This 23rd annual show gives talented high school performers a chance to sing and dance before a packed crowd

The Pioneer Theatre Guild’s FutureStars 2025 is back for its highly anticipated 23rd year, giving high school performers a chance to sing, dance, and compete in front of a packed crowd and local celebrity judges. Staged in Pioneer High School’s Schreiber Auditorium, this citywide talent competition features talented students from the Ann Arbor Public Schools, all vying for the prestigious title of FutureStar 2025!
Show Date: Saturday, January 18th at 7:00 PM
Location: Schreiber Auditorium, Pioneer High School (601 West Stadium Boulevard)
Tickets: Reserved seating, now on sale for $20 at cur8.com/projects/ptg
The night’s performances will be judged by a panel of local celebrities, including mayor Christopher Taylor, former Broadway performers Anna Zavelson and Chelsea Packard, and U-M football player, Benjamin Hall, who will select the top five contestants. But in the end, it’s the audience who crowns the FutureStar 2025, with the winner determined by the loudest crowd reaction.
While most of the performers are seniors and juniors, the show also features underclassmen “RisingStars” performances with this year’s medleys honoring the recently departed Quincy Jones and the songs from this year’s hit musical film, Wicked.
Eleanor Farrell, another Community student (11th grade), loves that this show gives more students a chance to shine. “Of course in our normal shows, not everyone can be a lead and not everyone gets a solo. So getting a chance in the winter to watch all my peers from PTG get a chance to have their solo moments and put it all together is amazing.”
Community High senior Jacqueline Boynton has played leads in musicals at Community and Pioneer but this is the first time she’s ever competed in FutureStars. “I’ve cheered from the audience the last couple years and it’s crazy that I’m actually doing it this time and not just coming to watch,” she says.
Fellow Pioneer senior Noah Resendez looks forward to the challenge of taking on a solo ballad by Billy Joel (“She’s Got a Way”) while joining four other students on the boy band classic, “I Want You Back” by NSYNC. Resendez says: “I’ve done boy band songs in FutureStars shows in the past and it’s always really fun doing the dances–something people think is corny but when you’re on stage it just becomes a lot of fun.”
Pioneer senior Stella Peng says she’s excited by the challenge of taking on “When You Believe” with fellow senior, Cecile Piffaretti. “We changed a lot about the song because nobody can do all that Mariah and Whitney do but we are focusing on making it our own and being us,” she says. “It’s really fun to try something different and it’s also really challenging.”
Students have spent the past several weeks receiving coaching from professional vocal coaches and choreographers, preparing songs from pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter and Benson Boone along with hits from past generations like Blondie’s “Call Me” and Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey’s “When You Believe.”
Tickets for FutureStars have historically sold out quickly, so advance purchase is highly recommended. If available, tickets can be purchased at the box office one hour before the performance via cash or check.
For more information about PTG, visit https://a2ptguild.org
FutureStars 2025
Director/Producer: Jayme Kelmigian
Co-Producer: Quinn Strassel
Technical Director: Mysti Plummer
Music Director: Adam Plomaritas
Assistant Music Director: Ken Pesick
Host Coach: Julie Strassel
Performance Coach: Lleyton Allen
Vocal Coaches: Bri Bradley, Kelsey Detering, Athena Johnson, Adam Plomaritas
RisingStars Music Director: R. MacKenzie Lewis
RisingStars Choreographer: Zoli Berensci

Be the first to comment