Bloomfield's Annie Reynolds Ready to Take the Stage

When Annie Reynolds first stood in front of a crowd at the age of seven, she was nervous. And then the thrill of performing took hold and the nerves went away.

“I was the little redheaded girl in Charlie brown,” Reynolds, now 12, said. I was nervous and I realized how fun it was when I stared and I was totally fine.”

When she takes the stage on Friday night at the Paper Mill Playhouse’s New Voices concert, the thrill of performance is sure to outpace any nerves. Her enthusiasm for being onstage and among fellow thespians and performers was front and center in her conversation with Patch.

“I love being able to meet a lot of new people and meet people like me that also love to do things I like to do like singing and dancing,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds is one of over 120 talented young performers to earn a spot in Paper Mill Playhouse's "New Voices of 2013: Swing Awakening."

This year’s New Voices theme is a celebration of the rich history of standards and jazz hits that are the soul and heart of musical theater.  

“Our opening number is all that jazz, that kind of gives away what the theme is,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds has already strung together a number of notable roles in musicals and dramas, including a recent turn as Hellen Keller in a Cranford Dramatic Club performance of The Miracle Worker, which she called “the best role I’ve ever done.”

Through the "New Voices" concert, the conservancy aims to create and showcase young artists who can grow to become world-class performers, according to Paper Mill's Director of Education Lisa Cooney.

“From the first day of class all the way through opening night of New Voices, we require our students to rise to the demands of this rigorous program,” she said.  “We ask them to work harder than they ever have before as young performers, and we strive to build an incredible ensemble company, while each student hones their own individual performance skills.”

Many conservatory students have gone on to appear in numerous Broadway productions, film, television, and regional theater. Some, including Oscar winner Anne Hathaway and Tony winners Laura Benanti and Nikki M. James, have enjoyed award-winning recognition on stage and screen. 

Performances of New Voices of 2013: Swing Awakening will be held Friday, Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 3 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  Single tickets range in price from $25 to $45.  Tickets may be purchased by calling (973) 376-4343, online at www.papermill.org, or visit the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn.