Central Jersey high school musical awards nominations released. See the list

High school musical theatre programs presented this spring throughout Middlesex and Somerset counties have been nominated for the 2024 Carteret Performing Arts Center Central Jersey Marquee Awards.

The Marquee Awards, which honor excellence and celebrate and encourage talent and achievement in musical theatre, will be awarded during a red-carpet celebration 7:30 p.m. May 15 at the USRB Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center. A total of 20 categories will be awarded at the ceremony and nominated schools and students will perform at the Tony Awards-style event.

"We are delighted to recognize these exceptional students and schools in Central Jersey for their outstanding achievements," Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman said.

The nominees were selected by a panel of expert judges who traveled Central Jersey reviewing spring high school musicals.

Broadway actor Jelani Remy will host the event. Remy rose to fame playing Simba in Disney's "The Lion King" on Broadway where he spent a three-year run in the musical. His other theater credits include the role of Chad in Disney's "High School Musical," Jack in "The Apple Boys" and the starring role of Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations in "Ain't Too Proud."

Remy grew up in Essex County where he loved reggae music, playing the piano and drums. He had planned to come a music teacher before touring the U.S. in "High School Musical" and "High School Musical 2" for five years before making his Broadway debut in "The Lion King."

He is currently starring in "Back to the Future: The Musical" as Goldie Wilson and Marvin Berry.

For best overall production this year's nominees are: Bernards High School for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat;" Edison High School for "Legally Blonde;" Hillsborough High School for "Something Rotten;" Manville High School for "Mama Mia!;" Piscataway High School and Spotswood High School for "Mean Girls High School Version" and Woodbridge High School for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Honorable mention nominees are: Highland Park High School for "Footloose;" Old Bridge High School for "The Music Man" and Rutgers Preparatory School for "Mama Mia!"

Best Lead Actor nominees are: Nate DeNicola of Bernards High School; Jesus Roco III of Colonia High School; Vincent Pecorella of Edison High School; Kai Stevens of Highland Park High School; Brandon Javier and Benjamin Malone of Hillsborough High School and Camryn Burniston of Old Bridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Dalan Hooper of Dunellen High School; Shlok Pathak of East Brunswick High School and Julien Catalon of Woodbridge High School.

Best Lead Actress nominees are: Alyssa Cifelli of Colonia High School; Amy Boslet of Edison High School; Juliana Bucciero and Cami Galvez of Manville High School; Ashley Hamilton of Piscataway High School; Jordyn Sutton of Rutgers Preparatory School and Sophia Holness of Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Maria Stein of Dunellen High School; Cory Lucid of Rutgers Preparatory School and Savannah Posen of Spotswood High School.

Best Supporting Actor nominees are: Brendan Lobo of Bernards High School; Tristan Picou of Colonia High School; Mac Jones of Highland Park High School; Piotr Kowalczyk of Hillsborough High School; Clement Lacroix of Rutgers Preparatory School and Riley Stevens and Aaron Crowell of Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Joe Sorge of Bernards High School; Rian Sanders of Manville High School and Kai Salgado-Cowan of Piscataway High School.

Best Supporting Actress nominees are: Kara Labadessa of Edison High School; Georgina Sanches and Aurora Gibney-Krashen of Highland Park High School; Samantha Soybel of Hillsborough High School; Valery Paulino of Perth Amboy High School; Vi Potluri of Rutgers Preparatory School and Marisa Santiago of Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Suzette Stephen of Edison High School; Mia Hausser of Hillsborough High School; Niara Beckwith of Rutgers Preparatory School and Savannah Rosario of Spotswood High School.

Best Ensemble member nominees are: Jenica-Liezel Reyes of Dunellen High School; Sanjana Ramesh of Edison High School; Maria Levina, Violet Pyatt and Juliana Cordero-Dent of Highland Park High School; Charlee McLaughlin of Hillsborough High School; Jacob Hall of Piscataway High School and Tabitha Devlin of Spotswood High School.

Honorable mentions are: Julia Stevens of Highland Park High School; Elinet Brito of Perth Amboy High School; Abigail Jones of Piscataway High School and Mateo Oloriz of Woodbridge High School.

Best Production number nominees are: "Raise Your Voice" by Carteret High School; "Footloose" by Highland Park High School; "A Musical" by Hillsborough High School; "Dancing Queen Finale” by Manville High School; "76 Trombones" by Old Bridge High School; "Where Do You Belong?" by Piscataway High School and Spotswood High School and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" by Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: "Act I Finale: Ever After" by Colonia High School; "What You Want" by Edison High School and "Voulez Vous" by Rutgers Preparatory School.

Best Chorus nominees are: Colonia High School; Edison High School; Highland Park High School; Hillsborough High School; Old Bridge High School; Perth Amboy High School; Spotswood High School and Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Piscataway High School and Rutgers Preparatory School.

Best Music Direction nominees are: Edison High School; Highland Park High School; Hillsborough High School; Manville High School; Old Bridge High School; Perth Amboy High School and Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Colonia High School; Piscataway High School and Spotswood High School.

Best Student Orchestra nominees are: Bernards High School; Carteret High School; Colonia High School; East Brunswick High School; Highland Park High School; Hillsborough High School and Woodbridge High School.

Best Lighting nominees are: Edison High School; Hillsborough High School; Manville High School; Piscataway High School; Rutgers Preparatory School; Spotswood High School and Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Bernards High School; Carteret High School; East Brunswick High School and Highland Park High School.

Best Scenery nominees are: Dunellen High School; Edison High School; Hillsborough High School; Manville High School; Piscataway High School; Rutgers Preparatory School and Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Bernards High School; Old Bridge High School and Spotswood High School.

Best Costume nominees are: Bernards High School; Edison High School; Manville High School; Old Bridge High School; Perth Amboy High School; Piscataway High School; Spotswood High School and Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Hillsborough High School and Rutgers Preparatory School.

Best Hair and Make Up nominees are: Dunellen High School; Edison High School; Hillsborough High School; Perth Amboy High School; Piscataway High School; Spotswood High School and Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Bernards High School; Colonia High School; Manville High School and Old Bridge High School.

Best Student Led Category nominees are: Anaya Diaz, stage manager at Carteret High School; Matteo Morales, lighting designer at Dunellen High School; Benjamin Tachach, lighting designer and sound technician at Edison high School; Divine Nene, choreographer at Edison High School; Hannah Faryniak, art manager at Hillsborough High School; Madi Hidalgo, dance captain at Hillsborough High School; Nadia Siwiec, light designer at Hillsborough High School; Ashley Ringel, film editor at Hillsborough High School; Om Patel, light designer at J.P. Stevens High School; Saachi Doshi, stage manager at J.P. Stevens High School; Venya Raghavan, choreographer at J.P Stevens High School; Alexandra Nardone, choreographer at Old Bridge High School;

Olivia Cruz, director at Old Bridge High School; Anamika Bachoo, social media at Perth Amboy High School; the Perth Amboy High School costume crew; the Perth Amboy High School stage crew; Jaison Labung, Mya Ware, Julia Costa and Faith Patrick, dance assistants at Piscataway High School; the scenic artist crew at Piscataway High School; Sophia Verzi, vocal director at Piscataway High School; Shiloh Roache, Adrian Pelszinksi, Azrael Mark, and Anjali Narine, stage managers at Piscataway High School; Audrey Qian, Chardae Hinton and Zachary Evans, stage managers at Rutgers Preparatory School and McKayla Taggart, wardrobe dresser at Woodbridge High School.

Best Choreography nominees are: Highland Park High School; Hillsborough High School; Old Bridge High School; Perth Amboy High School; Piscataway High School; Rutgers Preparatory School and Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Bernards High School; Edison High School and Spotswood High School.

Best Direction nominees are: Edison High School; Highland Park High School; Hillsborough High School; Manville High School; Piscataway High School; Rutgers Preparatory School and Woodbridge High School.

Honorable mentions are: Bernards High School; Old Bridge High School and Spotswood High School.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.