MONTVALE AND HILLSDALE, N.J. — Pascack Valley and Pascack Hills theatre students earned two major honors at the 2026 MSU Foxy Awards, with their joint production of Legally Blonde: The Musical winning Outstanding Established Production of a Musical.
The annual awards program, presented by Montclair State University, recognizes excellence in New Jersey high school theatre programs across performance, production, design, and technical categories.
In addition to the production award, Pascack Hills senior Camilla Ambrocio of Montvale received the Outstanding Featured Ensemble Actress (Foundational) award for her portrayal of Brooke Wyndham in the musical.
The combined Pascack Theatre production also received nominations across numerous categories, including recognition for stage crew, dance and musical ensembles, costume design, scenic design, and musical direction.
Tom Lupfer, co-director and producer of Legally Blonde, told Pascack Press in a statement on May 31, “We are so incredibly proud of every student who poured themselves into this production. What the Foxy nominations and wins reflect is not just talent– it’s what happens when a community truly shows up for each other.”
He said, “Our cast, crew, musicians, designers, and families all collaborated to create something none of us could have made alone. That’s the power of theater, and it is always a joy to see it get recognized.”
Under the leadership of Tom and Merielle Lupfer, Pascack Valley Theatre has participated in the Foxy Awards since 2009 and has established one of the state’s most successful records in the program. Previous honors have included Outstanding Comedy, Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Filmed Production of a Musical, Best Director of a Musical, and the JoAnn Fox Award for Outstanding Educator.
For the spring 2025 season, the Pascack Valley and Pascack Hills theatre programs combined forces to stage Legally Blonde: The Musical, bringing together students from both schools in a collaborative production that culminated in statewide recognition.
