Sixteen amateur acts give it their all Tuesday at the 18th annual Morristown Onstage competition.

Four emerged on the Mayo Performing Arts Center stage as winners:

Age 19 & Over ($1,000):

Soul Tap, a duo who met at a karaoke night, took top honors in the adult division. Pastry chef Michelle “Smilez” Njoku handled vocals and Jonny Scalabrini, an MPAC stagehand, played electric guitar on Love Song. It’s by the Cure, but they covered the Adele cover.

“As a performer myself, I could just see she really brought herself to that performance. That was a lived-in performance, a life lived,” said Ladonna Burns, a New York-based singer and actress who served on the judging panel.

“They both gave an effortless performance.”

Fellow panelist Gabriela Jileva, owner and director of Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Morristown, concurrred.

“They made me feel something, listening and watching them. I think, literally, the performance was from their soul, right?” Jileva said.

Scalabrini has earmarked his winnings for a Costa Rica trip. Njoku, a Newark resident who works in Morristown’s Kirschenbaum Bakery, plans to pay some bills.

Age 18 & Under ($1,000):

The Walsh Memorial Bell Choir of the Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains dazzled the judges with a flawless, sparkling rendition of Toccata on King’s Weston.

“They just had this aura of happiness and joy that they brought from them,” said panelist Tom Sellwood, owner and director of the Sellwood Studio of Performing Arts conservatory.

Walsh Choir members range in age from 12 to 17. Rather than split the winnings 11 ways, Choir Director Amy Bozza said the money will go into the ensemble’s summer travel fund.

Asked if she was eligible for the 18-and-under category, the Morristown High School teacher deadpanned: “Of course! I get that question all the time!”

Audience Choice ($500):

Jamie Pooler, a receptionist at Morristown High School, made her second appearance in Morristown Onstage count. Her heartfelt vocals on The Goodness of God won over the crowd.

“We love you, Mrs. Pooler,” chorused a group of MHS students from the audience.

“I love you all, too,” she called back with a wave.

Although she now is a star, Pooler is not going to demand a fancy office at the school.

“I like being out among the kids. That’s who showed up for me tonight,” Pooler said with a laugh.

Before she could answer a question about her plans for the prize money, her husband Michael interjected: “She’s going to give it to her husband!”

“Yes, I’m going to give it to my husband,” she said, with an exaggerated wink and a smile.

Hubby may have to wait in line for his cut. Pooler was accompanied expertly by pianist Ken Brown, a friend from Calvary Baptist Church.

Rossoff Rising Star Award ($250):

Also marking her second time as a finalist, Haniyah Hill made an impression with her confident interpretation I’m Here from The Color Purple.

The 7th grader was backed on piano by her dad, Rex Hill, a former Morristown Onstage finalist.

“She’s come a long way, and we look forward to seeing how bright her future will be. She’s amazing,” said MPAC President Allison Larena, also a judge for show.

“She has a lot of promise,” added Burns. “Over time, she’s just going to get better and better.”

‘EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM COULD HAVE WON’

From start to finish, the caliber of the performances was exceptional. There was an amazing 10-year-old tap dancer (Alexa White), a 13-year-old who sounded like he’s already on Broadway (Miles Schmidt), and an opera diva who was stunning (Franchesca Henry).

A Madison High student gave Frank Sinatra a run for his money (Steven Ricciardelli),    and a Starbucks barrista (Evan Nuzzi ) sang and banged an original tune that had “hit” written all over it. Another original composition fueled a swirling dance piece (Dreamality Kidz Choir).

There were singing twins (the Milsom Twins), a group that transported listeners to the Andes (Integracion America), and a young woman who rebounded from vocal cord problems to soar (Melissa Valeroso).

Lily Bauman’s petite frame delivered an astonishingly powerful sound. Broadway numbers got lively interpretations from a pair of pairs (Georgina Lopez & Charlie Valdez, and Sky Monroe & Zach Mazouat.)

“Every single one of them could have won, depending on what you liked best. It really was a tough one,” said Sellwood.

An honorable mention should have gone to 7th grader Leyton Beba, who co-hosted with Tara Bernie, a TV pro and veteran of 11 Morristown Onstage shows. Beba bubbled with enthusiasm, and was quick on his feet.

Bantering onstage about the show’s fundraising goals, Bernie asked Beba what a dollar will buy these days.

“An education?” he responded, without missing a beat.  If Conan O’Brien is busy next year, maybe the Oscars should take a shot on this kid.

“Oh my God, he’s so darned cute,” Larena said.

The evening included bonus entertainment from the Morristown High School Spectrum Jazz Ensemble — Morristown Onstage winners in 2022 — and from the school’s drama department.

The cast gave a rousing performance of One Day More from Les Misérables, the musical coming to MHS on March 21.

Atlantic Health, the biggest sponsor of Morristown Onstage, also plugged its Morristown Medical Center expansion plans, a touchy subject with the hospital’s neighbors.

Created by the Morris Educational Foundation (MEF), Morristown Onstage has raised more than $1.6 million for programs in the Morris School District.

The 1,300-seat theater was sold out Tuesday, with tickets priced from $43 to $95. On top of those proceeds, the MEF raised another $42,105 via texts and an anonymous matching grant during the show.

The yearly contest is open to amateur performers who live, work or attend schools in Morristown, Morris Township and Morris Plains, and to alumni of Morristown High School.

MORE COVERAGE OF MORRISTOWN ONSTAGE 2025

Marion Filler, Beth Carroll and David Okada contributed to this story.