Cabaret At The Merc Presents 9th Annual RISING STARS Show

Presented by Cabaret at The Merc, in association with The Barn Stage Company, this exclusive look at some of the area's brightest Rising Stars is now in its 9th Year! Featuring 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 Theater is in good hands with these exciting young artists! The show runs only one night, Sunday, February 2nd at 7pm at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater in beautiful Old Town Temecula.

In sticking with the tradition of bringing back one of last years Rising Stars to host the next year, we are excited to welcome our first ever Co-Hosts! Marisa Moenho has competed at the last two Jimmy Awards (National High School Musical Theater Awards) where she placed as a finalist in both years. She is currently attending UCLA where she is majoring in Theater. Our second host, is Josh Bradford a 16 year old Junior at Santa Fe Christian School. Josh's Regional credits include Scary Big Kid/Ensemble in Matilda and Scab/Ensemble in Newsies at Moonlight Amphitheatre and more. We are thrilled to welcome back these two performers to Host our 2020 evening!

Act One

The Cast includes Julieta Berry, 17 years old, originally from Barcelona, Spain. She is a senior at the Orange County School of the Arts under the Musical Theater Conservatory and a member of the Voices of Hope Children's Choir which was a featured golden buzzer and semi-finalist act on season 13 of America's Got Talent. Next up is Liv Pederson, 11 years old from Los Angeles California. She is part Thai, Italian, Swedish and American. Besides singing, she also writes and composes her own songs. Our next Rising Star is Ava Sarnowski, an 18 year old senior from Temecula, California. Ava has performed in over 45 productions at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater. She has won numerous dance and vocal competitions and completed the Vocal Certificate of Merit Program through the State of California. We are excited to introduce Lilly Spencer! Originally from Australia, Lilly came to America to follow her lifelong dream of becoming a star. Lilly has been doing theatre for about 5 years and just finished recording an EP in New York, which is expected to be released soon! Last in the first act is Elijah Wagner, a freshman at Classical Academy High School in San Diego, California. Soem of his favorite roles include Gaston in Beauty and the Beast and Sam in Mamma Mia with Center Stage Productions.

Act Two

The Second Act Cast includes Travis Burnett. He is 13 years old and his professional stage productions include playing Oliver (Scenie award winner/National Youth Arts award) in Musical Theater West's production of Oliver, Michael Banks in Mary Poppins (MTW), Michael Hobbs (Scenie award) in Elf (MTW). Next up is Audrey Deubig! A multiple National Youth Arts award winner. A 17 year old attending Escondido High School, Audrey has starred in Legally Blonde (Elle Woods), Matilda the Musical as Miss Honey and Kristine in A Chorus Line among many others .Our next Rising Star is Sydney Olson, who has performed in over 30 productions around San Diego. Some favorite past roles include Eponine (Les Miserables), Lorraine (All Shook Up), Kate (Legally Blonde) and Little Red (Into the Woods). Up next is Aquila Sol, a l7 year old junior at Carlsbad High School. She's performed in 32 productions around San Diego County. Her favorite roles include Polly Baker (Crazy For You, OT), Cassie (A Chorus Line), Heather Chandler (Heathers, OBTC). Last but not least is Abigail Kate Thomas, who plans to attend AMDA after she graduates high school to earn her BFA in musical theatre. Recent credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamCoat (Narrator), Spring Awakening (Anna), Shrek: The Musical (Fiona). TV Appearances: "The Kids Are Alright," "The Affair," "The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia."

In May 2012, Writer & Producer Jordan Beck (Biting Broadway, Peter Pan: A New Musical) and Director J. Scott Lapp (Broadway's Bonnie & Clyde, London's The Prince of Egypt, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Murder for Two) teamed up to present Cabaret at The Merc, a popular concert series taking place in Old Town Temecula on the last Sunday of each month. Over the years they have brought the best of Broadway to Temecula, including evenings with Broadway's Eden Espinosa, Shoshana Bean, and Grammy award-winning and Tony-nominated composer Stephen Schwartz. With shows also celebrating a wide array of styles ranging between Billy Joel, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Queen, Motown, and The Rat Pack, Cabaret at The Merc has quickly become "the best kept secret in Temecula"!

Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.TheBarnStageCompany.com or www.TemeculaTheater.org or by calling the Old Town Community Theater Box Office at 1-866-653-8696.