Millburn-Short Hills Magazine Back to School 2020 | Page 36

neighbors Following his graduation from Freehold Borough High School, Hoebee studied acting and dance at Northwestern University, and pursued a career as a performer. He spent 10 years dancing on Broadway and with national tours, working with acclaimed choreographers like Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins. He was later the youngest graduate to be inducted into the Freehold Borough High School’s Alumni Hall of Fame, and his photo hangs alongside Bruce Springsteen’s. HIS PRODUCTION OF DREAM GIRLS LED TO AJOB AT THE PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE As Hoebee performed and danced in shows, he says his career naturally began to evolve over time, first as a choreographer and then as a director in Chicago, where he lived and worked for many years. Producers at the Paper Mill Playhouse saw his production of Dream Girls at The Marriott Theater in Lincolnshire, Illinois. “They invited me to Paper Mill with my collaborator Kenny Ingram to direct a production on their stage,” Hoebee says. “And that’s what launched mycareer asadirector and choreographer in the New York area and nationally.” After directing a few national tours, Hoebee and Elardo started their family, adopting a son. Hoebee wanted to stop jumping around the country and had been interviewing to be an associate chair at Northwestern, but he also received an offer to join the artistic staff at Paper Mill. He became Paper Mill’s associate director in 2000 and rose through their ranks. He has served as the playhouse’s producing artistic director for the past 10 years. THE PAPER MILL WAS IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE WHEN HOEBEE TOOK OVER The 2008 financial crisis struck right before Hoebee “took the reins of the organization,” he says. The Paper Mill Playhouse was $4 million “WEARE AN ORGANIZATIONTHATSERVESTHE PUBLIC. WE BRINGENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS EDUCATION TO THECOMMUNITY, AND THEYVALUE WHAT WE DO.” MARK S. HOEBEE in debt, only had about $6,000 in the bank and had lost its subscription base. “A group of board members and townspeople rallied and came to an incredible deal with the township of Millburn to save the organization,” Hoebee says. HOEBEE HELPEDPAPER MILL BOUNCE BACK The theater was built back up— starting with Hoebee’s production of Happy Days: A New Musical — and has presented four shows that moved to Broadway, including ABronx Tale and Bandstand. The playhouse has worked with British theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh and has hosted a number of national tours. In 2016, it received The Regional Theatre Tony Award. Of his many shows, Hoebee says Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame was “one of the best theatrical productions” he’s ever been a part of, and that it was the only time composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz worked together on a theatrical presentation. LIKE BROADWAY,HE SAYS, PAPER MILL IS SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC Hoebee says Paper Mill shut down on March 13 and canceled the last two shows they had in the season’s line-up — The Wanderer, which was moved to the 2021 season, and Sister Act. “We lost about $4 million in ticket income, and we had to cancel our gala and furlough 30 percent of our staff,” Hoebee says. “We’re all playing the waiting game.” IT’S NOT EASY TO TELEVISE THEATER PRODUCTIONS,HE SAYS A theater production is difficult to do without an audience to bring in revenue, Hoebee says. Sporting events without crowds can still be monetized because they’re on television, but the theatrical experience doesn’t translate well. And filming or streaming a theatrical production is not an easy task, Hoebee says. “Theater does not easily translate to the digital screen,” he says. “It’s not made for that. Many of my colleagues and institutions regionally and on Broadway aren’t prepared to make that jump, and there are people who doitbetter than wedo. They’re called film and TV people.” HE SAYS SOCIAL DISTANCING MAKES PUTTING PRODUCTIONS TOGETHER DIFFICULT Hoebee says plans have been made for the upcoming season, scheduled at present to open in October, but that this is looking unlikely. Productions have been put on hold because they can’t happen under social distancing guidelines. “One of two things has to happen,” Hoebee says. “We have to alter our producing selections, or the guidelines have to ease to allow us to bring audiences back into the theater.” He says they have not made any announcements about what programming will be for next year but are “fearlessly making contingency plans” to provide entertainment for individual ticket-buyers, subscribers and donors. HE SAYS THAT SOME ASPECTSOF HIS THEATER ARE THRIVING While most of Paper Mill’s operations are suspended, they have had great success in transferring their education programs and the summer conservatory program online. “It’s doing very well,” Hoebee says. 34 BACK TOSCHOOL 2020 MILLBURN &SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE