A New Chapter Takes the Stage: Rising Stars Youth Theatre Brings The Addams Family to Sussex County & Beyond

Under the leadership of Renata Ginter, with director & choreographer Samantha Kemp and music director Leonardo Leuci, Rising Stars Youth Theatre enters a new era — and it begins with one wonderfully strange family.

SPARTA, NJ — Something major has changed at Rising Stars Youth Theatre.

The lights are getting brighter. The productions are getting bigger. The expectations are higher. And at the center of it all is a simple belief:

Young performers deserve a theatre company built specifically for them.

Now entering its 10th year, Rising Stars Youth Theatre — a Broadway-World-nominated nonprofit based in Sparta — is stepping into a new chapter with a re-envisioned vision for what youth theatre can be.

And there may be no better way to introduce that vision than with a family that has always celebrated being different.

This December, Rising Stars brings The Addams Family: A New Musical to the stage at Pehrson Hall.

A Theatre Company Designed for Young Performers

Unlike traditional community theatre companies that bring adults and children together onstage, Rising Stars Youth Theatre is intentionally and exclusively focused on young performers.

Its programs serve children and teens, providing training in acting, singing, dance, audition technique, character development, stage presence and ensemble performance — all within a professional-style production environment.

But Rising Stars isn't simply interested in putting on a children's show.

The organization is focused on training young artists to take the stage seriously.

From the first-time performer who has never auditioned before to the young actor already dreaming about Broadway, students are challenged artistically while being supported as they develop confidence, discipline, creativity, collaboration and stage presence.

Rising Stars also believes that every performer matters.

More than 90% of students who audition are cast, and ensemble performers aren't treated as background scenery. Ensemble members sing, dance and act throughout the production, learning full choreography and becoming an integral part of the show.

That philosophy is at the heart of the company's next chapter.

Leading this new era is Renata Ginter, whose unique background spans professional dance, entertainment, publishing, marketing, and nonprofit leadership. Renata has been a part of Rising Stars for the past 10 years, helping build the organization from the ground up and playing an integral role in shaping its growth and evolution.

Before joining Rising Stars, Renata spent a decade teaching ballroom dance at the renowned Arthur Murray Dance Studio on Fifth Avenue in New York City and toured the East Coast with a professional dance troupe. Her extensive professional experience also includes coaching performers such as John Leguizamo, Antonio Banderas, and Armand Assante. Today, she brings that wealth of artistic experience, business expertise, and creative vision to the leadership of Rising Stars Youth Theatre.

Joining her at the artistic helm is Samantha Kemp, director and choreographer of the production.

Samantha isn't simply an outsider brought in to lead the next generation.
She is a Rising Star herself.

She first walked onto the Rising Stars stage at age 10 as Tessie in Annie Jr. Over the years, she appeared in more than 30 productions and progressed from performer to stage manager, co-choreographer and co-director.

She went on to earn a Broadway World nomination for her performance as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, was named Miss Teen Hardyston in 2022 and received Distinguished honors at the New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival. After completing her performing chapter with Something Rotten! in 2025 and Bye Bye Birdie in 2026, she returned to Rising Stars to lead the next generation.
In many ways, Samantha represents exactly what Rising Stars hopes to create:

A young performer who grows, learns and eventually comes back to help someone else find their own spotlight.

And bringing the music to life is Leonardo L. Leuci, Rising Stars' musical, vocal and band director.

Leuci studied music at New Jersey City University and has performed at prestigious New York venues including Weill Recital Hall and Steinway Hall. He currently serves as Director of Choral Music at Ridgefield Park Junior-Senior High School, where he also leads an opera program.

At Rising Stars, Leuci has already served as the musical force behind productions including Willy Wonka Jr., The Addams Family, Into the Woods and The Wizard of Oz Jr.

Together, Ginter, Kemp and Leuci bring something unusual to youth theatre:
professional experience, artistic ambition and a genuine understanding of young performers.

Proud to Call Sparta Home

For the past several years, Rising Stars Youth Theatre has proudly called Pehrson Hall at The First Presbyterian Church of Sparta home.

Located at 32 Main Street in Sparta, Pehrson Hall has been the company's home for rehearsals and performances, providing Rising Stars' young performers with a welcoming space to learn, create, rehearse and take the stage.

First Presbyterian Church of Sparta is proud to be the home of Rising Stars Youth Theatre, creating a lasting connection between the theatre company and the local community.

For Rising Stars, being part of the Sparta community is about more than having a place to perform. It is about creating a place where young artists can build confidence, develop their talents, form friendships and experience the excitement of live theatre.

And this December, that familiar stage is getting a wonderfully spooky makeover.

The first production of this new chapter is deliciously dark.

In The Addams Family: A New Musical, the macabre Addams household is turned upside down when Wednesday Addams falls in love with Lucas Beineke, a young man from a completely ordinary family.

Wednesday confides in her father, Gomez, and asks him to keep the relationship secret from Morticia.

Naturally, keeping secrets in the Addams household doesn't go particularly well.

When the two families come together for dinner, expectations collide, secrets spill out and complete chaos follows.

But underneath the outrageous comedy, spooky characters and larger-than-life production numbers is a surprisingly heartfelt story about something every family understands:
love, acceptance and learning to embrace what makes us different.

And that's exactly the kind of story Rising Stars wants its young performers to tell.

Because behind the makeup, costumes, music and choreography are real young people discovering what they can do when they are given the opportunity to step into the spotlight.

Rising Stars Youth Theatre's The Addams Family will be presented at:
Pehrson Hall
32 Main Street, Sparta, NJ
@ The First Presbyterian Church of Sparta

Friday, December 4 — 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 5 — 2:00 PM
Saturday, December 5 — 7:00 PM

Tickets are $20 per person, with children under age 2 admitted free. Tickets are available through Rising Stars' official online box office.

GET TICKETS — Rising Stars Youth Theatre Box Office

For Rising Stars, the December production represents more than another title on a season calendar.

It represents the next step in a decade-long mission to create a place where young people can take risks, discover their voices, develop discipline and experience the extraordinary feeling of creating something together.

The company has spent the past decade building a theatre community where young performers aren't simply included — they are the focus.

And now, with a renewed creative vision and a team that understands both the professional theatre world and the unique needs of young artists, Rising Stars is ready for its next act.

The message is simple:
You don't have to fit the mold to belong onstage.

Sometimes, being a little different is exactly what makes you shine.
Which makes The Addams Family a pretty perfect way to begin.

So bring your family.
Bring your friends.
Bring your love of live theatre.
And maybe leave the normal at home.
The Addams Family is waiting.

They're creepy. They're kooky. They're mysterious. They're spooky.

And this December, they're coming to Sparta.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now — and with Rising Stars performances frequently filling quickly, audiences are encouraged to reserve their seats through the official box office.

www.risingstarsytc.com

Rising Stars Youth Theatre is a nonprofit youth theatre based in Sparta, NJ, providing professional-level musical theatre training, Broadway-style productions and live performance opportunities for children and teens throughout Sussex County and the surrounding region.