CCAE Theatricals Announces 2023 Rising Stars For 11th Annual Showcase

CCAE Theatricals will bring this showcase of some of the area's brightest Rising Stars to audiences back to Escondido! Now in its 11th Year, the show features the best up and coming talent from all over Southern California singing some of the most exciting songs ever written!

This is definitely a show you don't want to miss! With songs from Mainstream Radio and Broadway, come see why the future of Theatre is in good hands with these exciting young artists! The show runs one-night only, Sunday, January 15th at 6pm at the Center Theater on the grounds of The California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

In sticking with the tradition of bringing back one of last year's Rising Stars to host the next year, we are excited to welcome Garrett Lee back for our 2023 show! Garrett is a Freshman at UC San Diego, who most recently appeared as Matt in La Costa Canyon High School's production of The Fantasticks, and is currently cast as The Wolf/Cinderella's Prince in UCSD's student-run musical Into the Woods. Favorite credits include: LCCHS's Chicago (Billy Flynn), Ovation's Curtains (Frank Cioffi), LCCHS's Addams Family (Lucas Beineke), and MYT's Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow).

The cast includes Brennan Esguerra, he is currently competing with his Voices Of Hope Children's Choir at the America's Got Talent All-Stars. Past performances include multiple lead roles in several community theaters such as Young Simba (The Lion King) Kurt (The Sound of Music), Prince Aladdin (Aladdin), and Charlie (Willy Wonka). Next up is Anna Lisa Gnielnski, currently a junior at San Juan Hills High School. Previous roles include Elle Woods (Legally Blonde), Titania (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Gertrude McFuzz (Seussical), and Babette in (Beauty and the Beast) at San Juan Hills High School. You may have also seen her as Dorothy Gale (Wizard of Oz) and dance captain/Mary Poppins U/S (Mary Poppins) with Moonlight Youth Theatre. Our next Rising Star is Ruby Huntington, with credits including Mary (Mary Poppins) with Moonlight Youth Theater! Ruby has performed with Norris Performing Arts Center in roles such as Sylvia (All Shook Up), Logainne (Putnam County Spelling Bee), the Chaperone (The Drowsy Chaperone) and Carrie (Carrie the musical). Our 4th Rising Star is Victoria Lavoie! Victoria is a 15-year-old Sophomore at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Recent credits include Young Fan (A Christmas Carol), Jetsam (The Little Mermaid), Lavinia (A Little Princess), and Cinderella (Into the Woods Jr.). Next up is Andy Reynolds! He most recently played Robertson Ay in Moonlight Youth Theatre's Mary Poppins. Other credits include Lefou (Beauty and the Beast) (NYA Nominee), Pugsley (The Addams Family) (NYA Nominee), Jack (Into The Woods), and Seymour U/S in (Little Shop of Horrors). Our final Rising Star in the first act is Murphy Smith. Recent theatrical credits include: Winifred Banks (Mary Poppins), Meg March (Little Women) [MYT], Audrey U.S. (Little Shop of Horrors) [PPA], and Ariel (The Little Mermaid) [COTYMT].

Our act two cast includes Abbi Hoffpauir, an 18 year old senior. Her favorite credits include Ellie Blake (Freaky Friday) at the Ritz Theater Company, Katherine u/s (Newsies) at Classical Academy, Ariel (The Little Mermaid) at CAMS and Ms. Lark, Mrs. Banks u/s (Mary Poppins) at Moonlight Youth Theatre. Next up is Hannah Huntington, an 11th grader was most recently seen playing Ms. Andrew in Moonlight Youth Theater's production of Mary Poppins! She has performed with the Norris Performing Arts Center in roles such as Natalie (All Shook Up), Olive (Putnam County Spelling Bee), Kitty in (Drowsy Chaperone) and Margaret in (Carrie, the musical). Jad Marrewa, 12, is a 7th grader at Creative Performing Media Arts Middle School. Recent roles include Troy in SDMT's High School Musical Jr., Gaston (Beauty and the Beast Jr.), and featured dancer in Moonlight Youth Theatre's Mary Poppins. Our next Rising Star is Tyler Sanderlin, a 17 year old performer in his Junior year at Del Norte High School. Recent roles include the Cowardly Lion (Wizard of Oz) at MYT, Jack Kelly (Newsies) at STA, and Adam (Freaky Friday) at RTC. Finally, we have Jennifer Weiler, a 14 year old freshman at MHHS who feels most at home on the stage. She has enjoyed performing with MYT, MHHS, Luminary Arts, OT, SCPA, SDMT, and CSP. Past roles include Kaliope (She Kills Monsters), Patrice (13 The Musical), and Jane (Descendants).

The mission of CCAE Theatricals is to preserve, strengthen and advance Musical Theater as a social and cultural platform by nurturing compelling, high-caliber theatrical artistry. As both a laboratory for theatrical exploration and a producer of plays that expand the boundaries of theatrical form, we support innovative projects that are aesthetically, thematically, and methodologically diverse for diverse audiences. To learn more, visit artcenter.org/theatricals or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

RUN DATES | TIMES: Sunday, January 15 at 6pm. LOCATION: The Center Theater at The California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 North Escondido Blvd, Escondido, CA, 92025. TICKETS: $20 - $30. Premium Tickets $50 (orchestra Row A & B, includes 11x17 Rising Stars headshot poster). Can be purchased by visiting https://artcenter.org/event/ risingstars2023/ or by calling the California Center for the Arts Box Office at 1-800-988-4253.

www.ArtCenter.org

To post a comment, you must register and login.