Hudson County Teens Win Spots In Prestigious NJ Theater Program

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — A host of talented young performers in New Jersey earned coveted spots in Paper Mill Playhouse's Summer Musical Theater Conservatory this year, and performed a fully produced concert, "We Will Rock You," this weekend.

Participating teens from Hudson Count

• Sophia Donath, Jersey City, NJ
• Arianna Guerreiro, Kearny, NJ
• Eva Zazzali, Secaucus, NJ
• Natalia Artigas, Hoboken, NJ
• Sienna Mello, Hoboken, NJ
• Avery Ramsey, Hoboken, NJ

The "New Voices of 2023" will perform four shows on Friday and Saturday, July 28 and 29 at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn.

Paper Mill Playhouse, recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award, has selected dozens of students to be a part of the program. Members of the competitive Conservatory who earned coveted spots in the Senior (ages 15-18), Junior Plus (ages 13-14), and Junior (ages 10-12) companies will be directed and choreographed by Paper Mill Playhouse’s professional artistic staff in the original concert.

Paper Mill's theater programs and annual Rising Star Awards for high school plays gave starts to many future Broadway stars such as Anne Hathaway and Laura Benanti.

"A show unlike any other produced by Paper Mill Playhouse, this special concert features 122 talented young performers, including Rising Star Award winners and nominees," said the organizers. "The 2023 New Voices Concert showcases the rock musicals that changed the landscape of the Broadway industry and became instant classics in the process, drawing on songs from Hair, Godspell, Rock of Ages, Dear Evan Hansen, Rent and Hamilton and many more famous jukebox musical hits."

New Voices and the Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory are supported by the Investors Foundation and Citizens Philanthropic Foundation. The Hearst Foundations are Paper Mill’s Education & Outreach Partner.

Performances of We Will Rock You will be held on Friday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, July
29 at 1:30 PM and 7:30 p.m. at 22 Brookside Drive, Millburn.

Tickets range in price from $25 to $50. Tickets may be purchased by calling (973) 376-4343, online at www.papermill.org, or by visiting the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office.

“We believe that this program allows young performers an opportunity to thrive and ultimately live their dream of being professional performers. 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,” stated Lisa Cooney, Paper Mill Playhouse Director of Education, Outreach and Access.

The Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Musical Theater Conservatory is a demanding program allowing students to enhance their individual performance potential while developing a broad
base of theater experience and knowledge.

“New Voices is an amazing opportunity to see the stars of tomorrow,” commented Mark S.
Hoebee, Paper Mill’s producing artistic director.

2023 Conservatory Students By Town

Brynn Simonelli, Annandale, NJ
Megan Simonelli, Annandale, NJ
Jack Sisk, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Lillian Ferrer, Basking Ridge, NJ
Shloka Ram, Basking Ridge, NJ
Brielle Marques, Bedminster, NJ
Pippa Knowles, Belleville, NJ
Jake Naughton, Berkeley Heights, NJ
Sophia Peseller, Bloomingdale, NJ
Alex Vacchiano, Boonton, NJ
Alaina Gust, Bridgewater, NJ
Zoya Vaidya, Budd Lake NJ
Evie Reyes, Caldwell, NJ
Charlotte Ewing, Chatham, NJ
Sarah Mattle, Chatham, NJ
Gabrielle Vecciarelli, Chatham, NJ
Talia Fabrizzio, Clark, NJ
Zavier Aviles, Clifton, NJ
Natalia Vella, Clifton, NJ
Lindsay Berliner, Colts Neck, NJ
Alyssa Ucci, Dayton, NJ
Macey Hyatt, Denville, NJ
Karson Moscola, Denville, NJ
>Mykhel Duckett, Glen Ridge, NJ
Julian Novoa, Glen Ridge, NJ
Giulia Beaudoin, Glen Rock, NJ
Leina Staudinger, Greenbook, NJ
Gracie Nagle, Hackettstown, NJ
Sophia Silvera, Hawthorne, NJ
Violet Pyatt, Highland Park, NJ
Natalia Artigas, Hoboken, NJ
Sienna Mello, Hoboken, NJ
Avery Ramsey, Hoboken, NJ
Adelina Harrington, Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
Shea East, Jackson, NJ
Sophia Donath, Jersey City, NJ
Arianna Guerreiro, Kearny, NJ
Evan Gray, Kinnelon, NJ
Caroline Nieto, Kinnelon, NJ
Sylvie Friedman, Livingston, NJ
Ben Rost, Livingston, NJ
Jonah Ruderman, Livingston, NJ
Giuliana Tritto, Livingston, NJ
Avery Benjamin, Madison, NJ
Abby Teagan, Madison, NJ
Marianna Daley, Maplewood, NJ
Quincy Hampton, Maplewood, NJ
Destiny Keith, Maplewood, NJ
Avery Sinclair, Maplewood, NJ
Zoe Zaslow-Braverman, Maplewood, NJ
Chandi Diaz, Maywood, NJ
Juliana Johnston, Metuchen, NJ
Autumn Capes, Monmouth, NJ
Vincent Wilson, Monroe, NJ
Bridget Campbell, Montclair, NJ
Orly Kinsella, Montclair, NJ
Lucas Kirmsse, Moorestown, NJ
Miles Schmidt, Morris Plains, NJ
Alexa Torres, Mountainside, NJ
Riley Ann Murphy, New Providence, NJ
Nadia Nale, New Providence, NJ
Alexandra Hermans, North Caldwell, NJ
John “Chai” Shea, North Brunswick, NJ
Nathaniel Updegraff, North Brunswick, NJ
Valeria Flores, Nutley, NJ
Alexis Hamlin, Nutley, NJ
Thomas Snyder, Park Ridge, NJ
Jackson Bartle, Piscataway, NJ
Ashley Hamilton, Piscataway, NJ
Najm Muhammad, Piscataway, NJ
Emma Bucardo Rivera, Pompton Lakes, NJ
Nathaniel Algor, Ramsey, NJ
Marcus Stefanelli, Ramsey, NJ
Amelia Diaz, Randolph, NJ
Liam Fahey, Ringwood, NJ
Lexi Ciardella, Roseland, NJ
Eva Zazzali, Secaucus, NJ
Anna Athungal, Scotch Plains, NJ
Judith DiMinni, Short Hills, NJ
Saniya Kamat, Short Hills, NJ
Sid Kamat, Short Hills, NJ
Uma Menon, Short Hills, NJ
Dia Patankar, Short Hills, NJ
Akiv Shah, Short Hills, NJ
Siana Sharma, Short Hills, NJ
Remi Stein, Short Hills, NJ
Lola Larson, South Orange, NJ
Anton MacLachlan, South Orange, NJ
Parker Ryan, South Orange, NJ
Madelyn Weisbach, South Orange, NJ
Liora Weiss, South Orange, NJ
Ava Valluzzi, South Plainfield, NJ
Luzita Avila, Summit, NJ
Gavin Colucci, Summit, NJ
Rosie Gaeta, Summit, NJ
Noah Ibrahim, Summit, NJ
Anna Przybylko, Summit, NJ
Jacey Sink, Summit, NJ
Benjamin Strauss, Summit, NJ
Sarah Walsh, Summit, NJ
Lauren White, Summit, NJ
Lyra Winton, Summit, NJ
Elyana Barroqueiro, Union, NJ
Josh Cooper, Wayne, NJ
Charlotte English, Wayne, NJ
Lillian Kopacz, Wayne, NJ
Bella Jarecki, Westfield, NJ
Kyan Bashkoff, West Orange, NJ
Vincent Fondetto, West Orange, NJ
Riley Hahn, West Orange, NJ
Bryan Fortunato, Wyckoff, NJ
Gabriel Ornstein, Wyckoff, NJ
Sam Ornstein, Wyckoff, NJ
Reese Bruning, Fallston, MD
Mabel Danielian, New York, NY
Ellen Weaver, Mechanicsburg, PA
Arwen Cameron, Stroudsburg, PA
Daniel Wright, Richmond, TX
Kshirja Rastogi, New Delhi, India
Isabella Shewan, Newport, Gwent, UK

Paper Mill Playhouse, recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is a nationally renowned, not-for-profit theater under the direction of Mark S. Hoebee (Producing Artistic Director) and Mike Stotts (Executive Director). A beloved NJ 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.

Conservatory alumni include:

Anne Hathaway – Stage: Twelfth Night (The Public Theater); Film: Les Misérables (2013
Academy Award winner), Rachel Getting Married (2009 Academy Award & Golden Globe
nominee), Ocean’s Eight, Get Smart, Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada, Disney’s
The Princess Diaries; TV: WeCrashed, Modern Love
Ali Stroker – Broadway: Oklahoma (2019 Tony Award Winner), Spring Awakening; Film:
Lifetime’s Christmas Ever After; TV: Oxygen’s The Glee Project: Season 2; Paper Mill: The 25th
Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive Ostrovsky)
Laura Benanti – Broadway: Gypsy (2008 Tony Award Winner), She Loves Me, Into the Woods,
The Wedding Singer, My Fair Lady, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, The Sound of
Music; TV: Younger, HBO Max’s Gossip Girl, NBC’s The Sound of Music Live! (Elsa Schraeder)
Robert McClure – Broadway: Mrs. Doubtfire, Beetlejuice, Something Rotten, Honeymoon in
Vegas, Noises Off, Chaplin, Avenue Q
Jelani Remy – Broadway: Disney’s The Lion King, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Ain’t Too Proud
Khailah Johnson – TV: CW’s 4600
Shanice Williams – TV: NBC’s The Wiz Live! (Dorothy)
Joshua Dela Cruz – Broadway: Disney’s Aladdin; TV: Blue’s Clues & You!
Nikki M. James – Broadway: Book of Mormon (2011 Tony Award Winner), Les Misérables
(Éponine), All Shook Up, Once On This Island (Assistant Director)
Julia Knitel – Broadway: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Bye Bye Birdie
Avery Espiritu – Broadway: The King and I
Alex Drier – Broadway: Finding Neverland, Assembled Parties, Billy Elliot
Daisy Hobbs – Broadway: Disney’s Aladdin
Matthew Scott – Broadway: Jersey Boys, An American in Paris, A Catered Affair, Sondheim on
Sondheim
Collin Kelly-Sordelet – Broadway: The Last Ship (Young Gideon), The Ferryman
Jared Gertner – Broadway: The Book of Mormon (Elder Cunningham), The 25 th Annual Putnam
Spelling Bee
Neil McCaffrey – Broadway: Mary Poppins (Michael Banks), Bye, Bye Birdie (Randolph), Billy
Elliot (Michael)
Monette McKay – Broadway: Come From Away, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Spider-
Man: Turn Off the Dark, Memphis, Mamma Mia!
Constantine Rousouli – Broadway: Hairspray (Link), Ghost the Musical, Wicked (Fiyero)
Jonathan Schwartz – Broadway: Disney’s Aladdin (Omar), Elf, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Elizabeth Egan Gillies – Broadway: 13 The Musical; TV: Nickelodeon’s Victorious, The CW’s
Dynasty
Lael Van Keuran – Broadway: Paradise Square, Sister Act
Matt Ban – Broadway: Rock of Ages (Dennis)