Ann Harada and Jordan Gelber, the original Christmas Eve and Brian of the Tony-winning musical Avenue Q, will take the stage together again this winter as Louise and Danny in Paper Mill Playhouse's staging of the Irving Berlin musical Holiday Inn. The previously announced production, directed and choreographed by Broadway helmers Gordon Greenberg and Denis Jones, will run from November 21 through December 30 at the Millburn, NJ theater.
The principal cast of Paper Mill's Holiday Inn will also include Paige Faure (Cinderella) as Lila Dixon, Jeff Kready (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder) as Ted Hanover, Hayley Podschun (Something Rotten!) as Linda Mason and Nicholas Rodriguez (Tarzan) as Jim Hardy, with Jian Harrell and Aidan Alberto alternating in the role of Charlie Winslow.
Based on the beloved film and featuring a libretto by Greenberg and Chad Hodge, Holiday Inn follows Jim Hardy (Rodriguez), a man who leaves behind the hustle and bustle of showbiz for a quiet life on a Connecticut farm. Jim's new efforts are a flop, but things start looking up when he falls for a talented schoolteacher (Podschun) and together they infuse their sleepy rural setting with some Broadway razzle-dazzle. Holiday Inn features more than 20 classic songs from the Berlin catalogue, including "Easter Parade," "Cheek to Cheek," "Steppin' Out with My Baby" and "White Christmas."
The company will also feature Jordon Beall, Gene Biscontini, Colin Bradbury, Tricia DeSario, Taylor Fields, Kelly Gleason, Juliane Godfrey, Berklea Going, Joshua Israel, Julie Kavanagh, Mallory Nolting, Clifton Samuels, JT Teeling, Karl Skylar Urban, Amy Van Norstrand, Scarlett Walker, Travis Ward-Osborne and John T. Wolfe.
The creative team will also include musical director Shawn Gough, set designer Anna Louizos, costume designer Alejo Vietti, lighting designer Jeff Croiter and sound designer Matt Kraus.