Stars of Tomorrow Take Stage Today

Rahway High School won best overall production Tuesday for The Will Rogers Follies at New Jersey’s high school version of the Tony Awards.

The Rising Star Awards, now in their 14th year at Paper Mill Playhouse, recognize the top musical theater at public, private and parochial schools throughout the state.

“I love being able to give students an opportunity to perform on the Paper Mill stage,” Paper Mill Director of Education Lisa Cooney said Tuesday, “a chance to celebrate all of the hard work they do.”

Students and their advisors at more than 100 New Jersey high schools went through an extensive evaluation process to even be nominated for Tuesday night’s awards ceremony. The lucky few, including best actor Anthony Bruno and actress Julia Knitel, then received, among other perks, engraved crystal awards Tuesday from sponsor Tiffany & Co. in front of a packed house of 1,200.

“I’ve come to this awards ceremony every year,” Bergen County Academies senior Bruno said Tuesday before being named, “but I’ve never been nominated before. It’s always really exciting, but I’m particularly excited this year.”

Bruno, who starred as the Baker in Into the Woods, will pursue musical theater at Elon University in the fall.

For Knitel, a 16-year-old sophomore at Fair Lawn High School, Tuesday’s awards were also extra special, as they too will be her last.

She was recently chosen to star opposite John Stamos in the Broadway production of Bye Bye Birdie, which opens in September.

“I went to the open casting call thinking I didn’t have a chance,” Knitel said Tuesday.

Before receiving her award, she said she would like to go out with a win.

But Knitel, who played Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, also has bigger dreams.

“When I was a little kid, I always said that I wanted to win a Tony by the 75th awards show,” she said.

Knitel still has time. The Tony Awards recently held its 63rd show.

The Rising Star Awards are presented by Investors Savings Bank Foundation.

2009 Rising Star Award recipients

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical

Winner:

Rahway High School, The Will Rogers Follies

Final Nominees:

Cranford High School, Anything Goes
Fair Lawn High School, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Gill St. Bernard’s School, Into the Woods
Nutley High School, The Producers
Summit High School, The Music Man
Union High School, 42nd Street

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Winner:

Julia Knitel, Fair Lawn High School, as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie

Final Nominees:

Morgan Kirner, Absegami High School,  as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Amanda Altomare, Bergen County Academies, as The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods
Sarah Lopez, Rahway High School, as Betty Blake Rogers in The Will Rogers Follies
Taryn Tonelli, St. Joseph Regional High School, as Mrs. Walker, in The Who’s Tommy
Christine Conigliaro, Summit High School, as Marian Paroo in The Music Man
Catalina Gaglioti, Westfield High School, as Lilli Vanessi/Katherine in Kiss Me, Kate

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Winner:

Anthony Bruno, Bergen County Academies, as The Baker in Into the Woods

Final Nominees:

Stephen Mir, Bloomfield High School, as J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Corey Mosello, Howell High School, as Gabey in On the Town
Phelan Tupik, Rahway High School, as Will Rogers in The Will Rogers Follies
Zachary Infante, Roselle Park High School, as Pippin in Pippin
Joseph DePietro, St. Joseph Regional High School, as Tommy in The Who’s Tommy
Peter Surace, Westfield High School, as Fred Graham/Petruchio in Kiss Me, Kate

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Erica Morreale, Cranford High School, as Bonnie in Anything Goes

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Matthew Corbin, Union High School, as Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street

Outstanding Achievement by a Teacher or Outside Director

Alison Dooley, Rahway High School, The Will Rogers Follies

Outstanding Achievement in Choreography

Chelsea Cicci, Bloomfield High School, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role

Jason Cohen, Howell High School, as Judge Pitkin W. Bridgework in On the Town

Outstanding Performance by a Chorus

Rahway High School, The Will Rogers Follies

Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra

Hillsborough High School, West Side Story

Outstanding Achievement in Musical Direction

Ed Ginter, Don Bosco Preparatory High School, Les Miserables

Outstanding Lighting Achievement

Matthew Gordon, Bergen County Academies, Into the Woods

Outstanding Scenic Achievement

Jane Asch, The Pingry School, Les Miserables

Outstanding Costuming Achievement

Rahway High School, The Will Rogers Follies

Outstanding Hair & Make-up Achievement

Sylvia C. Abdelsalam, Butler High School, Cats

Outstanding Achievement in Lobby Display

Carol Hassert and Sherri Williamson, Summit High School, The Music Man

Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design

Paul Gaschler, Union High School, 42nd Street

Educational Impact Award

Bayonne High School, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
St. Joseph Regional High School, The Who’s Tommy

Outstanding Performance by a Featured Ensemble Group

Peter Corley, Tim Lynch, Ed Espinoza and Jose Salazar, Summit High School as The Barbershop Quartet in The Music Man

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Member

Kelly Cosentino, Shore Regional High School, as Donna in Over Here!