Summit's Rising Stars Take Home Top Honors

For the past 18 years, the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn has been honoring the state's top high school theater productions with the Rising Star Awards.

On Tuesday, 31 awards were presented, along with five scholarships and other cash prizes. Summit High School took home six awards - the most of any school in New Jersey - inclucing top honors for Outstanding Overall Production. 

The following awards were won by the Hilltoppers:

Outstanding Overall Production Summit High School DISNEY'S BEAUTY & THE BEAST

Outstanding Direction Anne Poyner Summit High School DISNEY'S BEAUTY & THE BEAST

Outstanding Featured Ensemble Group "The Silly Girls" Summit High School DISNEY'S BEAUTY & THE BEAST

Outstanding Music Direction Wayne Mallette and Steve Rapp Summit High School DISNEY'S BEAUTY & THE BEAST

Outstanding Lobby Display Mary-Ann Terret and Tina White Summit High School DISNEY'S BEAUTY & THE BEAST

Student Achievement Award Sam Rollino Set Construction Crew Head Summit High School DISNEY'S BEAUTY & THE BEAST

The Rising Star Awards are modeled after the Tony Awards and serve the entire state, with nearly 100 productions from public, private and parochial high schools entered into the competition. Paper Mill Playhouse conceived and created the awards in 1996 to give schools the opportunity to showcase their musical arts programs on a state level.

The musicals are adjudicated by Paper Mill Playhouse throughout the spring by a group of 70 Evaluators, with each school receiving four independent evaluations.