Paper Mill Playhouse Announces Full Cast & Creative Team for West Side Story
The Final Production in Paper Mill’s 2025-2026 Season
Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee, Producing Artistic Director; Michael Stotts, Executive Director), recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, is pleased to announce complete casting and the creative team for West Side Story, the final production of Paper Mill’s 2025-2026 season. West Side Story will begin performances on Thursday, May 28, at Paper Mill Playhouse (22 Brookside Drive, Millburn, NJ), with opening night set for Sunday, May 31, in a run continuing through Sunday, June 28.
Directed by Paper Mill Producing Artistic Director Mark S. Hoebee, West Side Story is led by a young cast of newcomers alongside several stage veterans, including Noah Henry as Tony, Sarah-Anne Martinez as Maria, Mikaela Secada as Anita, Antony Sanchez as Bernardo, Sean Harrison Jones as Riff, Hugo Pizano Orozco as Chino, Nick Alvino as Action, Stuart Zagnit as Doc, Adam Monley as Schrank, and Adam Kozlowski as Krupke.
The cast also features Gianna Paulina Annesi, Joseph Aued, Bridget Bailey, Anette Barrios-Torres, Taven Blanke, Delaney Diaz, Benjamin Freemantle, Karina Gonzalez, Sofie Hans, Alex Haquia, Macie Harris, Paulo Hernandez-Farella, Beatrice Howell, Cydney Kutcipal, Jamie LaVerdiere, Justin Lopez, Jasper Thomas Moore, Kennedy Perez, Matthew Quintero, Brett Rawlings, Ryan Rodiño, Juan Rojas, Daniel Patrick Russell, Ronan Ryan, Avelina Kiyome Sanchez, and Kyra Sorce.
An enduring masterpiece based on a conception of Jerome Robbins, West Side Story reimagines Romeo and Juliet in 1950s New York, where young lovers Tony and Maria dare to dream of a future together as rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks clash for control of the streets. With music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents, this unforgettable classic captures the thrilling passion of first love and the heartbreak of a world divided, featuring the original choreography of Jerome Robbins.
The creative team for West Side Story also includes Alex Sánchez (choreographer), Ben McNaboe (music direction) leading the 19-piece Paper Mill orchestra, Kelly James Tighe (scenic coordination and additional design), Antonio Consuegra (costume design), Charlie Morrison (lighting design), Matt Kraus (sound design), The Wig Associates (hair, wig and makeup design), and
Rick Sordelet (fight & intimacy direction). Casting is by The TRC Company. Andrea Cibelli is the Production Stage Manager.
This production of West Side Story is licensed by Music Theatre International.
M&T Bank | Wilmington Trust are the Marquee Sponsors for West Side Story. The GenWealth Group is the Opening Night Sponsor of the 2025–2026 season. Paper Mill Playhouse’s accessibility programs are generously supported by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Fund for the New Jersey Blind and the Michael J. Kosloski Foundation. Major funding for Autism-friendly programs is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the Karma Foundation, Children’s Society of Orange, and the Summit Foundation. The Hearst Foundations are Paper Mill’s Education & Outreach Partner.
Tickets to West Side Story can be purchased at www.PaperMill.org, by calling (973) 376-4343, or at the Millburn box office.