‘We can do hard things’: Diana McNiff returns to Morristown Onstage, March 1

Diana McNiff, a 2023 finalist in Morristown Onstage. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
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We can do hard things.

It’s a mantra in Diana McNiff’s household, where she has been raising two small children amidst a pandemic. She is about to tackle another challenge, competing in Morristown Onstage on March 1, 2023.

Diana McNiff, Morristown Onstage finalist, at media day, Jan. 7, 2023. Photo by Jeff Sovelove

The 36-year-old singer-songwriter aims to win over the audience and panelists with an original number, Heavy Love. Written in the depths of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s about the kind of love that comes with being a parent — protective and responsible.

McNiff hopes her performance inspires her son Hunter, who is 5 1/2. “I want him to see all these amazing opportunities in our town,” she says.

The 16th annual edition of Morristown Onstage certainly qualifies as one of those. Thirteen amateur acts from Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains will vie for prize money in the 1,300-seat Mayo Performing Arts Center. It’s a benefit organized by the Morris Educational Foundation for programs in the Morris School District.

McNiff is well acquainted with the harsh glare of the spotlight. She has been making music for two decades, and was an MoS finalist in 2019.

“It takes a long time to have the confidence to get in front of people and play, and share your music. All of it is a vulnerability,” says the Morris Township resident.

“You can always screw up. A lot of eyes are on you. And when you’re a solo artist there is no hiding. What you see is what you get.”

Last time around, what the audience got was an electrifying cover of the Ray Charles rocker I Got a Woman. When McNiff swapped “C.E.O.!” for Ray’s punchline about a woman knowing her place is at home, the crowd cheered.

A lot has happened since that night. McNiff and her husband Sean had a future C.E.O., Neve, now 2 1/2. And McNiff released an album, Playing in the Grays, which, unfortunately, got scant promotion because of the pandemic.

She sees her return to Morristown Onstage as a chance to put the novel coronavirus behind her.

Diana McNiff at Morristown Onstage 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy
Diana McNiff at Morristown Onstage 2019. Photo by Katelyn Nagy

“This is a motivator for me to come out of my retirement,” says McNiff. A student of astrology, she plans to open an astrology consulting business in Morristown.

The Warwick, NY, native says her prior performance at Morristown Onstage was a blur.

“It went very quickly… when you’re in the moment, the adrenaline kicks in.”

For anyone contemplating an audition next year, McNiff offers unequivocal advice.

“Go for it. It’s totally worth taking the opportunity,” she says.

“Playing as a teenager, I never had the opportunity to play for 1,300 people. Everything else will feel much more attainable once you’ve had this opportunity: We can do hard things.”

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 $35-$85, at MPAC’s box office, at 100 South St., Morristown, 973-539-8008.

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