NSMT Announces Winners Of High School Spotlight Awards

Student winners of the North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) 4th annual Spotlight Awards were announced at an exciting Tony® Award-style program on the NSMT main stage Tuesday, June 2, 2009. The NSMT Spotlight Awards program is designed to honor the accomplishments of high school students and teachers as well as encourage them to achieve the highest levels of excellence in musical theater. This year's program included 22 high schools and over 1,000 students vying for 15 awards, including the prestigious award for Best Overall Musical, and a chance to participate in the first National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City.  This year’s NSMT Spotlight Award winners are:

Best Overall Musical – Newton South High School (Guys & Dolls)

Best Leading Actor – David Broyles as ‘Sky Masterson’, Newton South High School (Guys & Dolls)

Best Leading Actress – Emily Higgins as ‘Edwin Drood’, Danvers High School (The Mystery Of Edwin Drood)

Best Supporting Actor – Johnny Alexis as ‘Scarecrow’, Pope John XXIII High School (The Wiz)

Best Supporting Actress – Autumn DeLorenzo as ‘Penelope Pennywise’, Salem High School (Urinetown)

Best Featured Performer – Katie Jordan as ‘Princess Puffer’, Danvers High School (The Mystery of Edwin Drood)

Best Chorus / Ensemble – North Reading High School (Singin’ In The Rain)

Best Direction – Jeff Knoedler, Newton South High School (Guys & Dolls)

Best Choreography – Becca Flint, Wakefield High School (Anything Goes)

Best Music Direction – Lianne Goodwin, Salem High School (Urinetown)

Best Orchestra – Christopher Holownia, Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (Once On This Island)

Best Scenic Design – Henry Dembowski, Marblehead High School (Into The Woods)

Best Lighting Design – Stephanie Simon & Christine Zhou, Andover High School (A Chorus Line)

Best Costume Design – Maureen Tierson Krebs, Burlington High School (The Wizard Of Oz)

Best Technical Crew/ Execution – Boston Latin School (Merrily We Roll Along)

Best Leading Actor winner, David Broyles from Newton South High School, and Best Leading Actress winner, Emily Higgins from Danvers High School, will be invited to participate in the first annual presentation of The Jimmy Awards, to be held in New York City on Monday, June 29, at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University. The National High School Musical Theater Awards, founded and produced by Nederlander Presentations, Inc. and Pittsburgh CLO, is a national celebration of outstanding student achievement that recognizes individual artistry in vocal, dance and acting performances by high school students. "The Jimmy Award" is named in honor of James M. Nederlander, legendary Broadway theater owner and producer.

“We are pleased to carry on the tradition of the NSMT Spotlight Awards as part of our commitment to education, and to recognize students’, teachers’ and parents’ dedication to the art of musical theater,” said Barry Ivan, NSMT artistic director and executive producer. “Once again, we were extremely impressed with the high caliber of talent among this year’s participating schools and we congratulate all the winners and nominees on their tremendous accomplishments.”

Mr. Ivan and co-emcee, Arts and Entertainment Critic Joyce Kulhawik, were joined by several NSMT Spotlight Awards special guest presenters, including State Representative Mary E. Grant, State Representative John D. Keenan, Beverly Mayor William Scanlon, Boston Globe theater critic Terry Byrne, NSMT Board Chairman David Fellows and his wife, April, NSMT Board Vice-Chairs Nancy Palmer and
Toni Dowgiallo, and former NSMT Education Program students Presilah Nunez and Nick Christopher.

North Shore Music Theatre's award-winning theatre arts and education programs and youth performances annually reach over 100,000 students.   The Theatre's Youth Performance Academy attracts thousands of students from 4-18 years old who are interested in exploring the world of music, theatre and dance and honing their craft.   In 2005, NSMT's Youth Performance Academy received the Junior Theater Festival's Outstanding Achievement in Musical Performance Award and the Outstanding Achievement in Choreography Award for its performance of Disney's Cinderella Kids. With partnerships with Music Theatre International (MTI) and Disney Theatricals, NSMT has become the model for schools and organizations around the country and is one of the region's leading providers of theatre arts and education programs. In December 2008, NSMT announced that without immediate philanthropic support it would close its doors after nearly 55 years of providing performing arts and educational programming to millions. Fundraising efforts to reopen the Theatre are ongoing.  For more information, please visit www.nsmt.org.

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