Downtown Banner, Resolution Honor Ridge High School Drama Club's State Awards

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The Ridge High School Drama Club received two recent special recognitions from the town for their win of the Paper Mill Rising Star Award for Best Musical with their production of Newsies.

A banner congratulating the club on their win can be seen when driving through downtown Basking Ridge, and on Tuesday night the club received a special recognition at the Bernards Township Committee Meeting.

The Township Committee unanimously passed a resolution recognizing Ridge High School Drama Club for their 2023 State Championship Awards. Read More: Ridge High School's 'Newsies' Takes Home 7 Awards

The club was nominated for 10 awards for their musical production of Newsies and received seven awards including:

• Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
• Outstanding Performance by a Featured Ensemble Member: Jaidyn Reilly
• Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra
• Outstanding Performance by a Chorus
• James K Mosser Memorial Rising Star Awards Scholarship for Performance: Libby Schmitt
• Outstanding Educator Awards: Tim Lynch
• Outstanding Achievement in Choreography and Staging: Rachel Miranda & Jennifer Digiuseppe

"The greatest of these awards being the Overall Outstanding Production of a Musical, for the second year in a row, ranking Ridge Drama Club as the highest Production in the state of New Jersey," according to the township resolution.

Mayor Andrew McNally called their efforts a "remarkable achievement."

Township Committeeman Gary Baumann called the drama club a "treasure within Bernards Township."

"As a parent of a pit member, I get to see firsthand the time and the effort that you guys put in. I have to say moments after the lights go down and the curtain comes up I go from realizing I am sitting in a high school performing arts center to being transported to being in an experience that's quite different," said Baumann.

Committeewoman Jennifer Asay also shared positive words with the club.

"What you do from a theater and musicality perspective is extraordinary," said Asay. "It's really remarkable what you all have done."

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