(MILLBURN, NJ) --  Paper Mill Playhouse has announced casting for the hit Broadway musical Mary Poppins based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film with original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, book by Julian Fellowes, new songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and co-created by Cameron Mackintosh.  Performances are set to begin Wednesday, May 24, 2017 for a limited run through Sunday, June 25, 2017 with Elena Shaddow in the title role.

Mary Poppins takes the audience on a magical and memorable journey with an enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers, and a little bit of magic. The show received nominations for nine Olivier and seven Tony Awards, including best musical. It’s a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious musical adventure!

Directed by Paper Mill’s Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee, with choreography by Denis Jones and music direction by Meg Zervoulis, the principal cast will feature Paper Mill favorite Elena Shaddow as Mary Poppins, Mark Evans as Bert, Dierdre Friel as Mrs. Brill, Liz McCartney as Bird Woman/Miss Andrew, Adam Monley as George Banks, Bill Nolte as Admiral Boom/Bank Chairman, Jill Paice as Winifred Banks, Blakely Slaybaugh as Robertson Ay, Danielle K. Thomas as Mrs. Corry, and alternating as the mischievous Banks children, Abbie Grace Levi and Madi Shaer as Jane with Maddox Padgett and John Michael Pitera as Michael.

No stranger to the Millburn theatre, Shaddow was seen A Christmas Story and Carnival at Paper Mill Playhouse. Stage credits include runs on Broadway as Ottilie in The Visit, Anne in La Cage aux Folles, The Woman in White, Fiddler on the Roof, Nine, Sweet Smell of Success, Les Misérables. She played Magnolia in Show Boat at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and was Clara Johnson in the National Tour of The Light in the Piazza.

The Mary Poppins ensemble will feature Tim Capodice, Peyton Crim, Mary Beth Donahoe, Adena Ershow, Will Geoghegan, Curtis Holland, Joshua Israel, Madison Johnson, Hannah Jewel Kohn, Robin Lounsbury, Brian Thomas Martin, Andrew Metzgar, Corinne Munsch, Natasha Natraj, Caylie Rose Newcom, Sean Quinn, Drew Redington, Jack Sippel, Bronwyn Tarboton, Clay Thomson, and John T. Wolfe.

Performances take place at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive) in Millburn, New Jersey.  Mary Poppins  will be performed eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. Performance schedule (please note early evening curtain time): Wednesday at 7:00pm, Thursday at 1:30pm and 7:00pm, Friday at 7:00pm, Saturday at 1:30pm & 7:00pm and Sunday at 1:30pm & 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale now starting at $30. 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 10 or more can receive up to a 40% discount on tickets and should call 973.315.1680. Students may order $20 rush tickets over the phone or in person at the Paper Mill Playhouse box office on the day of the performance. Paper Mill Playhouse's 2016-2017 season is proudly sponsored by Investors Bank.

Paper Mill Playhouse will offer a special autism-friendly performance of Mary Poppins on Friday, June 23, at 1:30pm.  This performance is designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum or with other developmental disabilities, and is planned in cooperation with Paper Mill Playhouse’s Autism Advisory Team. The theater environment will be altered for this performance, providing a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space that is welcoming to all families. The performance itself will be adjusted with special attention paid to lighting and sound.  Major funding for autism-friendly programs is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support provided by C.R. Bard Foundation, The Karma Foundation, MetLife Foundation, Nordstrom, PSEG Foundation, and Summit Area Public Foundation. For more information on Paper Mill Playhouse’s programs for people with autism and other developmental disabilities visit www.PaperMill.org/autism. 

The creative team includes set design by Timothy R. Mackabee, scenic coordination by Libby Stadstad, costume design by Leon Dobkowski, lighting design by Charlie Morrison, sound design by Randy Hansen, with hair, wig & makeup design by Leah J. Loukas. The production stage manager is Frank Lombardi. Casting is by Telsey + Company, Rebecca Scholl, CSA.

Paper Mill Playhouse, a not-for-profit arts organization under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Todd Schmidt (Managing Director) and recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is one of the country's leading regional theaters.  Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

For additional information, please visit www.papermill.org.