By Emma Piascik and Kevin Coughlin
The top prizes went to a 17-year-old singer with a majestic voice, a rocking duo who breathed new life into Johnny Cash, and a Morristown High School trio who re-imagined Imagine.
But as terrific as Julianna Belles, Jay & Myles and Treble Threats were on Wednesday, the 10th annual Morristown Onstage competition belonged to a tiny 6th-grader who for the very first time stared into the bright lights…gulped…and ran off the Mayo Performing Arts Center stage.
Shannon Melody Burns didn’t win the grand prize, but she surely won the most hearts, returning in the second half with encouragement from 1,300 chanting fans (“Shannon! Shannon! We love you!”), motherly coaxing from emcee Tara Bernie of NBC Access Hollywood fame, and a helping hand from Morristown High School senior Alexandra Monfalcone.
She gently walked Shannon from the wings as the opening notes of Somewhere Over the Rainbow filled the theater.
Shannon nailed it this time, earning a thunderous standing ovation and the $250 Rossoff Rising Star Award for most promising young performer.
“The first time I was so panicked, it was like, I’m not ready for this!” Shannon, 11, recounted.
But she had worked too hard to give up. “It’s now, like, I can do it again,” she said after the show. “It feels great.”
The outpouring for Shannon–among the contestants backstage and the audience out front–is what Morristown Onstage is all about, said Kim Pistner, chairperson of the Morris Educational Foundation.
“It just brings out the best in everybody, as a community,” Pistner said.
Slideshow photos by Jeff Sovelove
BEST SHOW YET?
Proceeds of the show benefit MEF programs in the Morris School District. Organizers were aiming for a record $100,000 from this anniversary performance. “This is very exciting for us,” said Morristown Onstage Chairperson Molly Servais, applauding the public for “celebrating our schools, year after year.”
Fifteen finalists were chosen from nearly 70 amateur acts that auditioned in December. The contest is open to people who live, work or attend school in Morristown, Morris Township or Morris Plains, and to alumni of Morristown High School.
This probably was the most talented lineup yet, said Debbie Sontupe, executive director of the MEF.
For the first time, there was a standup comic, Andy Glaser, a 40-something mother and lawyer. A bunch of dads did Pearl Jam proud in a band called 31 South. The young dance troupe Dreams exemplified Morristown’s Latin vibrancy with a swirling tribute to Colombian culture.
Joe Paggi, who had not sung in years, gave a powerful operatic rendition of You Raise Me Up. Singer-songwriters Steevan Mars and Dani Dones, back for their third- and fourth times, respectively, proved they never will wear out their welcomes.
A quintet, Big Radio, rocked the house with Karen Rose belting out lead vocals. Hair stylist Keisha Smith Johnson sang I Will Always Love You with style, and Girl Scout Isabella Racioppi gave a fluid dance interpretation of Andrea Day’s Rise Up.
Four pals from Frelinghuysen Middle School donned dark shades as V2C2, and put an ultra-cool spin on the Mission: Impossible theme. Sixteen-year-old Kelly Phelan sang an original song with command, accompanied by mentor Ed Nicholson on guitar.
TREBLE THREAT
The Morristown High School Theatre kicked off the second half with a colorful song-and-dance number, So Much Better, from the school’s upcoming production of Legally Blonde (March 23-26, 2017).
That ensemble featured our correspondent, Ms. Monfalcone — having a very busy night! — and Anna Skelton, Nile Birch and Victoria Fanning of Treble Threats, whose performance of John Lennon’s anthem Imagine — enhanced with sign language–was good for the $500 people’s choice award, as voted by text messages.
“I think it went awesome… each one of us put our lives and our hearts into the audience,” said Birch, who is auditioning for the Mayo Center’s spring production of West Side Story.
Despite their considerable stage experience, the three MHS juniors all confessed to some pre-show jitters.
“If you don’t get nervous, that’s not a good thing,” said Birch.
Skelton, the star of Legally Blonde, said she fretted about forgetting her lyrics. She understood Shannon’s stage fright.
“Backstage was amazing… when she came off the first time, we all started chanting, ‘Shannon, Shannon!'” Skelton said.
Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Julianna Belles, a junior at the Morris County School of Technology, took home the $1,000 prize in the 18-and-under division with a supremely poised presentation of On My Own from Les Miserables.
“I’ve been practicing that song forever,” said Belles, a member of the Mayo Center’s Performing Arts Company since she was 10. “The character speaks to me, the musical speaks to me, I’m just so passionate about that subject.”
WATCH VIDEO OF THE WINNING ACTS
“We thought she was the most solid performance out of everyone, with the stage presence, the command in her voice, all those elements,” said one of the talent judges, electronic music producer Aaron Velasquez, who won the 2009 competition as a beat-boxer.
Guitarist Jay Phatak, who recently auditioned for The Voice, and percussionist Myles Beck both are popular on the local open mic circuit. They won the $1,000 prize for the 18-and-over category with a smoking cover of Folsom Prison Blues.
“They had an original take on a song I’ve heard a million times…and I thought they connected with the crowd,” said panelist Mike Ryan, a radio program director and 2001 Morristown High graduate.
He shared judging honors with fellow MHS grads Josh Gannet (’99), a recording engineer and producer; and Ben Sesar (’88), drummer for Brad Paisley. Rounding out the panel was pedal steel guitar wizard Robert Randolph, a former Morristown resident.
“I was looking for originality and a full-on performance,” said Randolph, named one of the 100 greatest guitarists by Rolling Stone. He said the choices were tough, and all the runners-up can hold their heads high.
Especially Shannon.
“She showed great courage,” said Randolph, who had tried to console her backstage after her panic attack.
“I told her to just gather herself, it’s okay, don’t worry about messing up. Just come out and perform and have fun. I think she might have heard one of those things that I said, because she came out and did a great job.”
If you want to cheer her on, Shannon’s next gig is this weekend. She stars as Pinocchio in Shrek: The Musical, at Frelinghuysen Middle School.
Emma Piascik is a Morristown High School senior. So is Alexandra Monfalcone, who contributed to this report. Stayed tuned for more from this night to remember.
MORE COVERAGE OF MORRISTOWN ONSTAGE YEAR 10
