Paper Mill Playhouse is pleased to announce it has won two, 2019 Discover Jersey Arts People’s Choice Awards. Paper Mill Playhouse was awarded, “Favorite Large Theater to See a Musical,” and “Favorite Choral Group” by the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation. Presented by Discover Jersey Arts, a program of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the annual Awards highlight the work of New Jersey’s vital and thriving arts community.
The awards presented to Paper Mill Playhouse were accepted by Managing Director Mike Stotts (second from left) and Director of Press and Public Relations Shayne Miller (third from left, also the director of the theater’s award-winning show choir) at a ceremony in Burlington, New Jersey this week.
This year, nearly 14,000 arts lovers cast their ballots for their favorite local groups and downtowns. Paper Mill Playhouse garnered over 8,000 votes between the two categories and has won more People’s Choice Awards than any other arts organization in the program’s history.
Paper Mill Playhouse was one of 104 arts organizations and 11 downtown districts nominated in 19 categories, including favorite art museum, opera company, small theater, choral group and more. Nominees were determined by their peers in the Jersey Arts Marketers network, made up of hundreds of arts groups from around the state.
“The arts in New Jersey are vibrant, diverse and innovative,” said Adam Perle, President & CEO of ArtPride New Jersey, during this year’s awards ceremony at Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts in Burlington, N.J. “We are extremely proud to host the annual JerseyArts.com People’s Choice Awards, and to honor the outstanding cultural industry that makes our state such an incredible place to live, work and play.”
For detailed results and more information, click here.
“The thousands of fans who come out and vote every year for their favorites are further proof that the arts matter in New Jersey,” said Allison Tratner, Executive Director of the State Arts Council. “As drivers of tourism and the economy, these distinctive arts destinations anchor communities in every corner of the state, and help connect us with the creativity so vital to our quality of life.”
PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, (Mark S. Hoebee-Producing Artistic Director, Mike Stotts-Managing Director) recipient of the 2016 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is where American musical theater is celebrated, cherished, and pushed in exciting new directions. A beloved New Jersey arts institution since 1938 and a nationally renowned not-for-profit regional theater, Paper Mill has been consistently recognized for the high-quality artistry of its reimagined classic musicals as well as its commitment to supporting the development of new works and the careers of Broadway’s best talent and emerging artists both onstage and behind the scenes. Paper Mill Playhouse boasts award-winning access services and outreach initiatives as well as performer training programs that impact more than 35,000 students each year. Paper Mill Playhouse productions have launched national tours and gone on to Broadway—including Disney’s Newsies, Les Misérables, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Bronx Tale, and Bandstand—as well as television broadcasts on Showtime and PBS and original cast recordings. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.
PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE BROADWAY SHOW CHOIR (Shayne Austin Miller, Director) is a tuition-free, audition-based performance show choir that stems from Paper Mill Playhouse’s award-winning Arts Education and Outreach programs. The choir consists of 70 singer/dancers between the ages of 15 and 22. The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir acts as ambassadors to Paper Mill Playhouse with an array of performance opportunities throughout the community and beyond. Over the past six seasons, the Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir has delighted more than 450,000 people across the region with rousing renditions of Broadway, pop, and classics. The choir has performed at prestigious venues including MetLife Stadium, Lincoln Center, Sun Arena, NJPAC, The State Theatre, Mayo Center, Bergen PAC, Paper Mill Playhouse, The Empire State Building, Asbury Park Convention Center, SOPAC, among others. The choir will be on-tour throughout the state, April–June. The Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir is presented by Overlook Medical Center.
ABOUT JERSEYARTS.COM AND DISCOVER JERSEY ARTS
JerseyArts.com is the official website of Discover Jersey Arts, a cosponsored project of the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts dedicated to increasing the awareness of and participation in the arts in New Jersey. The site features a comprehensive cultural event calendar and arts directory; feature stories, videos and podcasts; details on Jersey Arts Membership, including discounts and exclusive member events; an online gallery of New Jersey artists; and other content about the state’s cultural community.
ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is a division of the NJ Department of State. It receives funding in direct appropriations from the State of New Jersey through a dedicated Hotel/Motel Occupancy fee and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Since 1966, its volunteer members and professional staff have worked to improve the quality of life in New Jersey through strategic support of the arts. To learn more about the Council, click here.
ABOUT THE ARTPRIDE NEW JERSEY FOUNDATION
The ArtPride New Jersey Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) organization that promotes the value of the arts to New Jersey’s quality of life, education and economic vitality through research and a variety of programs and services. For more information about ArtPride, click here.
