Moorestown Theater Company Captures Acting Award At World's Largest Festival

MOORESTOWN, NJ — For the third time in four years, the actors with the Moorestown Theater Company were recently recognized at the largest world’s largest musical theater festival for children.

The theater company won a Freddie G “Excellence In Acting‟ Award for its full cast at the 2017 Junior Theater Festival at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA, Jan. 13-16.

The Freddie G Awards are named after Music Theatre International CEO / Tony Award Winner Freddie Gershon. The festival is produced by NYC’s iTheatrics, and celebrates the “transformative power of musical theater.”

Twenty-nine students ages nine to 16 performed a 15-minute condensed version of Disney’s Peter Pan, Jr. in front of two adjudicators: Broadway Music Arranger David Weinstein and Co-Founding Director of New Visions / New Voices Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas.

“Your vocals and your overall ensemble work were incredible,” Weinstein said after watching MTC’s performance in front of a group of 26 cheering staff and family members. Added Lavrakas,

“I love the imaginative way that all of you told the story,” Lavrakas said. “Very well done!”

Moorestown Theater Company Artistic Director Mark Morgan accepted the “Excellence In Acting‟ award, along with his daughter, 14-year-old Juliet Morgan (one of MTC’s 2017 “All-Stars‟) on behalf of the entire cast for its 15-minute performance.

“Just attending the Junior Theater Festival is a wonderful experience for our students, even if we don’t win any awards,” Mark Morgan said. “But to win an ‘Excellence In Acting’ Award, for the third time in four years, is amazing, and it shows the caliber of actors that perform with the Moorestown Theater Company!”

This year’s festival had 5,830 students, teachers, and family members from 28 states and the District of Columbia, as well as theater companies from New Zealand and Australia.

There were a record-high 111 theater companies/schools participating at this year’s festival, which was founded in 2003 and became an annual event in 2010.

The Moorestown Theater Company has made five trips to the festival, and has earned seven acting awards, highlighted by three awards in 2014 (two individuals and one cast). In 2015, it earned two awards (one individual and one cast) and won an individual acting award in 2013. The company also made trips to the festival in 2012 and 2016.

In each trip, the Moorestown Theater Company has condensed its entire show down to 15 minutes, as opposed to just performing various songs from a show to fill the 15-minute performing time, Morgan said.
Morgan said the theater company prefers this option in order to highlight as many cast members as possible (instead of just a few lead performers), with every cast member “getting a line."

In past festivals, the Moorestown Theater Company was the only group of the eight in its “pod" to condense their entire show down to 15 minutes, but this year half of the eight groups chose the condensed-show option.

The Festival Adjudicators also recognized some Moorestown Theater Company performers for their individual performances.

Broadway Jr. “All-Stars‟ (two were selected per cast by the adjudicators): Juliet Morgan (14, Moorestown, “Peter Pan") and Aren Duffy (14, Marlton, “Captain Hook").

The All-Stars from each company were split into three groups and had to learn and perform a song from a musical after just one hour of rehearsal during the closing Awards Ceremony on the Festival’s final day for all 5,830 attendees. Morgan and Duffy were also chosen as “All-Stars‟ in 2015, while Duffy was an “All-Star‟ in 2013.

• Erika Dorsett (9, Mount Laurel, Ensemble, Featured Tapper);
• Indi Ebo (15, Lumberton, “Princess Tiger Lily");
• Morgan Harris (15, Moorestown, “Iridessa,” a Fairy);
• Juliet Morgan (14, Moorestown, “Peter Pan");
• Riley Mozes (15, Lumberton, “Lyria,” a Fairy);
• Julia Scott (15, Moorestown, Ensemble, Featured Tapper);
• Vanessa Van Horn (14, Mount Laurel, Ensemble, Featured Tapper); and
• Jenna Vanston (13, Moorestown, “Tinker Bell").

Broadway Junior Slam Nominees (up to eight nominated by each directing team):

• Kieran Barasch (9, Marlton, “Skunk", a Lost Boy);
• R. J. Chichester (14, Mount Laurel, “John Darling");
• Ryan Coggan (16, Hainesport, “Mr. Darling");
• Aren Duffy (14, Marlton, “Captain Hook");
• Juliet Morgan (14, Moorestown, “Peter Pan");
• Abigail Sanie (15, Marlton, “Wendy");
• Julia Scott (15, Moorestown, “Scottish Jukes," a Pirate, and a Featured Tap Dancer); and
• Rehana Wells (14, Moorestown, “Mr. Smee").

They were submitted by the MTC Staff, with Coggan and Wells chosen by the JTF Staff.

• Kieran Barasch (“Skunk," a Lost Boy), Westfield Friends School, Grade 3, Age 9, Marlton;
• Colin Berkey (“Cubby," a Lost Boy), Hainesport Elementary School, Grade 7, Age 12, Hainesport;
• Quinn Berkey (“Hop," a Lost Boy), Hainesport Elementary School, Grade 3, Age 9, Hainesport;
• Kayman Brown (“Clubfoot Cookson," a Pirate), Burlington County Institute of Technology, Grade 9, Age 15, Edgewater Park;
• R. J. Chichester (“John Darling"), Moorestown Friends School, Grade 8, Age 14, Mount Laurel;
• Ryan Coggan (“Mr. Darling"), Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Grade 11, Age 16, Hainesport;
• Erika Dorsett (“Vidia," a Fairy & Featured Tap Dancer), Fleetwood Elementary School, Grade 4, Age 9, Mount Laurel;
• Aren Duffy (“Captain Hook"), De Masi Middle School, Grade 8, Age 14, Marlton;
• Indi Ebo (“Princess Tiger Lily"), Paul VI High School, Grade 10, Age 15, Lumberton;
• Morgan Harris (“Iridessa," a Fairy), Moorestown High School, Grade 9, Age 15, Moorestown;
• Molly Hill (“Chief Tiger Bamboo"), Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Grade 10, Age 15, Lumberton;
• Emma Hutz (“Rosetta," a Fairy & Featured Tap Dancer), Lumberton Middle School, Grade 8, Age 13, Lumberton;
• Brielle Johnson (“Fox," a Lost Boy), Bobby’s Run Elementary School, Grade 4, Age 9, Lumberton;
• Juliet Morgan (“Peter Pan"), William Allen Middle School, Grade 8, Age 14, Moorestown;
• J. T. Mozes (“Michael Darling"), Bobby’s Run Elementary School, Grade 5, Age 10, Lumberton;
• Riley Mozes (“Lyria," a Fairy), Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Grade 10, Age 15, Lumberton;
• Nick Olszewski (“Brave Shrub," an Indian), Maple Shade High School, Grade 9, Age 14, Maple Shade;
• Sydney Parker (“Mrs. Darling"), Lumberton Middle School, Grade 8, Age 13, Lumberton;
• Katie Paw (“Brave Pine," an Indian), Moorestown Friends School, Grade 10, Age 15, Shamong;
• Emma Reilly (“Brave Oak," an Indian), Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Grade 9, Age 14, Hainesport;
• Abigail Sanie (“Wendy Darling"), Cherokee High School, Grade 10, Age 15, Marlton;
• Zoey Schaeffer (“Silvermist," a Fairy), St. Joan of Arc School, Grade 7, Age 12, Lumberton;
• Julia Scott (“Scottish Jukes," a Pirate & Featured Tap Dancer), Moorestown High School, Grade 10, Age 15, Moorestown;
• Addison Siciliano (“Fawn," a Fairy), Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Grade 7, Age 13, Hainesport;
• Brianna Tavormina (“Raccoon Twin #2," a Lost Boy), Moorestown High School, Grade 10, Age 16, Moorestown;
• Brielle Tavormina (“Raccoon Twin #1," a Lost Boy), Moorestown High School, Grade 10, Age 16, Moorestown;
• Vanessa Van Horn (“Mean Murphy," a Pirate & Featured Tapper), Burlington County Institute of Technology, Grade 9, Age 14, Mt. Laurel;
• Jenna Vanston (“Tinker Bell"), Moorestown Friends School, Grade 8, Age 13, Moorestown; and
• Rehana Wells (“Mr. Smee"), William Allen Middle School, Grade 8, Age 14, Moorestown.

• Mark Morgan (Director, Moorestown);
• Carol Ann Murray (Vocal Director, Moorestown);
• Beverly Bennett (Music Director, Mount Laurel);
• Lizi Baldwin (Choreographer, Delanco); and
• Kaitlin Tumulty (Assistant Choreographer, Mount Laurel).

The attached images from the trip were provided by the Moorestown Theater Company:

Photo #1: The Moorestown Theater Company Staff, Cast, and Traveling Party for Disney’s Peter Pan, Jr. that traveled to the iTheatrics Jr. Theater Festival in Atlanta, GA during Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend (Jan. 13-16, 2017) is shown under the JTF “Balloon Arch‟. Photo Credit: MTC

Photo #2: Moorestown Theater Company Producing Artistic Director and Disney’s Peter Pan, Jr. Director Mark Morgan and his daughter Juliet Morgan received the Cast’s “Excellence In Acting” Award at the iTheatrics Jr. Theater Festival in Atlanta, GA during Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend (Jan. 13-16, 2017), with Atlanta‟s Alliance Theatre Artistic Director Rosemary Newcott and “Mr. Mistoffelees‟ in the Broadway and London Productions of Cats Jacob Brent. Photo Credit: James Barker Photography

Photo #3: The Moorestown Theater Company’s Cast and Staff of Disney’s Peter Pan, Jr. with its 2017 “Excellence In Acting” Award at the iTheatrics Jr. Theater Festival in Atlanta, GA during Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend (Jan. 13-16, 2017). Photo Credit: MTC

Photo #4: Moorestown Theater Company’s “Broadway Jr. All-Stars‟: Aren Duffy (“Captain Hook‟, 14, Marlton) and Juliet Morgan (“Peter Pan‟, 14, Moorestown) at the iTheatrics Jr. Theater Festival in Atlanta, GA during Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend (Jan. 13-16, 2017). Photo Credit: MTC

Photo #5: Moorestown Theater Company’s “Broadway Jr. Slam Participants‟: Ryan Coggan (“Mr. Darling‟, 16, Hainesport) and Rehana Wells (“Mr. Smee‟, 14, Moorestown) at the iTheatrics Jr. Theater Festival in Atlanta during Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend (Jan. 13-16, 2017). Photo Credit: MTC

Photo #6: Moorestown Theater Company’s “Broadway Jr. Choreography DVD Auditionees‟: Vanessa Van Horn (“Mean Murphy‟, 14, Mt. Laurel), Julia Scott (“Scottish Jukes‟, 15, Moorestown), Indi Ebo (“Princess Tiger Lily‟, 15, Lumberton), Erika Dorsett (“Vidia‟, 9, Mt. Laurel), Morgan Harris (“Iridessa‟, 15, Moorestown), Juliet Morgan (“Peter Pan‟, 14, Moorestown), Jenna Vanston (“Tinker Bell‟, 13, Moorestown), and Riley Mozes (“Lyria‟ 15, Lumberton) at the iTheatrics Jr. Theater Festival in Atlanta, GA during Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend (Jan. 13-16, 2017). Photo Credit: MTC

Photo #7: Moorestown Theater Company’s Abigail Sanie (“Wendy Darling‟, 15, Marlton) and Juliet Morgan (“Peter Pan‟, 14, Moorestown) “flying‟ with the cast of Disney’s Peter Pan, Jr. during their final rehearsal at the iTheatrics Jr. Theater Festival in Atlanta during Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend (Jan. 13-16, 2017). Photo Credit: MTC

Photo #8: Moorestown Theater Company’s Cast of Disney’s Peter Pan, Jr. listens to adjudicator David Weinstein after its performance at the iTheatrics Jr. Theater Festival in Atlanta during Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend (Jan. 13-16, 2017). Photo Credit: MTC

Photo #9: Moorestown Theater Company’s Directing Team for Disney’s Peter Pan, Jr.: Director Mark Morgan (Moorestown), Choreographer Lizi Baldwin (Delanco), Assistant Choreographer Kaitlin Tumulty (Mount Laurel), and Vocal Director Carol Ann Murray (Moorestown) with the 2017 “Excellence In Acting” Award the cast received during the iTheatrics Jr. Theater Festival in Atlanta during Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend (Jan. 13-16, 2017). Photo Credit: MTC