Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical, WINNER: Alice by Heart, Madison High School. Photo by Rebecca J Michelson (2026)
(MILLBURN, NJ) -- On June 9, 2026, Paper Mill Playhouse hosted the 31st Annual Rising Star Awards Ceremony on the stage of its Tony Award-recognized theater in Millburn. Celebrating excellence in New Jersey high school musical theater, the ceremony honored students and schools from across the state with more than 30 awards.
Seven scholarships were awarded to students pursuing post-secondary education in musical theater and the performing arts. In addition, every nominee in the leading and supporting performance categories received merit scholarships for training in Paper Mill Playhouse summer programs.
A stream of the ceremony, including performances from the schools nominated for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical and nominees in the leading performance categories, can be viewed here.
This year, 114 New Jersey high schools across 19 counties had their productions adjudicated by a team of 55 skilled and dedicated adjudicators. Each production received in-depth feedback and insights to support the continued development of all theatrical disciplines within the school community. Following the adjudication of nearly 300 performances, 30 adjudicators participated in additional in-person review to identify this year’s nominees. Paper Mill Playhouse Education and Artistic staff abstain from participation in adjudication and voting. Often referred to as New Jersey’s version of the Tony Awards for high school musical theater, the Rising Star Awards recognize outstanding achievement in performance, direction, design, choreography, music direction, and overall production.
The Rising Star Awards are presented by Investors Foundation and Citizens Philanthropic Foundation, with additional major support provided by Mark | Lavigne, LLC. The Hearst Foundations are Paper Mill Playhouse’s Education & Outreach Partner.
For a complete list of nominees and honorable mentions, visit PaperMill.org. To view a map of nominated schools illustrating the statewide reach of the Rising Star Awards, please visit this link.
2026 RISING STAR AWARDS WINNERS
Full Performance Adjudication Categories
Design
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design | Paul Canada, Gill St. Bernards — Dracula
Outstanding Achievement in Hair and Makeup Design | Lee Amorrosso, Gill St. Bernards — Dracula
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design | Cameron Filepas & Daania Fakhar, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design | Anthony Freitas, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Creative
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography | Heather Fleischman, Delaware Valley Regional High School — The SpongeBob Musical
Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction | Brent Geyer & Trey Shore, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School — Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Achievement in Direction | Blake Spence, Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical WINNER: Madison High School—accepting the award for Alice by Heart. Photo by Rebecca J Michelson (2026)
Performance
Outstanding Performance by a Student Orchestra | Summit High School — Big Fish
Outstanding Performance by a Chorus | Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School — Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group | “The Orphans” in Annie, Ridgewood High School
Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role | Melina Gonzalez as “Auntie” in Side Show, Jose Marti STEM Academy
Outstanding Performance in a Male-Identified Supporting Role | Shaine Wilson-Gibson as “Benny” in In the Heights, Ewing High School
Outstanding Performance in a Female-Identified Supporting Role | Mya Glasofer as “Vi Moore” in Footloose, Eastern Regional High School
Outstanding Performance in a Male-Identified Leading Role | Luciano Guidetti as “Joe Gillis” in Sunset Boulevard, Paramus High School
Outstanding Performance in a Female-Identified Leading Role | Chloe Geuther as “Princess Fiona” in Shrek the Musical, Wallkill Valley Regional High School
Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical | Madison High School — Alice by Heart
Spotlight Awards
Outstanding Performance by a Featured Ensemble Member | Jacob Zacks in Legally Blonde, Princeton High School
Outstanding Solo Performance (Digital Submission) | Mary Ann Wright, Ridgewood High School
Outstanding Performance in a Female-Identified Leading Role, WINNER: Chloe Geuther as “Princess Fiona” in Shrek the Musical, Wallkill Valley Regional High School. Photo by Rebecca J Michelson (2026)
Student Achievement Awards
Michael Berry, Princeton Day School
Eddie Fox, Weehawken High School
Athena Halewicz, Madison High School
Leah Harrell, Spotswood High School
Ben Jacobson, Ocean Township High School
Marayah Marinho, Ocean Township High School
Maddison McZorn, Cicely L. Tyson Community School for Fine and Performing Arts
Props Team, Princeton High School
Ainsley Valerio, Summit High School
Jacob Zacks, Princeton High School
Educational Impact Award
New Jersey United Christian Academy, Little Women
“Theater for Everyone” Inclusion and Access Award | Moorestown High School, All Shook Up
Outstanding Educator Award | Annie Raczko, Spotswood High School
Outstanding Performance in a Male-Identified Leading Role, WINNER: Luciano Guidetti as “Joe Gillis”in Sunset Boulevard, Paramus High School. Photo by Rebecca J Michelson (2026)
Scholarship Recipients
Investors Foundation Scholarship | Haley Petrushun, Ewing High School, attending Northern Michigan University for Musical Theater
Douglas Michael Kruger Scholarship | Lucas Branquinho, Ocean Township High School, attending Brookdale Community College for Theater
James K. Mosser Memorial Scholarship (Performance) | Derek Bedell, St. Joseph Regional High School, attending University of Michigan for Musical Theatre, Voice
James K. Mosser Memorial Scholarship (Technical Theater) | Matthew Macinelli, Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, attending Boston University for Lighting Design
Jane Grey Burgio Memorial Scholarship | Sydney Hain, Piscataway High School, attending the Rowan University Honors College for Musical Theater
Janet Sovey Scholarship | Abigail Drake, Delaware Valley Regional High School, attending DeSales University for Acting
Mickey McNany Theater Education Scholarship | Emily Cugini, Monroe Township High School, attending Montclair State University for Music Education and Theater
Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical Nominee—Guys and Dolls, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. Photo by Rebecca J Michelson (2026)
Paper Mill Playhouse, recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, is a nationally renowned not-for-profit theater under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Michael Stotts (Executive Director). A beloved New Jersey arts institution since 1938, Paper Mill creates and produces groundbreaking new musicals and reimagined classics. Several productions have gone on to Broadway and launched national tours, including The Great Gatsby, Disney’s Newsies, Bandstand, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Bronx Tale, and Les Misérables (25th Anniversary production).
The theater is also the home to an award-winning center for musical theater education and artist training, with outreach programs that impact thousands of students each year. As one of the nation’s premier musical theaters, Paper Mill fosters a creative environment to advance the art form, educate students, develop future theater lovers, nurture inclusion, and provide access for all. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible, in part, by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.
