CCAE Theatricals Announces 2024 Rising Stars For 12th Annual Showcase

CCAE Theatricals is excited to bring this showcase of some of the area's brightest Rising Stars to audiences back to Escondido! Now in its 12th 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 14th 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 not one but two hosts for our 2024 show! Hannah Huntington & Ruby Huntington!

Hannah Huntington recently spent her summer in NYC studying Musical Theatre at the NY Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. She was seen last seen with Moonlight Youth Theater as Lucy in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown at the Avo Playhouse! Last year she was the evil Ms Andrew in Mary Poppins at the Moonlight Amphitheater. She's also been seen as Mrs. Banks in Old Town Temecula Theater's production of Mary Poppins! Hannah has performed extensively with Norris Performing Arts in roles such as Margaret in Carrie, Olive in Spelling Bee & Natalie in All Shook Up.

Ruby Huntington recently played Cat in the Hat in Seussical at the Moonlight Amphitheater where she was seen last summer flying high as Mary in Mary Poppins! She has performed extensively with Norris Performing Arts in roles such as Carrie in Carrie, Logainne in Spelling Bee & Sylvia in All Shook Up. She's also been seen as Mrs Corry in Old Town Temecula Theater's production of Mary Poppins!

Announcing our 2024 Rising Stars...

Act One Cast

The cast includes Taylor Coleman, a senior at Canyon Crest Academy in Carmel Valley. She made her professional debut at age 7 and played Cindy Lou at The Old Globe's How the Grinch Stole Christmas for 3 seasons, followed by 4 seasons in other roles with the show. Other favorite credits include: the Broadway National Tour of The Sound of Music (Marta), the world premier of Diana, The Musical at the La Jolla Playhouse (Young Diana), Mean Girls (Cady), Fun Home (Small Allison), and Shrek: The Musical (Young Fiona). Next up is Paul Jackson, a homeschooled junior in high school who became heavily involved in his local community theater in Redlands when he was twelve years old. Credits include Seussical the Musical, Snow White, Nibs in Peter Pan, Race in Newsies, and most recently, the Herald in Cinderella. Our next Rising Star is Ellis Kim, a senior at Canyon Crest Academy. Credits include: Carnegie Hall and La Jolla Playhouse's WOW Festival with Blindspot Collective. Recent roles include Veronica Sawyer (Heathers) and Wednesday Addams (The Addams Family) at Junior Actors Company, Charlie Brown (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) at Moonlight Youth Theatre, and Cursed Woman (Chasing Fear), #7 (The Wolves), Liz and Velma U/S (Chicago) at Canyon Crest Academy Envision Theatre Arts. Our 4th Rising Star is Ty Smith! He currently attends California State University Fullerton where he studies theater. Credits include 13 The Musical as Evan Goldman (COTYMT), West Side Story School Edition as Riff (COTYMT), Grease School Edition as Teen Angel (COTYMT), and Ensemble in Catch Me If You Can The Musical (Fine Arts Network). Our final Rising Star in the first act is Stella Wahl. She is 15 years old and is in her sophomore year at Cathedral Catholic High School. Credits include two seasons in the cast of How The Grinch Stole Christmas at The Old Globe Theater in San Diego, California. She also performed as Annika in Pippi Longstocking (San Diego Junior Theatre), JoJo in Seussical, James and the Giant Peach, High School Musical, Shrek The Musical (Christian Youth Theater San Diego) and Les Miserables (J*Company Youth Theatre).

Act Two Cast

Our act two cast includes Isabella Burer, a sophomore whose credits include Little Sally in Urinetown (SDMT), Mary Warren in The Crucible (Santa Fe Christian Theater), Betty Lou Who in How The Grinch Stole Christmas (The Old Globe), and a Bird Girl in Seussical (Moonlight Youth Theater). Next up is Jordan Eddington, a senior theatre major at the San Diego School of Creative & Performing Arts. Recent credits include Chip Tolentino (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Bill Austin (Mamma Mia), Flute (A Midsummer Nights Dream) & Miles Tuck (Tuck Everlasting). Lisa Pan, is a 10th grade student at The Bishop's School. Credits include the role of Jessica in Apple TV+'s "Life By Ella" (2022), casted as a G-Shark singer in Disney's "Just Roll With It" (2019). She acted as a voiced characters Leah and Minji in Season 3 of the cartoon TV show "Superwings". She was a part of the Kidz Bop Final Callback in 2020, and made it to the final top 2 selections at the JYP & Republic Records callbacks for the reality TV show - America2Korea (A2K) 2022. Our next Rising Star is Uma Richard, a 17 year old senior at Classical Academy High School in Escondido, CA. Credits include Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors), Patrick Star (Spongebob the Musical), and Grandpa Joe (Willy Wonka Jr). Finally, we welcome Tirzah, who was the Broadway San Diego Awards 2023 Best Actress Winner. Recent credits include Man and Moon at the Moxie Theater, Adelaide (Guys and Dolls), Anne (Diary of Anne Frank), Ellie Blake (Freaky Friday), James (James and Giant Peach), Ike (Newsies), Lorraine ( All Shook up) Dragon, Gingy and Young Fiona (in 3 Shrek productions), Jane Banks (Mary Poppins), Lucy (Charlie Brown's Christmas).

About CCAE Theatricals

CCAE Theatricals celebrates the human connection through theatre and education by sharing stories that illuminate the individual experience and cultivate a collective voice. 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 theatricals.org or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

RUN DATES | TIMES: Sunday, January 14 at 6pm. LOCATION: The Center Theatre at The California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 North Escondido Blvd, Escondido, CA, 92025. TICKETS: $20 - $40. Can be purchased by visiting https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=210690 or by calling the California Center for the Arts Box Office at 1-800-988-4253.

www.Theatricals.org

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