Paul as Willy Wonka with the original Broadway cast of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", 2017. Photo by Mark Foust
NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. (Actually, mostly just Playbill.)
Kristy Cates, Madeleine Doherty, Paul Slade Smith, Emily Padget, John Rubenstein and Ryan Sell in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
Paul, as Captain Hook, in his dressing room at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre, 2016. Photo by Erin Noel Grennan
Paul is featured on the original Broadway cast recording of both Finding Neverland (as Mr. Henshaw and Nana, the dog) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (as Grandpa George, and an Oompa Loompa!)
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"Funny, timely, and - dare we say - entirely possible, The Outsider is a wonderfully crafted, superbly presented show that features a stellar cast."The East Coast premiere of Paul's newest play, The Outsider, was a huge hit with audiences at Paper Mill Playhouse, generating terrific word-of-mouth, and receiving a big stack of beautiful reviews from critics in the New York region.
You can find the reviews, production photos and more at TheOutsiderPlay.com. Two shows at the Lunt-Fontanne TheatreJanuary 14th marked the closing of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the end of Paul's nearly three year stretch at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where he made his Broadway debut in Finding Neverland on March 15, 2015. Paul has since moved uptown twenty blocks or so to Lincoln Center, where My Fair Lady opens on April 19th.
The final Captain HookOn June 7th of 2016, Paul assumed the roles of Charles Frohman and Captain Hook in Finding Neverland on Broadway, and continued in the roles through the end of the Broadway run. Paul was with the production since its April, 2015 opening, originating the role of Mr. Henshaw. The casting news was announced by both Broadway.com and Playbill.
"A great American play." The Outsider's first reviewsPaul's latest play, The Outsider, had its world premiere in June, 2015 at Peninsula Players Theatre in Wisconsin (with its original title, A Real Lulu). The reviews could not have been more rapturous:
“A highly developed production of a great American play. Witty and clever and smart. The play is about politics and government; that sounds like yawn material, but Smith nimbly maneuvers the topics toward a blend of comedy, farce and satire about what America is seeing today. The beauty is, after Smith lets blood in the pointed satire, he delivers care – rays of brightness about democracy. Mr. Smith deserves to go to Washington - and all around our nation - with this inspirational satire.” - Green Bay Press Gazette "An exceptional world premiere. A timely production overflowing with clever plot twists reflecting the contemporary political climate. An intelligent, well-written play with enough quirks and surprises to keep the politics fresh. An intellectual and stimulating comedy that will send the audience home laughing and sighing simultaneously about their own government."- Broadway World "The production's success is ... its ability to strike responsive chords in the audience as [we] recognize political foibles that are all too familiar -- the weaknesses that are inherent in a democracy demanding an informed and committed electorate. But at the same time, we know in our hearts, as [one character] says, “that government, when it works right, can do something good”. A Real Lulu is anything but didactic. It is a fun-house mirror held up to reflect our system of government, including our role in it. Some of us tend to rant as we express our frustrations with our political structure. Maybe laughter is the best medicine. And the opening night audience enjoyed rounds of healthy laughs from the opening lines to the final speeches, then collectively rose to their feet as they applauded the curtain call." - Peninsula Pulse Paul at BirdlandOn January 4, 2016, Paul had the privilege of performing the music and lyrics of Neil Bartram at the legandary club, Birdland, in a program called "New Songs for a New Year". A very New York way to start his first full year in New York!
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Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise visited backstage at "Finding Neverland" in 2016, and very graciously posed for this photo... which was then printed in People Magazine, and posted on a gazillion websites around the globe. It is now - and forever - possible to Google "Katie Holmes Paul Slade Smith" and get 408,000 results.
Paul performing with composer/lyricist Neil Bartram at Birdland in "Songs for a New Year", January 4th, 2016