Paper Mill survives the flood

Two weeks ago, Paper Mill Playhouse went public with its appeal for donations to stay open. Specifically, New Jersey's largest professional resident theater company said it needed $1.5 million just to make payroll and reach the press opening night of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."
Long story short, it got the funding it needed--barely--to stage the press opening.

I return from the press opening with good news--director Scott Schwartz has crafted the kind of humdinger musical that put Paper Mill on the map, and may have the legs to keep it there. Let’s hope “Seven Brides” is more savior than swansong.

The almost-bad news is that the nor'easter that flooded my basement (and I promise a blog on that, as soon as the water level drops and I assess the damage) was also flooding the front rows at Paper Mill just as the show was reaching its final curtain. Talk about your close calls--another few minutes and they would have had to stop the show, which could have been the final nail in the coffin for this snake-bit troupe.

But the show was good enough that people stood their ground and cheered through the complete curtain call before pulling up their cuffs and getting out of there. I know theaters think the critic are sometimes all wet, but we're troupers as well, and stood our ground.

I cannot speak for the orchestra pit, but I'm betting things could have been far more serious down there.

All in all, an eventful day and an eventful night.

I expect my review to run Wednesday in the Courier News and Friday in the Daily Record. In the meantime, I welcome anyone else to chime in with their opinions.