Will perform in Rising Star show on June 7
By Andrew Corselli, Staff Writer
The Hillsborough High School theater program is taking big steps as an organization. For the first time in school history, the group received 10 Paper Mill Playhouse “Rising Star” nominations, given for the best in New Jersey high school theater.
For the group’s work in “Phantom of the Opera,” which was held from March 11-19, the school garnered a Best Overall Production nomination, another first for HHS.
”Since I’ve been involved we’ve usually at least gotten one (nomination per year),” said director BJ Solomon, who is in his third year of leading the theater program. “The fact that we got 10 this year is such a leap forward. It really just shows how we’ve been trying to build a program over the last few years. We’ve been increasing what our shows are; it’s not just high school theater we’re doing good theater that anybody can enjoy.”
The Paper Mill Playhouse, located in Millburn, is the state theater of New Jersey and one of the largest regional theaters in the country. They have held the awards show for 16 years with more than 100 high schools participating each year, according to Mr. Solomon.
According to Mr. Solomon, Paper Mill Playhouse sends four evaluators out to every high school production. They nominate specific aspects for the awards show on Tuesday, June 7.
Since Hillsborough has been nominated for best overall production, the group will have the honor of performing a song from their musical, as will each of the other six nominated schools. The Raiders will perform “Masquerade,” which was requested by the Paper Mill Playhouse, said Mr. Solomon.
”Each (school) performs a three-minute song from their show, and they have awards,” he said. “The awards are for sets, costumes, lights, best actor, best actress, director, supporting actor and actress, choreographer, and all these awards. There’s 21 different awards. Interspersed between the awards, they have each of the different shows performing.”
In Mr. Solomon’s tenure at the high school, the most nominations the theater group has received in a year is two. The previous record, set the year prior to Mr. Solomon’s arrival, was five.
”Phantom was very successful,” said Mr. Solomon. “We had standing room only for every performance, people asking us to extend, people buying tickets for another show at intermission, and just an unbelievable reception. We knew we had a really good show but this just sort of validates what we did.”

