Brick Children's Community Theatre Students Win National Award

BRICK, NJ — Members of the Brick Children's Community Theatre captured awards and recognition at the 2022 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta in Atlanta last weekend, the group announced.

Among the awards were the Freddie G award for Excellence in Dance, which was presented for the group's performance of Disney's Moana JR.

In addition to the Freddie G award, Regina Messenger and Ella Zarrilli made it to the callback for future video shoots for “how-to” choreography videos, and Alysa Cainzos and AJ Ring were distinguished as All-Stars, "a group of outstanding young performers at the festival," the group said in a news release.

At the festival, each group performed 15 minutes of a Broadway Junior musical for adjudicators. A 17-member cast from the Brick group presented Disney's Moana JR. to Katy Geraghty, a Broadway actor and member of the original Broadway cast of Groundhog Day; Kikau Alvaro, a director, choreographer, and an educator at University of the Arts, and educator and adjudicator Nicholas Sostillio, the theater director at Warner Robins High School.

"I loved watching Disney's Moana JR!" Geraghty said. "Just when I thought I had seen everything these young performers could do, I was surprised again. I fully believed I was in the middle of the ocean with them. It was magical. This program knows how to use simplicity to its advantage. Just a few simple moves with a piece of fabric made a whole ocean appear before our eyes."

"There was magic from beginning to end as they created an ocean using fabric in a way I have never seen before," Alvaro said. "It was inspired. Every performer was seen and featured in Disney's Moana JR. Every detail was thought through which made for a special and entertaining show."

"These students transported us to the ocean by creating the waves and believable characters for their performance of Disney's Moana JR., Sosillio said. "They are an ensemble group that works together to create magical performances."

The cast members were:

• Ella Zarrilli - Moana
• Ava Buray, Searra Vanderveer, Grace Zarrilli - Chief Ancestors
• AJ Ring - Maui
• Alysa Cainzos - Gramma Tala
• Lindsay Giovine - Pua
• Juliet Kachoogian - Hei Hei
• Noelle Coburn - Te Fitil
• Ian Keating – Chief Tui
• Nicole McColley - Sina
• Ensemble: Emma Christensen, William Einbinder, Gabrielle McColley, Regina Messenger, Brooke Norton, and Bekah Venezia

This was not the first time the Brick group has had success at the Junior Theater Festivals.

In 2021, young performers from BCCT took part virtually in the JTF Online Edition and were awarded a Freddie G Excellence in Music award.

At the 2019 and 2018 JTF Atlanta, BCCT won a Freddie G Award for Excellence in Dance. In 2018, BCCT student Taylor Landau was selected to ask a question to Disney Theatrical Productions president and producer Thomas Schumacher during Mr. Schumacher’s keynote presentation.

BCCT students who have made it to callbacks for “how-to” choreography video shoots for soon-to-be-released musicals are William Einbinder and Gavin Bailey in 2020; Caroline Gaskill and Gavin Bailey in 2018; Eva Burns in 2017, and Caroline Gaskill in 2016.

Brick Children's Community Theatre is a nonprofit community theatre company dedicated to producing professional-quality theatrical works featuring young people up through their final year of high school. BCCT gives these children the opportunity to develop socialization, self-esteem, and fundamental theatre skills while giving back to the community through their performances. It was founded in 1992 and is celebrating its 30th year.

In a traditional year, the program produces three full-scale productions to annual audiences of more than 7,000 people. The group’s in-person productions are held at the Historic Strand Center for the Arts in Lakewood.

BCCT also runs a performing arts education program called Stages, in which almost 100 students study acting, musical theater, and vocal instruction. There are also Profession Series Workshop where students take instruction from Broadway and Broadway Tour professionals.

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