'And the Nominees Are...' Over 130 Students Get the 'Nod' for the Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards

Nearly150 students filled the Rollins Studio Theatre at the Long Center Friday morning for an early- and unforgettable- Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards (GAHSMTA) nominations ceremony. Surrounded by eager theatre students, excited teachers and directors, and local Austin media outlets, the GAHSMTA Select Ensemble (in true musical theatre fashion), under the direction of the Long Center's Education and Outreach Director Ginger Morris, performed an impressive Broadway-style opener leading up to the morning's big announcement.

Brett Barnes (VP of Development for the Long Center), Barbara Pope (Professor in the University of Texas' Theatre & Dance Department) and Nat Miller (Director of Education at ZACH Theatre) then read the nominations for 15 categories.

"We are all extremely proud of you, and- though it sounds like a cliche- whether you're nominated this morning or not, every single student in this room is a winner," said Barnes.

The Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards celebrate its second year this April, when nearly 200 high schoolers will perform on the Long Center's Dell Hall. 26 schools are participating in the awards ceremony this year, which is scheduled for April 14th, 2015.

"These students have been working extremely hard, and all of us are honored and excited to once again recognize their talent as we prepare for the Second Annual Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards," said President and CEO Jamie Grant.

A panel of judges attended each of the 26 competing shows- with over 1,500 students are involved in the various productions. At the awards show on April 14, the casts of each of the 8 shows nominated for Best Production will perform onstage.

The Nominations:

Best Production

1. Anderson High School The Wedding Singer

2. Cedar Ridge High School Bring it On

3. Crockett High School Avenue Q, School Edition

4. Dripping Springs High School Annie Get Your Gun

5. James Bowie High School Evita

6. Leander High School How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

7. Round Rock High School She Loves Me

8. St. Andrew's Episcopal Sweeney Todd

Best Direction

1. Anderson High School The Wedding Singer

2. Cedar Park High School Singin' in the Rain

3. Cedar Ridge High School Bring it On

4. Crockett High School Avenue Q, School Edition

5. Dripping Springs High School Annie Get Your Gun

6. Hays High School Godspell

7. James Bowie High School Evita

8. Leander High School How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

9. Round Rock High School She Loves Me

Best Choreography

1. Bastrop High School Annie Get Your Gun

2. Cedar Ridge High School Bring it On

3. Dripping Springs High School Annie Get Your Gun

4. Hays High School Godspell

5. James Bowie High School Evita

6. McCallum High School The Producers

7. Rouse High School Oklahoma!

8. St. Andrew's Episcopal Sweeney Todd

9. Vista Ridge High School Beauty and the Beast

Best Musical Direction

1. Cedar Ridge High School Bring it On

2. Hendrickson High School Les Miserables

3. James Bowie High School Evita

4. Leander High School How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

5. McCallum High School The Producers

6. Round Rock High School She Loves Me

7. St. Andrew's Episcopal Sweeney Todd

8. Vandegrift High School Thoroughly Modern Millie

9. Vista Ridge High School Beauty and the Beast

Best Orchestra

1. Anderson High School The Wedding Singer

2. James Bowie High School Evita

3. LBJ High School The Boys in the Photograph

4. McNeil High School Hairspray

5. Rouse High School Oklahoma!

6. Vista Ridge High School Beauty and the Beast

Best Scene Design

1. Anderson High School The Wedding Singer

2. Bastrop High School Annie Get Your Gun

3. Dripping Springs High School Annie Get Your Gun

4. James Bowie High School Evita

5. John. B Connally High School You're a Good Man Charlie Brown

6. LBJ High School The Boys in the Photograph

7. Leander High School How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

8. St. Andrew's Episcopal Sweeney Todd

9. St. Stephen's Episcopal Cabaret

Best Lighting Design

1. Cedar Creek High School Legally Blonde Jr.

2. Cedar Park High School Singin' in the Rain

3. Cedar Ridge High School Bring it On

4. Hendrickson High School Les Miserables

5. Lake Travis High School The Music Man

6. Rouse High School Oklahoma!

7. Stony Point High School Once on this Island

8. Vandegrift High School Thoroughly Modern Millie

9. Vista Ridge High School Beauty and the Beast

Best Costume Design

1. Cedar Park High School Singin' in the Rain

2. Cedar Ridge High School Bring it On

3. Del Valle High School Once Upon a Mattress

4. Dripping Springs High School Annie Get Your Gun

5. Marble Falls High School Fiddler on the Roof

6. McCallum High School The Producers

7. St. Andrew's Episcopal Sweeney Todd

8. Stony Point High School Once on this Island

Best Technical Execution

1. Anderson High School The Wedding Singer

2. Cedar Park High School Singin' in the Rain

3. Dripping Springs High School Annie Get Your Gun

4. James Bowie High School Evita

5. Leander High School How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

6. Round Rock High School She Loves Me

7. St. Andrew's Episcopal Sweeney Todd

8. St. Stephen's Episcopal Cabaret

9. Vandegrift High School Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Ensemble

1. Cedar Creek High School Legally Blonde Jr.

2. Cedar Ridge High School Bring it On

3. Dripping Springs High School Annie Get Your Gun .

4. James Bowie High School Evita

5. Leander High School How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

6. McCallum High School The Producers

7. Round Rock High School She Loves Me

8. St. Andrew's Episcopal Sweeney Todd

9. St. Stephen's Episcopal Cabaret

Best Actor in a Leading Role

1. Noah Villarreal Anderson High School

2. David Pena Crockett High School

3. Jesse Hernandez Crockett High School

4. Austin Hyde James Bowie High School

5. Kade Ferguson Leander High School

6. Wolf Williams Marble Falls High School

7. Keith Gruber McNeil High School

8. Andrew Davis Round Rock High School

9. Weston Curtis Beckham Rouse High School

Best Actress in a Leading Role

1. Lena Owens Cedar Ridge High School

2. Jenna Scott Dripping Springs High School

3. Lily Howard James Bowie High School

4. Olivia Crow John B. Connally High School

5. Kalie Naftzger Lake Travis High School

6. Lynley Eilers Leander High School

7. Mandy Justiz St. Andrew's Episcopal

8. Victoria Brown Vandegrift High School

9. Adele Simms Vista Ridge High School

Best Actor is a Supporting Role

1. McCoy Johnson Austin High School

2. Jordan Tuffentsamer Cedar Ridge High School

3. Milo Tucker Dripping Springs High School

4. Miguel Lozano James Bowie High School

5. Nico Champion Leander High School

6. Sean Eure Round Rock High School

7. Gabriel Lucio-Martin St. Andrews Episcopal

8. Ben Warren St. Stephen's Episcopal

9. Paul Iskra Vista Ridge High School

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

1. Shea Washburn Anderson High School

2. Abby Lewis Austin High School

3. Mickey May Cedar Ridge High School

4. Carolyn O'Brien Cedar Ridge High School

5. India Alexander Del Valle High School

6. Chloe Berlinger Leander High School

7. Maddy Campillo McNeil High School

8. Gemma Dimon Round Rock High School

9. Carson Rogge St. Stephen's Episcopal

Best Featured Performer

1. Dainique Jones Cedar Ridge High School

2. Alaina Maderal Hays High School

3. Harmon Gamble Hendrickson High School

4. Kaitlin Street Lake Travis High School

5. Jiyoon Seo LBJ High School

6. Samantha Shirey Marble Falls High School

7. Ian McAlister McNeil High School

8. Patrick Bohmfalk Round Rock High School

9. Logan Giberson St. Andrew's Episcopal

10. Eden Keig St. Stephen's Episcopal

11. Ben Patriarca/ Brian Nguyen Vandegrift High School

More information, photos, and nominations can be found on the Awards can be found on the GAHSMTA website, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

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