Take the Lead, an original musical playing at the Paper Mill Playhouse through April 27, is a crowd-pleaser, especially for young people. At the premiere, the Millburn theater was packed with exuberant adolescents who hooted at the jokes and clapped enthusiastically at the joyful, energetic dancing, a combination of hip-hop and ballroom.
Based on the 2006 dance film of the same name starring Antonio Banderas, the musical features the work of top Broadway talent. Choreography is by Jennifer Weber (& Juliet) and Maria Torres (So You Think You Can Dance), and the cast includes former 3LW and Cheetah Girls member Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Vincent Jamal Hooper (Hamilton, The Lion King), Savy Jackson (Bad Cinderella), Tam Mutu (Doctor Zhivago, Moulin Rouge! The Musical) and Matthew Risch (Modern Family, How to Get Away With Murder).
For the premiere, about 1,000 tickets had been offered free of charge to students at ten local high schools. According to Mark Hoebee, producing artistic director of the Paper Mill, the initiative aligns with the musical’s inspiring story about Pierre Dulaine, a professional ballroom dancer who brought dance into New York City public schools as a way to teach confidence, dignity and creativity through the arts. His program, Dancing Classrooms, has served more than 700,000 K-12 students in NYC and around the world for more than 30 years and counting.
After the show’s premiere, Dulaine himself was introduced, to great applause.
“Access to the arts and arts education is invaluable, especially for young people,” says Hoebee. “Paper Mill strives to entertain, inspire and enrich lives through theater, and welcoming local students to Take the Lead does exactly that.”
Paper Mill offers $20 student tickets; $30 under-30 tickets; and discounts for veterans and military personnel, first responders, educators, and those enrolled in state-assistance programs. Visit papermill.org for tickets and more info.
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