The Paper Mill Playhouse 2013 Rising Star Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role was presented to Red Bank Catholic junior Kaitlin Leddy, who portrayed “Rita LaPorta” in the spring musical, Lucky Stiff. RBC senior Brianna Vitale was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role for her performance as “Annabel Glick,” and the cast received Honorable Mention for Outstanding Performance by a Chorus. The Gala Ceremony for the 2013 Awards was held at the Paper Mill Playhouse Theatre on June 4th.
Using the model of the Tony Awards, Paper Mill Playhouse created The Rising Star Awards in 1996 to encourage and reward exceptional accomplishments in high school musical theatre. For this statewide competition, the evaluators view approximately 100 high school productions from across New Jersey. According to the Paper Mill Playhouse website, the theatre consistently hears “from top tier colleges and casting directors that the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award is a significant accolade for an aspiring theatre artist.” Earlier nominees and winners include Anne Hathaway, and 2013 Tony Award nominee Rob McLure. The students receiving final nominations in the lead and supporting acting categories also receive a scholarship to the Paper Mill Playhouse professional training program, the “Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory.”
Locally, on May 22nd, Red Bank’s Count Basie Theatre presented The Basie Awards to honor excellence in Monmouth County High School Dramatic and Musical Theatre. RBC’s production of Lucky Stiff received several nominations including Brianna Vitale for Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Student/Adult Orchestra directed by Shawn Mack. Senior Joe Pignataro so impressed the Basie Awards Committee with his portrayal of the deceased “Uncle Anthony” that they created a new award for 2013 and presented him with the Joseph Pignataro Evaluators Special Award, “Less is More.”
