Paper Mill Playhouse Reveals 2026 Rising Star Award Winners
This year, 114 New Jersey high schools across 19 counties had their productions adjudicated by a team of 55 adjudicators.
Paper Mill Playhouse hosted the 31st Annual Rising Star Awards Ceremony on the stage of its Tony Award-recognized theater in Millburn, New Jersey. Celebrating excellence in New Jersey high school musical theater, the ceremony honored students and schools from across the state with more than 30 awards.
Seven scholarships were awarded to students pursuing post-secondary education in musical theater and the performing arts. In addition, every nominee in the leading and supporting performance categories received merit scholarships for training in Paper Mill Playhouse summer programs.
This year, 114 New Jersey high schools across 19 counties had their productions adjudicated by a team of 55 skilled and dedicated adjudicators. Each production received in-depth feedback and insights to support the continued development of all theatrical disciplines within the school community. Following the adjudication of nearly 300 performances, 30 adjudicators participated in additional in-person review to identify this year’s nominees. Paper Mill Playhouse Education and Artistic staff abstain from participation in adjudication and voting. Often referred to as New Jersey’s version of the Tony Awards for high school musical theater, the Rising Star Awards recognize outstanding achievement in performance, direction, design, choreography, music direction, and overall production.
Design
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
Paul Canada, Gill St. Bernards — Dracula
Outstanding Achievement in Hair and Makeup Design
Lee Amorrosso, Gill St. Bernards — Dracula
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Cameron Filepas & Daania Fakhar, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design
Anthony Freitas, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Creative
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
Heather Fleischman, Delaware Valley Regional High School — The SpongeBob Musical
Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction
Brent Geyer & Trey Shore, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School — Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Blake Spence, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Performance
Outstanding Performance by a Student Orchestra
Summit High School — Big Fish
Outstanding Performance by a Chorus
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School — Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group
“The Orphans” in Annie, Ridgewood High School
Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role
Melina Gonzalez as “Auntie” in Side Show, Jose Marti STEM Academy
Outstanding Performance in a Male-Identified Supporting Role
Shaine Wilson-Gibson as “Benny” in In the Heights, Ewing High School
Outstanding Performance in a Female-Identified Supporting Role
Mya Glasofer as “Vi Moore” in Footloose, Eastern Regional High School
Outstanding Performance in a Male-Identified Leading Role
Luciano Guidetti as “Joe Gillis” in Sunset Boulevard, Paramus High School
Outstanding Performance in a Female-Identified Leading Role
Chloe Geuther as “Princess Fiona” in Shrek the Musical, Wallkill Valley Regional High School
Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Spotlight Awards
Outstanding Performance by a Featured Ensemble Member
Jacob Zacks in Legally Blonde, Princeton High School
Outstanding Solo Performance (Digital Submission)
Mary Ann Wright, Ridgewood High School
Student Achievement Awards
Student Achievement Awards
Michael Berry, Princeton Day School
Eddie Fox, Weehawken High School
Athena Halewicz, Madison High School
Leah Harrell, Spotswood High School
Ben Jacobson, Ocean Township High School
Marayah Marinho, Ocean Township High School
Maddison McZorn, Cicely L. Tyson Community School for Fine and Performing Arts
Props Team, Princeton High School
Ainsley Valerio, Summit High School
Jacob Zacks, Princeton High School
Educational Impact Award
Educational Impact Award
New Jersey United Christian Academy, Little Women
“Theater for Everyone” Inclusion and Access Award
“Theater for Everyone” Inclusion and Access Award
Moorestown High School, All Shook Up
Outstanding Educator Award
Outstanding Educator Award
Annie Raczko, Spotswood High School
Scholarship Recipients
Investors Foundation Scholarship
Haley Petrushun, Ewing High School, attending Northern Michigan University for Musical Theater
Douglas Michael Kruger Scholarship
Lucas Branquinho, Ocean Township High School, attending Brookdale Community College for Theater
James K. Mosser Memorial Scholarship (Performance)
Derek Bedell, St. Joseph Regional High School, attending University of Michigan for Musical Theatre, Voice
James K. Mosser Memorial Scholarship (Technical Theater)
Matthew Macinelli, Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, attending Boston University for Lighting Design
Jane Grey Burgio Memorial Scholarship
Sydney Hain, Piscataway High School, attending the Rowan University Honors College for Musical Theater
Janet Sovey Scholarship
Abigail Drake, Delaware Valley Regional High School, attending DeSales University for Acting
Mickey McNany Theater Education Scholarship
Emily Cugini, Monroe Township High School, attending Montclair State University for Music Education and Theater
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