photo by Jeremy Daniel (2025)
A new musical, Mystic Pizza, is giving theater goers very enjoyable entertainment at the Paper Mill Playhouse. At the performance I attended, people were singing along to some familiar tunes, smiling and applauding enthusiastically. Mystic Pizza is based on the classic 1988 movie of the same name starring Julia Roberts. This production adapts from that movie with a book written by Sandy Rustin. If you are a fan of the movie, you will see some changes, but the basic story remains intact.
Casey Hushion directs an outstanding cast who give high energy performances as they sing and dance their way into your heart. The spirited dance numbers use choreography by Connor Gallagher. Well designed sets by Nate Bertone have good details which help them transform easily throughout the performance. The band is located on an elevated platform where the music arranged by Carmel Dean receives direction by Kristin Stowell.
Mystic Pizza celebrates the 80s and 90s. The music and costumes are all relatable to that time. But this show is a lot more than that. It is a beautiful salute to friendships and all the joys they can bring. It also salutes small town life and the happiness of having a community come together and support each other. Additionally, it provides a nice acknowledgment from that community to a small business which is also a part of the fabric of the town.
Stories of Life in Small Town Mystic, Connecticut
Three long time girlfriends come together to celebrate the wedding of one of their own. We are introduced to Josephine “JoJo” (Deánna Giulietti), Katherine “Kat” (Alaina Anderson), and Daisy (Krystina Alabado). Theses three main characters have superb chemistry together as they work to figure out what life is all about and what they want to do. Their singing voices are strong and their harmonies are lovely to listen to.
Deánna Giulietti (Josephine “JoJo” Barboza), Alaina Anderson (Katherine “Kat” Arujo), and Krystina Alabado (Daisy Arujo), photo by Jeremy Daniel (2025)
But the wedding between JoJo and longtime boyfriend Bill (F. Michael Hayne) does not go as planned. At the ceremony, the priest gives great emphasis to the union of the two being forever, eternal, etc. These “forever” messages are delivered in a loud voice with a humorous twist by James Hindman. The reality of entering marriage hits JoJo at the altar and she passes out and cancels the rest of the ceremony. It’s not that she doesn’t love Bill. She does, But she is conflicted with wanting to feel that her life will be her own and not just one of being Bill’s wife.
Now in a small town, news of the unfulfilled nuptials spreads fast. The community introduces itself by singing John Mellencamp”s “Small Town” as scenes of activities unfold. And this song is cleverly used with two Reprises in this first act as new emphasis on life of the community unfolds.
Romance Enters Each of the Friends’ Lives
An interesting part of the story is the way each of the three friends have romances enter their lives. These romances are significant because they change each of them.
JoJo and Bill work on their situation even as Bill’s band, the Lobster Rolls, perform at the Peg Leg Club. This band doesn’t do much to develop the plot but it does provide good chances to include some songs and dance number. Bill has a fishing boat business and that does develop the plot more than the band does.
Kat works for a management group that rents out properties. This is how she meets Tim Travers (Ben Fankhauser). Kat works several jobs to get enough money to go to Yale where she has been accepted. But her meeting Tim throws her off balance and suddenly she’s in a relationship. Fankhauser does a fine job creating Tim as a character. He includes some little signs right from the start about him being a cad. So when Kat ends up heartbroken, its not a total surprise.
Daisy is the sexy one of the three friends. She isn’t pleased with her life but isn’t sure of how to change it. It is only after she meets Charles “Charlie” Gordon Windsor, Jr. (Vincent Michael) that more focus comes in. This is one area of the show that delves into social and class structure and Daisy learns much from it. There is a fine outcome in all of this for Daisy at the end and she finishes with new dreams and hopes.
The Mystic Pizza Shop
All three of the girls work as waitresses at the Mystic Pizza Shop owned and run by Leona Silvia (Jennifer Fouché). The character Leona is warm and nurturing also with a great voice. She has a big secret: she will not disclose the ingredients of the sauce she uses on the pizza. And that keeps it special and it gives Mystic Pizza its distinctive flair.
However, the shop is in trouble. In the off season, business is very slow and Leona is having a difficult time making a living. So the three girls devise a plan to get the local television restaurant critic, the Fireside Gourmet, to come and review the pizza. Eventually, their plan works and the critic comes to the shop for a pizza. Again we get to see some humorous acting from James Hindman in his second role in the show. His visit and later his commentary on tv delivered directly to the audience provide some very funny moments in the show. The results of his review make major changes for Leona and the three friends.
Alaina Anderson (Katherine “Kat” Arujo), Krystina Alabado (Daisy Arujo), Jennifer Fouché (Leona Silvia), and Deánna Giulietti (Josephine “JoJo” Barboza), photo by Jeremy Daniel (2025)
The scenes in the pizza shop are amongst the best parts of the show. Would like to have seen even more.
Music Abounds
If you are a fan of pop music from the 1980s and 90s, you will have a great time listening to all the music this show uses to tell its story. In addition to “Small Town,” audiences are treated to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Addicted to Love,” and a unique version of “Into the Mystic.” All of these are in the first act.
The second act opens with “Manic Monday” sung by The Lobster Rolls. As things get more serious for the Mystic Pizza Shop the song “All I Need is a Miracle” comes in. The show ends on a strong positive note with “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”
There are other songs that add to the enjoyment of seeing this show provided by the band.
To Go to the Show
This is one you don’t want to miss so grab your tickets now! Get them at the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office or online at papermill.org. The show runs until February 23, 2025.
Mystic Pizza runs 2 hours, 20 minutes which includes one intermission.
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