Paper Mill Playhouse Reveals 2026 Rising Star Awards Nominees
This year, 114 New Jersey high schools in 19 counties had their productions adjudicated by a team of 55 skilled and dedicated evaluators.
Paper Mill Playhouse has revealed the nominations for adjudicated production categories of the 31st Annual Rising Star Awards for Excellence in New Jersey High School Musical Theater.
This year, 114 New Jersey high schools in 19 counties had their productions adjudicated by a team of 55 skilled and dedicated evaluators. Each production received in-depth feedback and insights to support the continued development of all theatrical disciplines within the school community. More than 25 adjudicators participated in a rigorous in-person review process and attended 267 performances 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.
The nomination announcement was broadcast on Paper Mill Playhouse’s YouTube Channel by Associate Artistic Director Jen Bender and Director of Education Paul Brewster McGinley. Watch the full announcement here.
The 2026 Rising Star Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Paper Mill Playhouse and will be professionally livestreamed. Schools nominated for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical and nominees in the leading performance categories will perform live during the ceremony. Additional Spotlight Awards and scholarships will be presented at the upcoming ceremony.
Nominees in the leading and supporting performance categories will each receive merit scholarships for training in Paper Mill Playhouse summer programs.
The Rising Star Awards are presented by Investors Foundation and Citizens Philanthropic Foundation, with additional major support provided by Mark | Lavigne, LLC. The Hearst Foundations are Paper Mill Playhouse’s Education & Outreach Partner.
The list of 2026 Rising Star Award nominees from full performance adjudication follows below. For a complete list of nominees and honorable mentions, visit papermill.org/education, and to view a map of nominated schools illustrating the statewide reach of the Rising Star Awards, please visit the LINK.
2026 RISING STAR AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Full Performance Adjudication Categories
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
Mary Hill, Ewing High School — In the Heights
Paul Canada, Gill St. Bernards — Dracula
Addyson Pineda, Jayla Wright, Anneliese Wilson, and Colette Jackson-Belle, High Tech High School — Catch Me If You Can
Linda & Blake Spence, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Janet van Allen & Christie Hall, Piscataway High School — Urinetown
Maggie Clark, Shawnee High School — Newsies
Outstanding Achievement in Hair and Makeup Design
Lee Amorrosso, Gill St. Bernards — Dracula
Julianna Caputo, Piscataway High School — Urinetown
Nancy Gaidos, North Hunterdon High School — Shrek the Musical
Bonnie Grube, Ridge High School — Mary Poppins
Derek Alfano and Derek Bedell, Saint Joseph Regional High School — Pippin
The Cast, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School — Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Eric Baker, Cedar Creek High School — 9 to 5
Clinton B. Ambs, Delaware Valley Regional High School — The SpongeBob Musical
Brian Sosa & Nelson Lopez, Jose Marti STEM Academy — Side Show
Cameron Filepas & Daania Fakhar, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Alan Van Antwerp, The Pingry School — Cabaret
Ashley Kok, Saddle River Day School — Footloose
Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design
Sarah Nasson, Bridgewater-Raritan High School — Little Shop of Horrors
Teresa Carr, Delaware Valley Regional High School — The SpongeBob Musical
Anthony Freitas, Jose Marti STEM Academy — Side Show
Anthony Freitas, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Matt Nickles, Piscataway High School — Urinetown
Jason M. Stewart, Ridge High School — Mary Poppins
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
Heather Fleischman, Delaware Valley Regional High School — The SpongeBob Musical
Noelle Martone, Ewing High School — In the Heights
Brittany Cohen, Howell High School — Chicago
Jennifer Ackermann, Passaic County Technical Institute — Mean Girls
Cecilia Mitchell, Tenafly High School — A Chorus Line
Denise Kulhan, Wallkill Valley Regional High School — Shrek the Musical
Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction
Sarah Jordan, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Mary Kenny, OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts — Mamma Mia!
Emily Fencik, Saint Peter’s Preparatory School — Pippin
Robert Geyer, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School — Guys and Dolls
Alex Bochino, Summit High School — Big Fish
Christine Molnar, Wallkill Valley Regional High School — Shrek the Musical
Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Angela Leone, Camden Catholic High School — The Addams Family
Stefanie Grossman, Delaware Valley Regional High School — The SpongeBob Musical
Alexander Minter, Ewing High School — In the Heights
Ariane Ryan, Jose Marti STEM Academy — Side Show
Blake Spence, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Melissa Silva, Passaic County Technical Institute — Mean Girls
Outstanding Performance by a Student Orchestra
Hopewell Valley Central High School — Pippin
Howell High School — Chicago
Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Morristown High School — Fiddler on the Roof
Passaic County Technical Institute — Mean Girls
Summit High School — Big Fish
Outstanding Performance by a Chorus
Ewing High School — In the Heights
Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Piscataway High School — Urinetown
Ridge High School — Mary Poppins
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School — Guys and Dolls
Wallkill Valley Regional High School — Shrek the Musical
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group
“Rusty, Wendy Jo, and Urleen” in Footloose, Cherry Hill High School East
“The Merry Murderesses” in Chicago, Howell High School
“Cheerleaders” in High School Musical, Immaculate Heart Academy
“The Stepsisters” in Once Upon a One More Time, Ocean Township High School
“The Orphans” in Annie, Ridgewood High School
“Hot Box Girls” in Guys and Dolls, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School
Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role
Alicia Eldridge as “Mrs. Darbus” in High School Musical, Immaculate Heart Academy
Melina Gonzalez as “Auntie” in Side Show, Jose Marti STEM Academy
Jeaninie Mashauri as “Lorraine” in All Shook Up, Moorestown High School
Mikaella Sapena as “Mrs. George” in Mean Girls, Passaic County Technical Institute
Anti Garcia as “Mrs. Corry” in Mary Poppins, Ridge High School
Anthony Oryniak as “Weselton” in Frozen, Spotswood High School
Outstanding Performance in a Male-Identified Supporting Role
Nolen Petty as “Squidward Tentacles” in The SpongeBob Musical, Delaware Valley Regional High School
Shaine Wilson-Gibson as “Benny” in In the Heights, Ewing High School
Charles Bird as “Frank Abagnale Sr.” in Catch Me If You Can, High Tech High School
Maxwell DeVivo as “Sam Carmichael” in Mama Mia!, OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts
Darien Stoll as “Damian Hubbard” in Mean Girls, Passaic County Technical Institute
Xavier LeBlanc as “Herr Schultz” in Cabaret, The Pingry School
Outstanding Performance in a Female-Identified Supporting Role
Reese Dolinsky as “Roz Keith” in 9 to 5, Cedar Creek High School
Kyra Korman as “Ruza Wenclawska” in Suffs, Cherry Hill High School West
Mya Glasofer as “Vi Moore” in Footloose, Eastern Regional High School
Julianne Witte as “Madame Renfield” in Dracula, Gill St. Bernards
Sophie Spencer as “Miss Adelaide” in Guys and Dolls, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School
Molly Walsh as “Rosie Mulligan” in Mamma Mia!, Verona High School
Outstanding Performance in a Male-Identified Leading Role
Alex Apgar as “SpongeBob SquarePants” in The SpongeBob Musical, Delaware Valley Regional High School
Isaac Fernandez as “Usnavi” in In the Heights, Ewing High School
Ben Altstadter as “Shrek” in Shrek the Musical, Livingston High School
Camryn Burniston as “Bill Snibson” in Me and My Girl, Old Bridge High School
Luciano Guidetti as “Joe Gillis” in Sunset Boulevard, Paramus High School
Caiden Loyer as “Danny Zuko” in Grease, Sparta High School
Jayden Garnett as “Javert” in Les Misérables, West Deptford High School
Outstanding Performance in a Female-Identified Leading Role
Hannah D’Aquila as “Dee Dee Allen” in The Prom, Gloucester County Institute of Technology
Jihoamy Velasquez and Joanna Rodriguez as “Violet and Daisy” in Side Show, Jose Marti STEM Academy
Gianna Minardi as “Donna Sheridan” in Mamma Mia!, OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts
Keilah Clarke as “Leading Player” in Pippin, Saint Joseph Regional High School
Skyler Grosswald-Wilson as “Sandra Bloom” in Big Fish, Summit High School
Chloe Geuther as “Princess Fiona” in Shrek the Musical, Wallkill Valley Regional High School
Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
Delaware Valley Regional High School — The SpongeBob Musical
Ewing High School — In the Heights
Jose Marti STEM Academy — Side Show
Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School — Guys and Dolls
Wallkill Valley Regional High School — Shrek the Musical
Videos
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Not the Right Mom Written & Performed by Megan Dolan Avenel Performing Arts Center (5/30-5/30) |
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Mercury: Tribute to QUEEN's Lead Singer Brook Arts Center (5/15-5/15) |
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Mercury: Tribute to QUEEN's Lead Singer Brook Arts Center (5/15-5/15) |
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Season Finale: Symphonie fantastique Count Basie Center for the Arts (6/06-6/06) |
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Handel's Messiah Richardson Auditorium (12/18-12/18) |
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Ben Folds with the New Jersey Symphony State Theatre New Jersey (6/14-6/14) |
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My Lord, What A Night George Street Playhouse (4/28-5/17) |
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Frozen Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre at the Count Basie Center (2/12-2/14) |
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What the Constitution Means to Me Robert Shackleton Playhouse (6/03-6/28) |
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