With an eye on training the next generation of operetta and musical theatre performers and building an informed audience for the future of those art forms, Light Opera of New Jersey announces the creation of the Light Opera of New Jersey Youth Ensemble.
The goal of the Ensemble is to provide young singers aged 13 to 20 with training and performance opportunities and to guide them as they pursue their interest in operetta and musical theatre. It provides a next step for the winners of LONJ’s successful Stars of Tomorrow Vocal Competition, and the top three winners will be offered a full scholarship to this new Youth Ensemble.
As members of the LONJ Youth Ensemble, participants will be invited to audition for LONJ mainstage productions or to serve in non-performance roles on the production crew.
Members of the Ensemble will also observe rehearsals of other LONJ productions and have the opportunity to meet with the artists and production personnel creating those productions to discuss various elements of theatrical design and production.
Each summer, they will participate in a two-day workshop, facilitated by world-class artists and teachers in the field. The workshops will focus on expanding their knowledge of the operetta and musical theater repertoire, enhancing performance skills, improving audition technique, and introducing the discipline and focus required for a career in the arts.
Each fall, Ensemble members will present the Youth Ensemble Concert, featuring material from operetta and musical theatre, or a staged reading of an operetta or musical. All students in the Youth Ensemble will appear in the concert and will subsequently tour their performance to various retirement communities and community centers.
Entry into the program is by audition only, and there is a $100 participation fee per student to defray ticket costs, coaching & accompanist fees, travel/food expenses, music royalties, and rental of performance spaces.
Plans for future years include the creation of a LONJ Choral Consortium, where choruses from NJ high schools will be invited to perform individually and also combine in song under the baton of LONJ Executive Director Jason Tramm.
For additional information, please join our mailing list or contact Susan Speidel, LONJ Youth in Arts Director, at susan.speidel@lonj.org.
Light Opera of New Jersey (LONJ) each year hosts Stars of Tomorrow (“SOT”), a vocal competition for New Jersey High School students. The competition consists of a qualifying round based on videos submitted online, followed by the live finals event.
The grand prize is $1000 and an appearance in an upcoming LONJ Main Stage production, $500 for second place and $250 for third place as determined by the judges; plus $100 for the winner of the audience favorite award. The top three winners will also receive a full scholarship to participate in the Light Opera Youth Ensemble, including workshops with professional coaches and vocal teachers, and various performance opportunities.
Tickets will be available for the finals shortly after submissions begin.
Contestants must be not less than 13 years old, and not more than 18 years old as of final date. They must either be legal residents of New Jersey or attending high school in the state of New Jersey.
For the video round, contestants should submit two videos of five minutes or less each, contrasting in nature and drawn from the Operatic, Broadway Theater or Art Song literature. Both videos may be of the same type, or you may select to record two different types. The videos should be stored as unlisted and viewable by anyone with the link. They should be unedited single takes that are not electronically enhanced in any way.
There is a registration fee. If the fee would prevent you from entering, contact the contest registrar at contest@lonj.org to discuss other options.