(CARTERET, NJ) -- The third edition of the Carteret PAC Central Jersey Marquee Awards, an event dedicated to celebrating excellence in high school musical theatre, will take place Monday, May 19, 2025, at the Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center. The awards ceremony showcases the exceptional talent of young performers across Central Jersey.
In an exciting expansion for 2025, the Marquee Awards will now include high schools from Mercer County, joining the previously participating schools from Middlesex and Somerset Counties. This reflects the program’s commitment to supporting and elevating high school theatre across a wider area, with 17 categories honoring student talents in both on-stage and off-stage roles.
Applications open Monday, November 18, 2024, with the first 50 high schools eligible to apply for free participation. Schools must submit their applications by Friday, January 17, 2025, at 6:00pm, with evaluations scheduled from Thursday, January 30, 2025, through Sunday, April 13, 2025. Eligible musicals must be staged within this period, and nominations will be announced online on Monday, April 28, 2025.
This year, the program’s adjudicators will again include theatre professionals, teaching artists, designers, and technicians. They will observe each school’s production and provide feedback to help boost high school theatre programs across the Central Jersey region. Evaluators can apply starting Monday, November 18, 2024, and are required to submit their availability by Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 6:00pm.
The awards season will culminate in a red-carpet ceremony at Carteret PAC on Monday, May 19, 2025, with nominated schools and students rehearsing during the day and a 7:30pm curtain. The ceremony will showcase performances from nominated productions and honor students, directors, choreographers, orchestras, and designers who excelled during the 2025 season.
The Marquee Awards team is also seeking additional evaluators for the program. Interested individuals should email their resumes to [email protected]. Evaluators must attend a minimum of four shows during the evaluation period and will receive two complimentary tickets to the school productions and the awards ceremony. A stipend of $40 per show, plus mileage reimbursement, will be provided.
The URSB Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center (Carteret PAC), opened in 2021, is a multi-level, flexible space venue that boasts a lower-level comedy/jazz club with piano lounge; a main floor concert/comedy and entertainment space with luxury theatre style seating that is easily removed to accommodate a variety of events such as expos, weddings, dinner, and more.
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