Two Chatham Students Set To Perform In Paper Mill Playhouse Concert

CHATHAM, NJ — Two of Chatham's rising performing arts stars have been chosen to hone their acting and musical abilities at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, which will debut later this summer.

Gabrielle Vecciarelli, a rising senior at Chatham High School, was selected for the Senior Company, and Charlotte Ewing, a rising sixth-grade student at Chatham Middle School, was chosen for the Junior Company, according to Paper Mill Playhouse.

Both girls will appear in a fully produced, original concert titled A Whole New World: A Tribute to Alan Menken New Voices of 2022, which will be held at Paper Mill Playhouse on July 29 at 7:30 p.m. and July 30 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

“It is with such excitement that we welcome back the staged concert that has been missing from our Conservatory program for the last two years due to Covid-19 concerns. We believe that this program allows these 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 the 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 & Access.

Members of Paper Mill Playhouse's competitive Conservatory who earned coveted spots in the Senior, Junior Plus, and Junior companies are directed and choreographed in A Whole New World: A Tribute to Alan Menken, a fully produced, original concert.

This unique Paper Mill Playhouse production features over 90 talented young performers, including Rising Star Award winners and nominees, officials said.

“We asked them to work harder than they ever have before as young performers. Our faculty pushes the students to believe in themselves as professional artists, and as a result, when they move on to college or the professional world, they are ready for the challenges they’ll face. We take great pride when they make a name for themselves on Broadway or in Hollywood and from knowing every member of the Conservatory has the skills and the work ethic to serve them in any field,” Cooney said.

The Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory at the Paper Mill Playhouse is a rigorous study program that allows students to improve their individual performance potential while developing a broad base of theater experience and knowledge.

Students take intensive classes in musical theater performance, acting, dancing, private voice lessons, and improvisation, as well as guest workshops led by professional actors, directors, and casting agents. The last few weeks of the program are spent practicing for the annual New Voices Concert.

“New Voices is an amazing opportunity to see the stars of tomorrow,” said Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill’s Producing Artistic Director. “This fully produced, original concert features close to a hundred incredible performers. It is amazing to see these young performers grow into professional artists and grace the stage with an inspiring, heartfelt performance.”

Many Paper Mill Playhouse Conservatory students have gone on to appear on Broadway, in regional theater productions, in film, and on television. The Conservatory's notable alumni include Anne Hathaway, Elizabeth Egan Gillies, Laura Benanti and Ali Stroker.

Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory tickets can be purchased by calling (973) 376-4343 or visiting the Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office.