Honoring Young Musical Theater Performers

By: Beau Higgins Apr. 29, 2008

SMT HOSTS LOCAL AWARDS TO HONOR YOUNG PERFORMERS

On May 9th, Seaside Music Theater (SMT,) will host the 7th Annual Blazing Star Awards, a ceremony that honors talented local high school students who excel in musical theater performance.

SMT created the Blazing Star Awards to celebrate the up-and-coming talent in Central Florida. Each school year, SMT sends four working theater professionals to musical theater productions at participating Volusia and Flagler County high schools.

SMT asks these adjudicators to critique students in the areas of character development, diction, energy, focus, vocal technique, control, pitch, volume, movement or dance skills, coordination, timing, and precision. These scores are averaged and compiled at the end of the school year to determine nominees for each category.

Currently, SMT only visits schools within Volusia and Flagler counties, with approximately a dozen participating high schools, but hopes to begin expanding participation to Seminole, Orange, Putnam, Lake, St. Johns, and Brevard county beginning next year.

"It's all about encouraging young artists to continue to do what they do through their theater programs and really support their hard work," says Gary Cadwallader, SMT's Director of Education who heads up the Blazing Star process and ceremony each year.

Cadwallader indicates that many regional theaters nationwide have created similar programs, and have an interest in coming together to create an extension of their ceremonies at a national level.

"This would be a great opportunity to showcase Central Florida talent."

The SMT Blazing Star Awards Ceremony will be held May 9th beginning at 7:00 p.m. at The News-Journal Center, located at 221 N. Beach St. in Daytona Beach. This year's presenters are Dr. Margaret Smith, Superintendent of Volusia County Schools, Bill Delbrugge, Superintendent of Flagler County Schools, Michelle Carter-Scott, Embassy of Hope Foundation, actor Elizabeth Murff, and actor Shannon Bilo. For more information, please visit www.seasidemusictheater.org.

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