Young Livingston Actor Wins Prestigious 'Rising Star' Theater Award

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Many working actors and actresses from New Jersey were recognized early on, during their high school theater days, with "Rising Star Awards" from Millburn's Paper Mill Playhouse, a community theater.

Now, a new slew of winners has been announced, including a young Livingston thespian.

Paper Mill announced the short list of winners in a release this week.

The most coveted award, the award for the overall best high school production, went to Ridge High School's performance of "Matilda."

But among the elite list of other award winners, Jonah Ruderman of Livingston High School also made the cut.

He won Outstanding Solo Performance for his performance of “If I Were a Rich Man."

See a video of Ruderman's performance here.

The school performed "Fiddler on the Roof" this year, a timely choice, as it was modeled on a small Ukranian village.

The only other Essex County winners were members of the production of "Newsies" at Columbia High School in Maplewood. That show snagged two awards.

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