A Toms River teen just finished his first run in a professional production of a beloved Disney film turned theater-musical. Matteo Marretta, 16, a student at Ocean County’s Performing Arts Academy, made his debut professional appearance as Romeo in Disney’s “Newsies” at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal.

“Matteo Marretta embodies the dashing, confident Romeo in “Newsies.” As an Italian-American myself, I would never cast a non-Italian in the role. That’s a joke,” Andrew DePrisco, the theater’s artistic director, said. “In fact, Matteo is a superb dancer and growing actor and singer. It was a pleasure to watch him hone his skills under director-choreographer Marcos Santana.”