Summit High Receives Eight Rising Star Nominations

For the fifth year in a row, the cast of Summit High School's musical will be attending the Paper Mill Playhouse's Rising Star awards. This year's play, "The Producers," was nominated for eight awards, including best overall performance; best male lead, Peter Corley as Leo Bloom; and outstanding teacher, SHS Theater Arts Director Anne Poyner.

"We knew we had a great show," Poyner said. "We have wonderful actors, everybody fit their roles and the kids had a blast."

The full list of nominations is as follows: Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical; Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role- Peter Corely, "Leo Bloom"; Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role- Michael Gorman as "Franz Liebkind"; Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Member- Adrian Arrieta as "Lead Tenor/Scott"; Outstanding Performance by a Chorus Outstanding Achievement by a Teacher or Outside Director- Anne Poyner; Outstanding Scenic Achievement- Travis McHale; Outstanding Costuming Achievement- Katherine Winter.

Since 1996, the Rising Star Awards showcase the very best in high school musical theater that New Jersey has to offer. A team of over 70 evaluators judge 100 of the best New Jersey programs from all 21 counties, and there are almost two dozen categories ranging from best performance to best actor and actress to choreography, set design and lobby displays. Past winners include film actress Anne Hathaway  and Tony award winner Laura Benanti.

This year's nominees, including the whole casts of every musical nominated for Outstanding Performance, will gather at the Paper Mill Playhouse on June 8 for an awards ceremony, modeled after theater's Tony awards. Winners will receive a Tiffany crystal award, and five students hoping to pursue theater in college will receive $1,000 scholarships. Winners in the Outstanding Lead/Supporting Actor/Actress categories will go on to the National High School Music Theatre awards to compete for cash prizes and even more scholarships.

"Summit has a fantastic program and they always do really well (at the Rising Star Awards)," said Shayne Miller, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Paper Mill Playhouse.

This will be Poyner's fifth time nominated for Outstanding Achievement by a Teacher, and, while she's honored to be nominated again, she says the important thing is that SHS has once again been nominated for Outstanding Overall Performance. The nomination shows that all aspects of the show worked together and created something that was more than just the sum of its parts.

"Getting (Outstanding Overall Performance) is what's important," she said. "The cast had no weak links, the pacing was good, and we were very happy."