The theme for the 16th annual Morristown Onstage competition is “Timeless.”
Which pretty much sums up the atmosphere at Saturday’s media day.
Every year, most of the finalists change. But the excitement is the same, as amateur singers, musicians and dancers anticipate their moment of hometown glory on the hallowed stage of the Mayo Performing Arts Center.
“I love the fact that MPAC is in my town. There are so many great shows I’ve gone to see there…it’s cool to be in the audience and then be onstage,” said finalist Ella Lindner.
The senior at Morristown’s Fusion Academy is among 13 acts that will compete for prize money on March 1, 2023, in a fundraiser for the nonprofit Morris Educational Foundation.
“It’s our biggest one,” said Joelle Servais, looking forward to her first Morristown Onstage since becoming MEF executive director last spring.
Morristown Onstage raised more than $150,000 in 2022; the show has topped $1.4 million since its inception. The money supports dozens of programs in the 10 schools of the Morris School District, which serves about 5,700 students from Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains.
Amateur performers who live, work or attend schools in those towns are eligible to audition. So are alumni of Morristown High School, where this winter’s finalists were trotted out over the weekend to meet the press, pose for publicity photos, and rehearse.
Lindner, who will sing Aretha Franklin’s iconic hit, Natural Woman, is back from last year. Other returning finalists include Allison Chong (a solo dancer in 2018 and again last year, dancing this time in the duo Allie & Sydney), keyboard player Frank Saia (soloist in 2019, now in The Mountain Jam Band), singer-songwriter Diana McNiff (2019), and New Love City, which appeared as LUCA in 2020.
Julia Cama, a Morristown High School junior, won the 2019 audience choice award with the vocal trio Orion’s Belt. She’s fronting another group this year, the MHS Jazz Band.
“I’m so psyched to see the the jazz band,” said Servais, a 1992 MHS grad who played clarinet in the school concert band.
Three of Servais’ four children attend Morris District schools, ranging from grades 6 through 9. They cannot try out because of her position, Servais said. But their reaction to Morristown Onstage has been like that of many other kids.
“They were like, ‘Wow! I can do that!'” said Servais. The family is well acquainted with Morristown Onstage; Servais’ sister-in-law, Molly, is a former chairperson. Last year’s chair, Melanie Smith, has handed the reins to a committee of volunteers.
WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS AND AD-LIBS
Another familiar face is Tara Bernie, emceeing for the ninth time.
“There’s just a bigger level of excitement every year,” said the longtime celebrity TV reporter and former New Jersey Nets dancer.
Although she prepares a script to introduce the finalists, Bernie must be ready for surprises that are inevitable with live productions.
“One year, my dress broke,” she recalled, citing a busted zipper. A hasty call to her daughters landed a backup gown from home. Another time, she had to ad-lib when a young singer got stage fright.
Bernie could relate. Although she interned for Howard Stern, and has interviewed stars such as Mariah Carey and Hugh Jackman as a producer for PEOPLE (the TV Show!) and an Emmy-winning correspondent for DailyMailTV, “I totally get nervous” before Morristown Onstage, she said.
“A lot of acts have other members. But it’s just me up there!” she said.
Bernie, now between broadcast gigs and teaching yoga in Morristown, enjoys the contestants’ backstage camaraderie at Morristown Onstage, and the cheering from kids for their classmates. She does not consider the show a competition.
“It’s a community event,” Bernie said. “And to have it in a town that has something like (MPAC) is very rare.”
Stay tuned for Morristown Green profiles of this year’s finalists.
The 16th edition of Morristown Onstage, a fundraiser for the Morris Educational Foundation, is scheduled for Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale in late January at MPAC’s box office, at 100 South St., Morristown, 973-539-8008.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of the story incorrectly reported the relationship of the Joelle and Molly Servais. They are sisters-in-law.