Paper Mill Playhouse Searches New Jersey High Schools for Its Next Rising Stars

Millburn, New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse is now accepting applications for its 19th annual Rising Star Awards. Since 1996, the regional theater has been hosting an annual gala, modeled after the Tony Awards, where students from the musical-theater programs of New Jersey high schools can showcase their talents. Notable past nominees and winners include Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables), Tony award winners Laura Benanti (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) and Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), and Tony award nominee Rob McClure (Honeymoon in Vegas).

The Rising Star Awards event, which makes available over $50,000 in scholarships, offers accolades in performance, design, and production categories, in addition to a Student Achievement Award and an Educational Impact Award. The Rising Star "Theater for Everyone" Inclusion & Access Award is also presented to the school that demonstrates a practice of creative inclusion for students with disabilities.

"There is amazing energy and excitement for high school musical theater right now," said Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill Playhouse's producing artistic director. "Seeing so many past Rising Star nominees and winners working professionally on Broadway, in national tours, and at regional theaters around the nation is a huge validation of the extensive process our Paper Mill team has designed to locate and identify the best young talent from all corners of the great state of New Jersey. The culmination for many New Jersey high schools is the prestigious honor of a Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star nomination, and we are proud to present these awards to the schools in our community."

Any New Jersey school that produces a musical between January 16 and April 13, 2014, is eligible to participate, though only the first 100 schools to apply can join the program. Applications can be found on the Paper Mill Playhouse website. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on January 8, 2014.