Summit Wins 2 Rising Star Awards at Paper Mill Playhouse

Two cast members of Summit High School's spring musical "The Producers" won at the Paper Mill Playhouse's Rising Star Awards Tuesday night. Adrian Arrieta won for Outstanding Performance By An Ensemble Member, and Michael Gorman won in Outstanding Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role for his performance as Fritz Liebkind. 

"I'd like to thank Mrs. (Anne) Poyner, for directing a play in which I was allowed to be a singing, dancing Nazi," Gorman said.

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.

If anyone was disappointed about not winning for the rest of the categories, they didn't show it. SHS was all smiles and glad to be at the Paper Mill Playhouse.

"I'm just thrilled with the evening and so proud of the kids," Poyner said. "The important thing is that we nailed our performance number."

Because they were nominated for Outstanding Overall Production, the cast members got to take the stage one last time to perform the song "Along Came Bialy" in what could only be described as an extravaganza. Two dozen old ladies fell like dominoes, Nazis capered about the stage, and the audience saw some high-flying aerial dance moves from The Village People as they sung about how the main characters, Leo Bloom and Max Bialystock, saved them from a life of boredom.

Also performing at the ceremony was Peter Corley, nominated for Outstanding Male Lead for his role as Leo Bloom. Corley was part of a medley with the six other nominees, each singing an iconic song from his performance. Corley sang "I Wanna Be A Producer."

Union High School was the big winner, taking home awards in many of the 14 categories for which it was nominated, including the coveted Outstanding Overall Performance for its production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

"We were pulling for Union," Poyner said. "They had a great show and they were awesome."

With its 15th year now in the books, the Paper Mill Playhouse's Rising Star Awards represents the best musical talent New Jersey has to offer. Previous winners include film actress Anne Hathaway and Paul Iacono, star of MTV's new series "The Hard Times of RJ Berger."

"The names we call tonight may be the Broadway stars of tomorrow," said one presenter.

"Our mission is to preserve, promote and advance the future of musical theater," said Lisa Cooney, Paper Mill's director of education in her opening remarks. "Your mission is to be that future."

The Rising Star Awards are modeled after the Tony Awards. Winners in each category, as well as all the nominees for Outstanding Overall Performance, received engraved crystal plates from Tiffany & Co. This year's award will join the previous four years' awards.

"The ceremony is just so affirming of our art of musical theater," Poyner said.

So what's next for SHS's award-winning theater program?

"I'm not sure yet," Poyner said. "That's my summer job, figuring it out."