UNION COUNTY, NJ — As one of the nation’s leading professional theaters and recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Paper Mill Playhouse — with leadership from Mark S. Hoebee, producing artistic director, and Michael Stotts, managing director — has a well-earned reputation for launching both performers and shows to Broadway. Since their inception in 1996, the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater have ignited the careers of many notable performers, all of whom attended high school in New Jersey. The 2021 Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards event, presented by the Investors Foundation, took place on Monday, June 7, at 7 p.m., featuring performances from schools across New Jersey. The Rising Star Awards were presented on Paper Mill’s YouTube and Facebook pages, where they can still be viewed.
Top honors in the categories of Outstanding Solo Performance by an Actor and Outstanding Solo Performance by an Actress went to Michael Bryant Kessie from Delaware Valley Regional High School for his performance selection, “Joe” from the musical “Working,” and Yemie Woo from Pascack Hills High School for her performance selection, “Fabulous Baby” from the musical “Sister Act.” Summit High School took home the prize for Outstanding Performance by a Large Ensemble for the production number “Seize the Day” from “Newsies,” and Ridge High School won for Outstanding Performance by a Small Ensemble for the dance number “Macavity” from the musical “Cats.”
The recipients of the inaugural Rising Star Outstanding Educator Awards of $1,000 for their school’s theater programs are John Giresi of Fair Lawn High School, Cindy Dwyer of Mater Dei High School and Anne Poyner of Summit High School. Madison High School was selected as the recipient of the Rising Star Inclusion and Access Award of $1,000 for its work supporting students with disabilities in its production.
Students receiving final nominations and honorable mentions in the solo performance categories receive a scholarship to Paper Mill Playhouse’s competitive Summer Musical Theater Conservatory, a professional training program, which, along with advanced classes in singing, acting and dance, offers the nominees an opportunity to perform in the season finale presentation, “New Voices of 2021: Stand by Me,” which will be filmed and will premiere on Paper Mill social media outlets in September.
In addition to Summit High School’s large-ensemble win, the Union County winners are as follows: Khadija Sankoh of Union High School won the Douglas Michael Krueger Scholarship, and Emma MacPherson, costume crew head, Summit High School, and Ben Zakharenko, sound designer, Westfield High School, won Rising Star Student Achievement Awards.