June is just around the corner. Soon — as musical theatre aficionados know — it will be bustin’ out all over!
That means it is time for the Tony Awards — the biggest awards event for Broadway. But here in Cleveland, our area young thespians have already had their big night as this past May 20 many of them got to participate in the Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman at Playhouse Square.
This program took place at the KeyBank State Theatre and celebrated every element of area high school productions from the past school year, from behind-the-scenes work creating costumes and set designs to orchestras playing iconic scores to, of course, the actors performing onstage.
This educational program celebrated the talents of more than 2,100 students from 32 schools around Northeast Ohio.
The Dazzle Awards are affiliated with The Jimmy Awards/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards and honors the hard work, dedication and excellence seen in the region’s high school theater programs. In addition to the end-of-year awards night, this regional program offered arts education opportunities throughout the school year.
The program culminated with the annual awards ceremony hosted by Fox 8’s Natalie Herbick. Students participated in a ceremonial walk the “PNC Red Carpet” as they entered, then took the stage to perform.
In addition to master classes and audition workshops for those on stage, interested students applied to be a Dazzle Awards student reporter, technical apprentice, and new this year, musical apprentice.
Through these programs, they learned firsthand from industry professionals, including the Dazzle Awards director/choreographer, music director, musicians, stage managers, lighting and sound designers and local reporters.
The following students were chosen based on an application process and letters of recommendation, and many of them were from our readership area:
• Musical apprentices: Grace Burdorff (Saxophone), Midview High School; Miya DeBolt (Flute), Bay Village High School; Audra Incledon (Cello), Orange High School; Ewan James Colin Moss (Trombone), Bay Village High School; and Drew Straub (Trumpet), Independence High School
• Technical apprentices: Joelle Billson, Willoughby South High School; Emma Kovach-Uzl, Eastlake North High School; and Rebecca Zwick, Medina High School
• Student reporters: Sarah Keller, Brunswick High School; Mackenzie Kirkpatrick, Midview High School; Lauren Sams, Thomas W. Harvey High School; and Britta Sevcik, Avon Lake High School
At the May 20 ceremony, Dazzle Awards were presented to outstanding musical theater productions and students in 13 categories, including the “Spirit of the Dazzle Awards” category, awarded to the student who most embodies camaraderie, passion and an infectiously positive attitude throughout rehearsal week as identified by the creative team.
The Best Actor and Best Actress will represent Northeast Ohio at The Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theatre in New York in June.
Winners are listed below by school, with individual actor nominees listed in full with winners marked by an asterisk. Congratulations to all of this year’s participants!
Best Student Orchestra
Hudson High School, “The Addams Family”
Best Technical Execution
Rocky River High School, “Bright Star School Edition”
Best Scenic Design
Bay Village High School, “Disney’s Newsies”
Best Costume Design
Hudson High School, “The Addams Family”
Best Choreography Execution
Magnificat High School, “Chicago: Teen Edition”
Best Ensemble/Chorus
Magnificat High School, “Chicago: Teen Edition”
The Spirit of the Dazzle Awards
Cindy Little, Mayfield High School
Best Supporting Actor
Alex Dale, Hudson High School (‘Lurch’ in The Addams Family)
Nathan Hill, Chagrin Falls High School (‘Kevin G’ in Mean Girls High School Version)
Kaden Jones, University School (‘Joe’ in Merrily We Roll Along)
Jack Lange, Rocky River High School (‘Daryl Ames’ in Bright Star School Edition)
Aidan Moll, University School (‘K.T.’ in Merrily We Roll Along)
Jacob Rentas, Lutheran High School West (‘Marcellus Washburn’ in The Music Man)
*Graham Wilde, Mayfield High School (‘Younger Brother’ in Ragtime School Edition)
Best Supporting Actress
Elizabeth Axelrod, Mayfield High School (‘Evelyn Nesbit’ in Ragtime School Edition)
Dani Buyanksy, Independence High School (‘Dragon/Ensemble’ in Shrek The Musical)
Izzy Kreeger, Eastlake North High School (‘Mushnik’ in Little Shop of Horrors)
Rebecca Leist, Lutheran High School West (‘Eulalie McKecknie Shinn’ in The Music Man)
Marta Minarik, Magnificat High School (‘Mona/Ensemble’ in Chicago: Teen Edition)
Tana Preseren, Eastlake North High School (‘Audrey 2’ in Little Shop of Horrors)
*Nora Stipanovich, Magnificat High School (‘Hunyak/Juror One’ in Chicago: Teen Edition)
Best Actor
Sam Brown, Bay Village High School (‘Davey’ in Disney’s Newsies)
Lukas Cinko, Archbishop Hoban High School (‘Ren McCormack’ in Footloose)
*Savon Harris, Mayfield High School (‘Coalhouse Walker Jr.’ in Ragtime School Edition)
Kyle McFalls, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘Jesse Tuck’ in Tuck Everlasting)
Stanley Niekamp, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘Miles Tuck’ in Tuck Everlasting)
Zhavier Nurse, Thomas W. Harvey High School (‘Agwe’ in Once on This Island)
Nicholas Szekely, Bay Village High School (‘Jack Kelly’ in Disney’s Newsies)
Best Actress
Paris Bunch, Mayfield High School (‘Sarah’ in Ragtime School Edition)
Laila Christian, Shaker Heights High School (‘Sandy Cheeks’ in The SpongeBob Musical)
Fiona Coughlin, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘Mae Tuck’ in Tuck Everlasting)
Claire Marchant, Nordonia High School (‘Ursula’ in Disney’s The Little Mermaid)
Kate Pawlowski, Hudson High School (‘Wednesday Addams’ in The Addams Family)
Lindsey Ross, Hudson High School (‘Morticia Addams’ in The Addams Family)
*Calista Zajac, Magnificat High School (‘Roxie Hart’ in Chicago: Teen Edition)
Best Musical (Tier 1 – musical budgets less than $13,000)
Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC, Tuck Everlasting
Bay Village High School, Disney’s Newsies
*Rocky River High School, Bright Star School Edition
Best Musical (Tier 2 – musical budgets greater than $13,000)
Hudson High School, The Addams Family
Magnificat High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
*Mayfield High School, Ragtime School Edition
Coming Up
Here are some additional productions you can expect to hear about in coming weeks:
• “The Who’s Tommy” at Fine Arts Association, June 9-25
• “Anything Goes” at Rabbit Run Theatre, June 16- July 9
• Wildwood Theatre Camp, June 22
Young Thespians is a column that focuses on youth theater. If you have a story idea or a comment, message stevecouch@windstream.net or follow and/or post in the “Young Thespians” Facebook group.
