’s South Pacific (West End). Loretta Ables Sayre (Bloody Mary) is back on the East Coast reprising the role that landed her a 2008 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. 

Paper Mill Playhouse alumnus Tally Sessions (Luther Billis) was seen on Broadway in the ensemble of Big Fish.Lt. Joe Cable will be played by Doug Carpenter. Mr. Carpenter appeared in regional productions of The Most Happy Fella, Camelot, West Side Story and Cinderella. Jessica Wu will play Lt. Cable’s love interest, Liat. Ms. Wu was seen on Broadway in A Chorus Line and was featured in the national tours of The King and I, Miss Saigon and The Wizard of Oz.

Jordan Lage (Capt. George Brackett) appeared on Broadway in Race, Speed-the-Plow, Inherit the Wind,Glengarry Glen Ross, Our Town and The Best Man. Paper Mill Playhouse alumnus Rob Richardson (Cmdr. William Harbison) was seen on Broadway in Jekyll and Hyde and A Tale of Two Cities. 

Ryan Andes (Stewpot) was recently seen in the New York Philharmonic’s Sweeney Todd and in Big Fish on Broadway. The Professor will be played by Scott Anthony Joy, who was featured in regional productions ofSouth Pacific, The Jungle Book and Hairspray.  

The young actors playing Jerome and Ngana were cast at an open-call audition at Paper Mill Playhouse. Bonale Fambrini (Millburn) will play Jerome and Gabby Gutierrez (Springfield) will play Ngana. Avery Espiritu (East Hanover) and Sydney Veloso (Summit) are the alternates for Jerome and Ngana, respectively.

Rounding out the ensemble are: Andrés Acosta, Faye Bautista, Grady McLeod Bowman, Will Burton, Meggie Cansler, Matt Faucher, Joanne Javien, Caitlin Maloney, Christian Marriner, George Merrick, Brian Ogilvie, Samantha Joy Pearlman, Michael Scirrotto, Paige Sommerer, Ryan Steer, Jeff Sullivan, Teddy Tinson, Grace Wales and Gregory Williams.

Rob Ruggiero (Director) has earned national recognition for his work as a director. On Broadway, Mr. Ruggiero directed High (starring Kathleen Turner) and Looped (with Valerie Harper in a Tony-nominated performance). He recently directed a critically acclaimed revival of The Most Happy Fella at Goodspeed, where he also directed Carousel and a reduced-version Show Boat.

Ralph Perkins (Choreographer) has extensive experience choreographing regional productions including South Pacific, The King and I, Camelot, 1776, Sweet Charity, Sunday in the Park with George, and Urinetown. Mr. Perkins currently serves as Director of Dance for the Theater Division of The Hartt School at University of Hartford.

Brad Haak (Music Director) served as Music Director for Disney’s Mary Poppins and Elton John’s Lestat on Broadway. Mr. Haak worked on many national tours and regional productions including Disney’s The Lion King, Miss Saigon, Follies and Sunday in the Park with George.