"I Can't... I Have Rehearsal"

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Feature Documentary  |  Runtime: 59:57

Country of Origin: New Jersey, USA

Language: English

Synopsis: For a select few, the high school musical is sacred. Every year those students come together for the Tonys of New Jersey high school musical theatre: The Rising Star Awards. But first, they have to get their shows off the ground. This is the story of six very different high schools from across New Jersey as they rehearse, perform and compete with the very same supercalifragilistic show.

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Director | Writer | Co-Producer: Maddie Orton

Maddie Orton is an Emmy-nominated journalist with an eye on the arts. Before working in television, Orton’s focus was arts advocacy—galvanizing grassroots support for arts funding and education. She took that interest to NJTV (the New Jersey PBS station,) and now to WLIW/Channel Thirteen. In her time with PBS, she’s interviewed luminaries in the arts like Stephen Colbert, Robert De Niro, Misty Copeland, and George Takei, and she’s covered everything from ukulele festivals and graffiti jams to exhibition openings and Broadway shows. She believes in the power of the arts to enact change and loves seeing how people use it. "I Can’t… I Have Rehearsal" is Orton’s first documentary.

Executive Producer: Phil Alongi (in attendance)

Phil Alongi is an award-winning journalist who oversees all news operations for NJTV as Executive Producer. Mr. Alongi is also the Director of Program Development and is responsible for program expansion in the areas of news, public affairs, arts and other genres. He began his broadcast career at NBC News in 1997. During his tenure at the network, he produced for Nightly News, the Today show, News at Sunrise and numerous national specials. He has covered six presidential election cycles, the Millennium/Y2K, the second Gulf War, the shooting at Columbine and dozens of other major news events.

An eighteen-time Emmy Award nominee, Mr. Alongi has recently been recognized with his induction into the NJBiz Forty Under 40 program, honoring professionals under the age of 40 making headlines in their field.  He serves on the Board of Governors for the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences - New York. When he’s not being a news junkie, he moonlights as a professional operatic tenor and has six televised performances and dozens of leading roles throughout the U.S. to his credit.

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Producer | Director of Photography: Frank Guastella (in attendance)

Frank Guastella is an award-winning videographer, music producer and sound engineer. His companies, ISH Productions and Creative World Media, have provided music and visuals for many artists such as CeeLo Green, Wu Tang Clan, John Amos, Talib Kweli, Styles P, KRS-One and others. His work has also been featured on a variety of networks, including HBO, the NFL, PBS, MTV, SiriusXM and The Today Show. 

When he is not working in the studio, Frank's creativity extends into the classroom as a teacher of biology at South Orange Middle School.