By Marion Filler and Kevin Coughlin
How do you split $1,000 42 ways?
The math may be tricky, but the Shining Starz made the choreography look easy. They bounded from the wings of the sold-out Mayo Performing Arts Center like synchronized buckshot on Wednesday to win the youth category at the 13th annual Morristown Onstage.
Ranging in age from 6 to 17, these cartwheeling kids from a Cedar Knolls dance academy kicked off the show with a routine called Dancing on the Ceiling. It made an impression that stuck with the panel of judges 13 acts later.
The gala evening was a benefit for programs in the Morris School District. Chrissie Weatherbee of the Morris Educational Foundation predicted the show, featuring top amateurs from Greater Morristown, would top last year’s record of $175,000.
That would push the aggregate total over the $1 million mark, according to TV personality Tara Bernie, back for her sixth year as emcee.
She looked resplendent doing red carpet interviews in a floor-length green gown from Rent the Runway, her go-to glamor choice.
“So practical, you wear it, put it in a box, and send it back the next day. You know a woman owns that company. It’s such a good idea,” Bernie said.
FLAT TIRE DID NOT DEFLATE HER
The Shining Starz weren’t the only pleasant surprises on Wednesday, a night that also saw District Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast honored for his selection as New Jersey Superintendent of the Year.
A pair of original songs struck gold. Neillea Dee’s Lift You Up was good enough to take the $1,000 prize in the adult division.
Dee overcame a flat tire en route to the theater, then bested her brother, Malachi, who performed his own original tune (Water) with his pal Glenn Terry.
“He is so amazing, his band gets such good recognition, it’s kind of nice to have my turn,” said Dee, a 28-year-old pastry chef whose boyfriend Sean Reagan surprised her by signing her up for December’s audition.
The $250 Rossoff Rising Star Award went to Jonathan Freschl, a pianist who sang for the first time. He got everyone’s attention with Ida, an original song inspired by his 101-year-old grandmother.
Freschl promised to follow her advice: “Enjoy your life. Success is your own view of success, it’s not other people’s.”
But the clear fan favorite–as voted by text message–was 10-year-old Zion Pearson, who did his idol proud with a high-octane rendition of Michael Jackson’s Who’s Loving You. It earned him a $500 cardboard check that dwarfed his 5th-grade frame.
The song was his third choice since the tryout.
“I felt like this one had less dead space and more feeling,” said Zion, who had an enthusiastic cheering section from the Thomas Jefferson School.
When his award was announced, “I was happy and I was excited and I was like, oh, is this really the beginning of my career?”
Asked if Morristown Onstage was what he expected, Zion reflected for an instant.
“No,” he replied. ” I didn’t know there was going to be lunch.”
A new “Taking Flight” award from the NY Jets went to Morristown High School junior Bobbi Baitey, who did double duty on Wednesday.
After appearing as a peasant with her school cast of Into the Woods, she transformed into a pop princess, belting out Beyonce’s Listen to close the show.
She and Neillea Dee both won chances to audition to sing the National Anthem at a Jets game.
‘PURE JOY’
Picking winners was hard, said panelist Bill Stephney, former CEO of Def Jam Recordings.
“It’s like being asked to choose a favorite child,” he said. “Once again, Morristown displays how much talent it has. It’s the talent center of New Jersey.”
Judges included Broadway singer Lori Brown Mirabal; WDHA deejay Terrie Carr; and Morristown High favorite sons John Ginty, organist for the Allman Betts Band, and Josh Gannet, a producer who has worked with hip hop star Redman and Keith Richards of the Stones.
Gannet (MHS ’99) said he was looking for a combination of confidence and sincerity from Morristown Onstage contestants.
“I like something that feels authentic and sincere…somebody that I can believe what they’re saying, that they believe what they’re singing,” Gannet said.
Song choices counted a lot for Ginty (MHS ’90). Original songs are a gamble, he said, and one paid off for Neillea Dee.
“She had a great hook, a great chorus, she brought the whole thing. She had a great voice, she carried herself well, she owned the stage. She had the right outfit on. We look for all those elements,” Ginty said.
Freschl “is going to be doing something great, he’s really unique,” he predicted, adding the panelists were unanimous about Zion Pearson: “That kid’s a star.”
And then there were those swirling Shining Starz.
“What really got it for us was the look on everybody’s face of pure joy,” Ginty said. “I promise you, everybody in that dance troupe lives to dance. I know that look, I’ve seen that look. They’re going to go a long way.”
If they can just do the math and divvy up the spoils…
Dance Director Stephanie Gonzalez may throw a party. Her troupe was in no mood to wait, however. Asked how they planned to celebrate, the Starz thundered in unison:
“DESSERT!”
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