Paper Mill Playhouse Wins Two People's Choice Awards

Paper Mill Playhouse (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Mike Stotts-Managing Director), recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is pleased to announce it has won two, 2019 Discover Jersey Arts People's Choice Awards. Paper Mill Playhouse was awarded, "Favorite Large Theater to See a Musical," and "Favorite Choral Group" by the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation. Presented by Discover Jersey Arts, a program of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the annual Awards highlight the work of New Jersey's vital and thriving arts community.

The awards presented to Paper Mill Playhouse were accepted by Managing Director Mike Stotts and Director of Press and Public Relations Shayne Miller (also the director of the theater's award-winning show choir) at a ceremony in Burlington, New Jersey this week. "We're so grateful for this designation and to be among the top arts organizations in the state," said Stotts. "We are thankful for the outpouring of support from the community that we serve and thrilled we were chosen as New Jersey's 'Favorite Place to see a Musical'. We are overjoyed to receive an award for the Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir. Programs like our show choir, Theatre School, classes for students with autism and other developmental disabilities and our Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory give students a supportive environment in which to study and explore elements of performance and learn essential life skills."

This year, nearly 14,000 arts lovers cast their ballots for their favorite local groups and downtowns. Paper Mill Playhouse garnered over 8,000 votes between the two categories and has won more People's Choice Awards than any other arts organization in the program's history.

Paper Mill Playhouse was one of 104 arts organizations and 11 downtown districts nominated in 19 categories, including favorite art museum, opera company, small theatre, choral group and more. Nominees were determined by their peers in the Jersey Arts Marketers network, made up of hundreds of arts groups from around the state.

"The arts in New Jersey are vibrant, diverse and innovative," said Adam Perle, President & CEO of ArtPride New Jersey, during this year's awards ceremony at Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts in Burlington, N.J. "We are extremely proud to host the annual JerseyArts.com People's Choice Awards, and to honor the outstanding Cultural Industry that makes our state such an incredible place to live, work and play." For detailed results and more information, visit www.JerseyArts.com/PeoplesChoice.

"The thousands of fans who come out and vote every year for their favorites are further proof that the arts matter in New Jersey," said Allison Tratner, Executive Director of the State Arts Council. "As drivers of tourism and the economy, these distinctive arts destinations anchor communities in every corner of the state, and help connect us with the creativity so vital to our quality of life."

Paper Mill Playhouse BROADWAY SHOW CHOIR (Shayne Austin Miller, Director) is a tuition-free, audition-based performance show choir that stems from Paper Mill Playhouse's award-winning Arts Education and Outreach programs. The choir consists of 70 singer/dancers between the ages of 15 and 22. The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir acts as ambassadors to Paper Mill Playhouse with an array of performance opportunities throughout the community and beyond. Over the past six seasons, the Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir has delighted more than 450,000 people across the region with rousing renditions of Broadway, pop and classics. The choir has performed at prestigious venues including MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Center, Sun Arena, NJPAC, The State Theatre, Mayo Center, Bergen PAC, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Empire State Building, Asbury Park Convention Center, SOPAC, among others. The choir will be on-tour throughout the state, April through June. The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir is presented by Overlook Medical Center. For more information or tour schedule visit www.PaperMill.org/showchoir.

To post a comment, you must register and login.