Talent abounds at tryouts for Morristown Onstage

South Street Dance at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
South Street Dance at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
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By Jeff Sovelove

If it’s December then it must be time for Morristown Onstage auditions.

Kelly Miller at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Kelly Miller at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove

Dozens of amateur acts auditioned Saturday at Morristown High School in hopes of landing one of 16 coveted slots to compete for prize money and glory at the Mayo Performing Arts Center on Feb. 27, 2019.

Presented by the Morris Educational Foundation, the show raised more than $143,000 last winter for programs in the Morris School District. The competition is open to people who live, work or attend school in Morristown, Morris Township or Morris Plains, and to alumni of Morristown High School.

Saturday’s hopefuls included singers, bands, dancers, poets and more.

Slideshow photos by Jeff Sovelove. Hover / Click images for captions:

South Street Dance at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Breyton Croom at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Jag Sage at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Mars Dens at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Samuel Polett at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Sofia Wawrzyniak at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Judges at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Diane at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
DZH at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Dylan Sarah Kluge at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Emma Price at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Kelly Miller at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Kiley Baxter at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Lauren Onufryk at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Frank Saia at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Ella at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Orion's Belt at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Erin and Rich at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
The Five Queens at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Steven Marco at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Valeria Sarinci at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Thomas Becht at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Purple Hayes at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
The Projections at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
Willy's All Night Chipmunk Band at audition for Morristown Onstage 2019, Dec. 15, 2018. Photo by Jeff Sovelove
South Street Dance - Showstoppers Dance (78)
Breyton Croom (4)
Jag Sage (5)
Mars Dens (7)
Samuel Polett (7)
Sofia Wawrzyniak (2)
The Judges (1)
Diane (5)
DZH (2)
Dylan Sarah Kluge (14)
Emma Price (2)
Kelly Miller (8)
Kiley Baxter (6)
Lauren Onufryk (7)
Frank Saia (4)
Ella (4)
Orion's Belt (16)
Rich and Erin (2)
The Five Queens (12)
Steven Marco (7)
Valeria Sarinci (23)
Thomas Becht (7)
Purple Hayes (12)
The Projections (8)
Willy's All Night Chipmunk Band (13)
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morristown onstage audition poster 2018 2019Jag Sace, an MHS junior, performed an original song to a video of him drawing a self portrait.  Lexi (Alexandra Lefkovits), who played Annie on stage, was a finalist in the first Morristown Onstage at the age of 13. She’s 26 now.

 “We saw an abundance of talent for auditions which made our selection very difficult, but as always, we have put together a great show with a lot of new faces and energy,” said Molly Servais, Morristown Onstage chairperson.

“We are very excited for 2019’s Morristown ONSTAGE, History Happens Here!

Some of the day’s highlights included:

  • Kiley Baxter, 14, from Bridgewater, performing Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You.  Kiley is studying at South Street Dance Studio in Morristown.
  • Dylan Sarah Kluge, 7, performing Lady Gaga’s A Million Reasons.  She’s a 2nd grader at Assumption School in Morristown.
  • Rich and Erin Smith, cousins who have played together for many years, performing Landslide.  Rich is a founding member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and a past Grand Marshal of the Morristown St. Patrick’s Parade.
  • Mars Dens, a husband-and-wife duo who performed Johnny Cash’s version of  You Are My Sunshine. They work at Morristown Medical Center and The Game Vault in town.
  • Lauren Onufryk, 17, from Mount Olive High School and the Mayo Performing Arts Center school, performed a soulful cover of Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
  • Orion’s Belt, so-named because the trio is “a constellation of three rising stars,” stunned everyone with Rise Up.  As one spectator put it, “That was like a moment!”  The group consists of 7th graders Charlotte Cama, Anna Grace Yureck, and Julia Cama.
  • Diana McNiff, a Morristown singer-songwriter who performed Ray Charles’ I Got a Woman.
  • Frank Saia, a veteran of previous years who performed a solo version of Blue Sky, since the other members of his group all managed to injure themselves just before the audition.
  • Steven Marco, 10, who goes to school in Morristown, performed I Wonder Who’s Loving You.  His mother, who didn’t know he could sing until a couple of months ago, is in the process of finding him a voice coach for formal training.
  • Breyton Croom, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2 and never was expected to walk or speak normally, wowed everyone on his soprano sax on the Jackson Five’s Who’s Loving You.  He earned a Master’s Degree in 2018.
  • Kelly Miller, a waitress at Arthur’s Tavern who stunned everyone with a magnificent opera aria.
  • Purple Hayes, a group that knocked it out of the park with Besame Mucho.

Finalists will be announced shortly.  One thing is for sure — Morristown is bursting with talent.

Members of Orion’s Belt are excited after their audition for Morristown Onstage 2019. Video by Jeff Sovelove for MorristownGreen.com:

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