Cedar Grove Teen Wins Perry Award

A Cedar Grove teen was honored by the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters with a coveted Perry Award for her debut performance with The Strollers.

Brielle Raddi, of Cedar Grove, was presented with a 2013 Perry Award in the Outstanding Youth Actress in a Musical category at a ceremony held on Sept. 22.

Brielle portrayed Marion Paroo in The Strollers’ May 2013 production of The Music Man.

“I am very excited for Brielle and very proud of her. She performed the role of a woman several years older than she and was able to capture the reticence that 'Marian' first feels toward 'Harold' and then convey how later gave herself wholeheartedly to him," said her director Norman Metz.

NJACT is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local theater around the state. Each fall, the organization honors the best members of the community with the Perry Awards.

The Strollers have been entertaining audiences in the area for more than 80 years. The theater company currently stages performances at the Burgdorff Center for Performing Arts in Maplewood.

The Music Man was Brielle's debut performance on the Stroller stage, although she came to them after performing in more than 30 Off-Broadway, regional and community theater productions. 

She is most recently credited for her performance as Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, as well as roles in Beauty and the Beast, Oliver!, High School Musical, Fame, and The Bad Seed.

In the past, she received a 2011 Cappies Nomination for Lead Actress in a Play for her role of Lucy Westphal in Dracula, and a previous Perry Award Nomination for Outstanding Youth Actress in a Play for her 2010 role of Little Jesus in The Pillowman.