Rising Star Awards Recognizes Summit High School

The 2012 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards ceremony took place on Tuesday, June 5 at the Millburn theater. Schools nominated for Outstanding Overall Musical and Leading Actor/Actress nominees performed at the event and award recipients were presented with an engraved crystal award from Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards partner, Tiffany & Co.  

A total of 31 awards were presented along with five scholarships and other cash prizes. The stage manager for Summit's production of , Ben Moore, won a 2012 Student Achievement Award.

Westfield High School took home eight awards, more than any other school in the state, for its spring production of 'Pippin.'

For a complete list of the winners, view the Paper Mill's press release below:

June 5, 2012  -Since their inception in 1996 the Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Todd Schmidt-Managing Director) Rising Star Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre have ignited the careers of many notable performers, all of whom attended high school in New Jersey.  Among the former nominees and winners are Academy Award® nominee Anne Hathaway, Tony® award winner Laura Benanti, and 2011 Tony® Award winner, Nikki M. James.

 The Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards - Presented by the Investors Foundation are modeled after the Tony® Awards and Paper Mill Playhouse's program serves the entire state of New Jersey with nearly 100 entered productions from public, private and parochial high schools. Paper Mill Playhouse conceived and created the awards in 1996 to give schools the opportunity to showcase their musical arts programs on a state level.  The musicals are adjudicated by Paper Mill Playhouse throughout the spring by a group of 70 Evaluators, with each school receiving four independent evaluations. 

 The 2012 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards ceremony took place on Tuesday, June 5th at theMillburn theater.  Schools nominated for Outstanding Overall Musical and Leading Actor/Actressnominees performed at the event and award recipients were presented with an engraved crystal award from Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards partner, Tiffany & Co.  

A total of 31 awards were presented along with five scholarships and other cash prizes.  Westfield High School took home eight awards, more than any other school in the state.  However, Gill St. Bernard’s School took home the coveted Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical. Hillsborough High Schooland Moorestown High School each took home two awards.  Other schools who received Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards include: Absegami High School, Bergen County Academies, Butler High School, Cicely L. Tyson School of the Performing Arts, Don Bosco Prep High School, Morristown-Beard School, Mount Olive High School, Princeton Day School, Saddle River Day School, Sayerville War Memorial High School, Saint Joseph’s Regional High School, Summit High School, Union High School and Westwood Regional Jr./Sr. High School.  See below for a full list of award winners.

 Paper Mill Playhouse also awarded $5,000 in scholarships at the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards Presented by the Investors Foundation. Four $1,000 cash scholarships were given to outstanding individual students who plan to continue studying theatre in college, and a technical theatre scholarship of $1,000 is sponsored annually by Scaramouche Costumes, LLC.  The Investors Bank Foundation Rising Star Awards Scholarship was presented to Garrett Eucker of Bergen County Academies.  The Tiffany & Co. Rising Star Awards Scholarship was presented to Alexandra Urquiola of Bergen County Academies.  The Jane Burgio Memorial Scholarship for the Rising Star Awards was presented to Morgan Kirner of Absegami High School.  The Douglas M. Krueger Scholarship Fund for the Rising Star Awards was presented to Alex Bird of Mountain Lakes High School.  The Scarmouche Technical Theatre Scholarship for the Rising Star Awards was presented to Nicole Marie Mageros of Ocean County Performing Arts Academy.

 Paper Mill Playhouse is pleased to announce that a prize of $500 will be given to Butler High School andSt. Joseph’s Regional High School for receiving the 2012 Educational Impact Award which acknowledges a school that successfully connects the musical to the district's curriculum, using the production as a teaching tool for the greater student body and local community. 

 Through the Rising Star “Theatre for Everyone” Inclusion & Access Award and a partnership with VSA New Jersey and The Cultural Access Network of New Jersey, a project of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Paper Mill Playhouse presented a cash award of $1,000 to Moorestown High School to recognize excellence in the promotion and practice of creative inclusion of students and adults with disabilities as performers, designers, musicians and production staff.  Additionally, this award also seeks to recognize and reward a school that takes steps to ensure their performances are accessible to audiences with disabilities.  

 The Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards are one of several such programs sponsored by regional theatres around the country. The winning performers in the Lead Actress and Lead Actor categories will represent the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards competition at New York University, which culminates in a Gala Ceremony in New York City. This year New Jersey will be represented by Morgan Kirner of Absegami High School and Michael Ferlita of Sayerville War Memorial High School. The National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA) is a celebration of outstanding student achievement in high school musical theater. The program recognizes individual artistry in vocal, dance and acting performance, and honors teachers and their schools’ commitment to excellence in performing arts education.  The fourth annual National High School Musical Theater Awards will be held on Monday, June 25, 2012, at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. Activities will commence on Wednesday, June 20, with rehearsals, master classes, private coaching and interviews with theater professionals leading up to the live awards show where the Jimmy™ Award for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress will be presented. The program will conclude on Tuesday, June 26, 2012.

Lastly, students receiving final nominations in the lead and supporting acting categories receive a scholarship to Paper Mill Playhouse's competitive Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory, a professional training program, which along with advanced classes in singing, acting and dance, offers the nominees an opportunity to perform on the stage at Paper Mill Playhouse in our season finale concert, "New Voices of 2012:  It’s Our Time: a musical celebration of growing up and changing the world” on August 3rd and 4th.

“There is a new energy and level of excitement in high school musical theater right now,” commented Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill Playhouse’s Producing Artistic Director.  “Due to television programs like Fox’s Glee and NBC’s Smash, there is a new, invigorated interest and enthusiasm surrounding these projects.  The culmination for many New Jersey high schools is the prestigious honor of a Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star nomination and we are proud to present these awards to New Jersey schools. Additionally, many of Paper Mill Playhouse's Rising Star nominees and winners are now working professionally and have also been nominees and winners of several prestigious industry awards while on Broadway or making films.”

"We are pleased to continue our involvement with Paper Mill Playhouse's outstanding Rising Star Awards program," said Investors Bank President and CEO Kevin Cummings, who also serves on the board of the Investors Foundation.  "The Playhouse should be applauded for its efforts to recognize, nurture, and acknowledge the exceptional performing arts talents of young people and educators statewide."

 Paper Mill Managing Director Todd Schmidt adds, "What's happening in high school musical productions here in New Jersey and around the country is remarkable.  Programs like the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards raise the bar and create opportunities for student performers and theatre technicians to be recognized for their achievements, while giving them access to thousands of dollars in scholarship money.  We consistently hear from top tier colleges and casting directors that the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award is a significant accolade for an aspiring theatre artist.”  

2012 RISING STAR AWARD AND SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS as presented at the 17th Annual Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards on Tuesday, June 5, 2012

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical

Gill St. Bernard’s School

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Morgan Kirner as “Cinderella”

Absegami High School

INTO THE WOODS

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Michael Ferlita as “Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde”

Sayreville War Memorial High School

JEKYLL & HYDE

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Jana Bernard as “Angela Prysock/Princess Puffer”

Gill St. Bernard’s School

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Geoff Ko as “King Charlemagne”

Westfield High School

PIPPIN

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role

Rebecca Skowron as “Berthe”

Westfield High School

PIPPIN 

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Performance by a Featured Ensemble Group

“The Small House of Uncle Thomas”

Bergen County Academies

THE KING AND I

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Chorus

Westfield High School

PIPPIN

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Direction

Paul H. Canada

Gill St. Bernard’s School

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Choreography / Musical Staging

Samantha Hahn

Westfield High School

PIPPIN

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Music Direction

Amy & David Southerland

Gill St. Bernard's School

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Orchestra

Mount Olive High School

THE SECRET GARDEN

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Scenic Achievement

Scott Aronow

Union High School

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Lighting Achievement

Joshua Benghiat

Princeton Day School

THE SECRET GARDEN

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Costuming Achievement

Paul H. Canada & Beth Holland

Gill St. Bernard's School

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Hair and Make-up Achievement

Alexa Derman

Westfield High School

PIPPIN

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Lobby Display

Agnes Irizarry & Carol Kravette

Hillsborough High School

TITANIC

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Outstanding Graphic Design

Asher Horowitz

Westfield High School

PIPPIN

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Educational Impact Award

Butler High School

13, THE MUSICAL

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Educational Impact Award

St. Joseph Regional High School

CABARET

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

The Rising Star

“Theatre for Everyone”

Inclusion & Access Award

Moorestown High School

THE WEDDING SINGER

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Theron Alexander

Stage Manager

Cicely L. Tyson School of Performing Arts

DREAMGIRLS

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Gabrielle Conzo

Dance Captain

Don Bosco Prep High School

THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Aditi Kumar

Assistant Director

Hillsborough High School

TITANIC

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Lauren Finch

Hair & Make-Up Mistress

Moorestown High School

THE WEDDING SINGER

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Carina Steficek

Master Electrician & Board Operator

Morristown-Beard School

BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL 

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Isabel Blatt

Stage Management

Saddle River Day School

GYPSY

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Ben Moore

Stage Manager

OKLAHOMA!

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Bernadette Hopen

Stage Manager

Westfield High School

PIPPIN

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Alison Antonelli

Costume Designer

Westfield High School

PIPPIN

2012 Paper Mill Playhouse

Rising Star Award

Student Achievement Award

Cassidy Yotnakparian

Lighting Designer, House Management, Student Producer, Publicity

Westwood Reg. Jr./Sr. High School

URINETOWN

The Investors Savings Bank Foundation Rising Star Awards Scholarship

Garrett Eucker

Bergen County Academies

Tiffany & Co. Rising Star Awards Scholarship

Alexandra Urquiola

Bergen County Academies

The Jane Burgio Memorial Scholarship for the Rising Star Awards

Morgan Kirner

Absegami High School

The Douglas M. Krueger Scholarship Fund for the Rising Star Awards

Alex Bird

Mountain Lakes High School

The Scaramouche Technical Theatre Scholarship for the Rising Star Awards

Nicole Marie Mageros

Ocean County Performing Arts Academy 

 The 2012 Rising Star Awards - Presented by the Investors Foundation are also generously supported by the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The Ambrose & Ida Fredrickson Foundation and The Bloomingdale’s Fund of the Macy’s Foundation. 

Rising Star scholarships are made possible by John Burgio & Ruth Bedford in Memory of Jane Burgio, Scaramouche Costumes LLC, Douglas Michael Krueger Scholarship Fund Trust, VSA New Jersey, and the Cultural Access Network of New Jersey. 

Additional major funding for Paper Mill Playhouse Education Outreach is provided by The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and MetLife Foundation.

Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, A Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.  Paper Mill Playhouse is grateful for generous contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization, is one of the country's leading regional theatres.  Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of Theatre Communications Group, the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.