Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director; Michael Stotts, Executive Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, has announced full casting and the creative team for the all-new musical production of Disney’s Hercules, which will begin performances at Paper Mill Playhouse on Thursday, February 16, and play through Sunday, March 19, 2023. Opening night is set for Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
Joining previously announced cast members Bradley Gibson (The Lion King, A Bronx Tale: The Musical) as Hercules, Tony Award winner Shuler Hensley (Broadway’s The Music Man 2022 revival, Oklahoma!) as Hades, Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin, Hamilton) as Phil, and Isabelle McCalla (PMP’s Clue, Broadway’s Aladdin, The Prom) as Meg will be Jeff Blumenkrantz (Bright Star) as Panic and Reggie De Leon (Aladdin) as Pain, alongside the Muses: Charity Angél Dawson (Waitress) as Clio, Tiffany Mann (Waitress) as Calliope, Anastacia McCleskey (Caroline, or Change) as Thalia, Destinee Rea (The Book of Mormon) as Terpsichore and Rashidra Scott (Company) as Melpomene.
The ensemble of Hercules will feature Kathryn Allison (Company) as Despina, Allyson Kaye Daniel (1776) as Aunt Tithesis/Lachesis, Lucia Giannetta (Broadway and PMP’s A Bronx Tale: The Musical) as Atropos, Jesse Nager (Motown: The Musical) as Nessus, Kristen Faith Oei (Lincoln Center’s The King & I) as Hera, Dennis Stowe (Aladdin) as Zeus and Anne Fraser Thomas (PMP’s Sister Act) as Clotho, as well as Joshua Buscher (Kinky Boots), Marcus Cobb (In the Heights film), Zachary Downer (Hello, Dolly!), Ryan Fitzgerald (Matilda at the Muny), Kendall LeShanti (Lifetime’s “Bring It”), Chani Maisonet (Ain’t Too Proud), Skye Mattox (Carousel), Jason W. McCollum (Taft Theater’s Cinderella), Erin Moore (Shuffle Along), JJ Niemann (The Book of Mormon), Gabrielle Reid (PMP’s The Color Purple, Broadway’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Adam Roberts (Pippin), Ben Roseberry (The Lion King), Christine Shepard (Head Over Heels), Chiara Trentalange (Girl from the North Country) and Lamont Walker II (MJ: The Musical).
Hercules features music by Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Alan Menken (Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Newsies) and lyrics by Tony Award winner David Zippel (City of Angels, Mulan) and a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn (Tootsie) and Kwame Kwei-Armah (Artistic Director of London’s Young Vic), based on the Disney film written by Ron Clements, John Musker, Donald McEnery, Bob Shaw, and Irene Mecchi and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. The music is supervised and arranged by Michael Kosarin (Aladdin, Broadway and PMP’s Newsies, animated film Hercules), with orchestrations by Danny Troob (Broadway and PMP’s Newsies, animated films Hercules, Beauty and the Beast) and Joseph Joubert (Caroline, or Change; Motown: the Musical), dance music arrangements by Mark Hummel (Broadway and PMP’s Newsies, Sister Act), and music direction by Ted Arthur (Moulin Rouge!, The Prom). Choreography is by Chase Brock (PMP’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Be More Chill) and Tanisha Scott (Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls). Hercules is directed by Obie Award winner Lear deBessonet (Into the Woods).
The production also features scenic design by Dane Laffrey (Once on This Island, PMP’s Benny & Joon), costume design by Emilio Sosa (Broadway and PMP’s On Your Feet!, Motown the Musical), lighting design by Jeff Croiter (Broadway and PMP’s Newsies, Broadway’s Cost of Living), sound design by Kai Harada (Kimberly Akimbo, The Band’s Visit), puppet design and direction by James Ortiz (Lincoln Center’s The Skin of Our Teeth, Into the Woods on Broadway), hair and wig design by Mia M. Neal (Shuffle Along, Ain’t No Mo’), and special effects design by Jeremy Chernick (Beetlejuice, Aladdin). Holly Coombs (Aladdin, Mean Girls) is the production stage manager. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting (PMP’s Bandstand, Chasing Rainbows).
