Blumenthal Performing Arts Announces 4th Annual High School Musical Theater Awards Nominees

Blumenthal Performing Arts is pleased to announce the 72 nominees - six each in 12 categories - competing in the 4th Annual High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Blumey Awards, presented by Wells Fargo on Sunday, May 17, in Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.

The Blumey Awards program recognizes and celebrates the best in high school musical theater and fosters even greater achievements in the future.

Maureen O'Boyle, anchor for WBTV, is emceeing the black-tie event.

Winners will be announced at The Blumey Awards Ceremony on May 17, at 7:00 p.m., in Belk Theater. Tickets for The Blumey Awards ceremony go on sale to the public on Thursday, April 30 at 10 a.m. Tickets range from $45 to $60. Tickets will be available at BlumenthalArts.org, 704-372-1000 or from the box office in the Belk Theater lobby, 130 N. Tryon St.

Like the Tony Awards, The Blumey Awards Ceremony will also feature live performances by the six finalists for Wells Fargo Best Musical: Kings Mountain High School, Little Shop of Horrors; Lake Norman High School, The Drowsy Chaperone; North Lincoln High School, Into the Woods; Ardrey Kell High School, 42nd Street; Charlotte Latin School, The Secret Garden; Northwest School of the Arts, Peter Pan.

"The Blumey Awards is a great celebration of the talented kids in our region," said Blumenthal President Tom Gabbard. "The show recognizes the hard work of teachers, students and parents to produce a school musical. It is a source of pride for students at their local school when their Blumey Award is displayed in the hall of honor normally reserved for sports. Participation in the Blumey Awards connects these talented students among these schools who share their passion for the arts, and connects to the Blumenthal's mission of working to build our sense of community."

Award presenters include several local media personalities, community leaders and acclaimed performing arts professionals.

David Dabbon is a New York based composer and Grammy nominated orchestrator, providing additional orchestrations for the Tony nominated musical "Sondheim on Sondheim". David has served as conductor/arranger/orchestrator for the first annual Blumey Awards, arranger for the Gene Kelly Awards and the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. He is an orchestrator on Audra McDonald's upcoming album "Go Back Home." David most recently wrote the dance arrangements for the new roadway bound musical 'The Nutty Professor," composed by the late Marvin Hamlisch and Rupert Holmes, directed by its original star Jerry Lewis.

The Blumey Awards Ceremony will feature a medley of performances by the six finalists for Best Actor and for Best Actress; and two students from each production will be featured in opening and closing production numbers. Linda Booth, a professional choreographer will choreograph these musical numbers. She holds a BFA in dance performance from UNC-Greensboro. She is passionate about musical theater, and has choreographed over 100 productions in regional and educational theater. Recent credits include Hairspray, Chicago, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Drowsy Chaperone and Charlotte Squawks.

Along with The Blumey Awards themselves, The Doctor Family Foundation will award a $10,000 annually renewable scholarship to two area students. This year, The Mary Doctor Performing Arts Scholarship will be awarded to Javontre Booker, Northwest School of the Arts, and Erynn Vickery, Forestview High School. A special scholarship committee chose these winners. The scholarship recipients will be awarded the scholarships live on May 17 during The Blumey Awards Ceremony.

Blumenthal recently announced The Gordon Hay Scholarship, an endowed scholarship for a Charlotte-area high school senior planning to pursue a non-performing career in the performing arts field. Each year the Gordon Hay Scholarship Committee will select one exceptional high school senior to receive a one-time award in the amount of $5,000. This year, the scholarship will be awarded to Aslan Freidline of Davidson Day School.

Blumenthal Performing Arts will again participate in the National High School Musical Theater Awards. The national show and ceremony takes place in New York on June 29, 2015. The two students named Best Actor and Best Actress at The Blumey Awards will receive an all-expenses-paid trip and weeklong stay in New York City where they will train and compete with other regional winners in a national competition known as The Jimmy Awards (named after famed Broadway producer, James M. Nederlander).

Twelve student critics are also participating in the Student Critic Program in association with the 4th Annual Blumey Awards presented by Wells Fargo. The Student Critic Program is launched as a part of The Blumey Awards with support from The Charlotte Observer. Of these twelve Student Critics, one will be awarded "The Charlotte Observer Student Critic Award" at The Blumey Awards, chosen by the editors at The Charlotte Observer.

"Wells Fargo was the inaugural corporate underwriter for this performing arts program in 2012," said Jay Everette, Community Affairs Manager for Wells Fargo. "The Blumeys are all about showcasing the amazing talent of students in our region. It's a 'Glee meets the Tony's at the intersection of Fame' kind of evening. We are thrilled to be part of the presentation again in 2015."

This year's nominees for The Blumey Awards:

Best Set Construction

Ardrey Kell High School - 42nd Street

Nation Ford High School - Hairspray

North Lincoln High School - Into the Woods

Northwest School of the Arts - Peter Pan

Providence Day School - Into the Woods

Stuart Cramer High School - Tarzan

Best Costume Creation

Hickory Ridge High School - Fame

Lake Norman High School - The Drowsy Chaperone

Northwest School of the Arts - Peter Pan

Providence Day School - Into the Woods

South Pointe High School - Aida

Stuart Cramer High School - Tarzan

Best Student Orchestra

Ardrey Kell High School - 42nd Street

Butler High School - The Addams Family

Hough High School - Beauty and the Beast

Independence High School - Guys and Dolls

Northwest School of the Arts - Peter Pan

Providence High School - The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee

Best Choreography Execution

Ardrey Kell High School - 42nd Street

Charlotte Latin School - The Secret Garden

Nation Ford High School - Hairspray

Northwest School of the Arts - Peter Pan

Providence Day School - Into the Woods

Southlake Christian Academy - Oklahoma!

Best Ensemble/Chorus

Ardrey Kell High School - 42nd Street

Charlotte Latin School - The Secret Garden

Kings Mountain High School - Little Shop of Horrors

Lincolnton High School - Godspell

Northwest School of the Arts - Peter Pan

Southlake Christian Academy - Oklahoma!

Best Overall Direction

Ardrey Kell High School - 42nd Street

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Into the Woods

Charlotte Latin School - The Secret Garden

Kings Mountain High School - Little Shop of Horrors

Lake Norman High School - The Drowsy Chaperone

Northwest School of the Arts - Peter Pan

Best Featured Performer

Ardrey Kell High School - Victoria Jewell as Maggie Jones (42nd Street)

Butler High School - Katie Cole as Grandma (The Addams Family)

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Hanneh Gundersen as Little Red Ridinghood (Into the Woods)

Kings Mountain High School - Austin Willis as Orin (Little Shop of Horrors)

Lake Norman High School - Tim Hayes as Man in Chair (The Drowsy Chaperone)

North Lincoln High School - Nathan Burley as Milky White (Into the Woods)

Best Supporting Actor

Ardrey Kell High School - Elijah Grady as Billy Lawlor (42nd Street)

Charlotte Christian School - Brad Kesling as Donkey (Shrek the Musical)

Charlotte Latin School - Ethan Holtzman as Dickon (The Secret Garden)

Kings Mountain High School - Tobias Curry as Audrey II (Little Shop of Horrors)

Northwest School of the Arts - Noah Rosario as Slightly (Peter Pan)

Stuart Cramer High School - Carter Frady as Kerchak (Tarzan)

Best Supporting Actress

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Morgan Miller as The Witch (Into the Woods)

Northwest Cabarrus High School - Karen Stahl as Amy March (Little Women)

Northwest School of the Arts - Amanda Delgadillo as Tiger Lilly (Peter Pan)

Providence Day School - Katlyn Gonzalez as Little Red Ridinghood (Into the Woods)

Southlake Christian Academy - Haley Conway as Ado Annie (Oklahoma!)

Stuart Cramer High School - Ava Smith as Kala (Tarzan)

The following students have scored in the top 20 in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories will be invited to audition before a special panel on Saturday, May 2. The six nominees for both of these categories will be chosen after the auditions and announced on Monday, May 4.

Best Actor

A.L. Brown High School - Anthony Sims as Jean Valjean (Les Miserables)

Ardrey Kell High School - Connor Nielsen as Julian Marsh (42nd Street)

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Matthew Howie as The Baker (Into the Woods)

Central Cabarrus High School - Davis Williams as William Barfee (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)

cfa Academy - Jackson Campbell as Frank Butler (Annie Get Your Gun)

Charlotte Christian School - Kennedy Manyika as Shrek (Shrek the Musical)

Charlotte Latin School - Michael Julliard as Archibald Craven (The Secret Garden)

Hough High School - Jackson Edwards as The Beast (Beauty and the Beast)

Independence High School (Garrett Bradshaw as Nathan Detroit (Guys and Dolls)

Kings Mountain High School - Jack Pearson as Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors)

Lake Norman High School - Logan Pavia as Robert (The Drowsy Chaperone)

Lincolnton High School - Elijah Smith as Judas (Godspell)

North Lincoln High School - Davis Nodine as The Baker (Into the Woods)

Northwest School of the Arts - Jeremy Cousar as Captain Hook (Peter Pan)

Providence Day School - Thomas Laub as The Baker (Into the Woods)

Providence High School - Jonathon Walls as William Barfee (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)

South Mecklenburg High School - Ahmad Ayube as Nathan Detroit (Guys and Dolls)

South Pointe High School - Justin Norwood as Radames (Aida)

Southlake Christian Academy - Kyle Hammill as Curly (Oklahoma!)

Sun Valley High School - Romel Mencia as Leading Player (Pippin)

Best Actress

Ardrey Kell High School - Haley Stone as Dorothy Brock (42nd Street)

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Amina Faye as The Baker's Wife (Into the Woods)

cfa Academy - Madeline Phillips as Annie Oakley (Annie Get Your Gun)

Charlotte Christian School - Haley Putnam as Princess Fiona (Shrek the Musical)

Charlotte Latin School - Ann Chandler Tune as Mary Lennox (The Secret Garden)

Covenant Day School - Evan Bertram as Milly (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)

Cuthbertson High School - Lindsey Wesoly as Georgia Hendricks (Curtains)

Hough High School - Audrey Landau as Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

Independence High School - Lexi Moore as Miss Adelaide (Guys and Dolls)

Kings Mountain High School - Jensen Fleisher as Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors)

Lake Norman High School - Kri Schafer as The Drowsy Chaperone (The Drowsy Chaperone)

Marvin Ridge High School - Ellen Bailey as Rosemary Pilkington (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying)

North Lincoln High School - Hannah Pratt as The Baker's Wife (Into the Woods)

Northwest Cabarrus High School - Lauren Hunkele as Jo March (Little Women)

Northwest School of the Arts - Abby Corrigan as Peter Pan (Peter Pan)

Providence Day School - Tessa Giordano as Cinderella (Into the Woods)

Providence High School - Anna Gormley as Olive Ostrovsky (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)

Southlake Christian Academy - Mary Rhyne as Laurey (Oklahoma!)

Sun Valley High School - Stephanie Hurtado as Berthe (Pippin)

Weddington High School - Allie Belcher as Tracy Turnblad (Hairspray)

BEST MUSICAL AWARDS

The Wells Fargo Best Musical category will consist of two tiers. Three schools will be nominated within each tier. Tier 1 will include schools with a musical production budget of under $10,000 and Tier 2 will include Arts Magnet Schools and schools with a musical production budget of $10,000 and greater.

Wells Fargo Best Musical - Tier 1

Kings Mountain High School - Little Shop of Horrors

Lake Norman High School - The Drowsy Chaperone

North Lincoln High School - Into the Woods

Wells Fargo Best Musical - Tier 2

Ardrey Kell High School - 42nd Street

Charlotte Latin School - The Secret Garden

Northwest School of the Arts - Peter Pan

The Blumey Awards is produced by Blumenthal Performing Arts' Education Department and is presented by Wells Fargo. American Airlines, The Doctor Family Foundation and The Leon Levine Foundation provide additional support. Charlotte joins more than 30 other cities, including Pittsburgh, Houston and Atlanta, in hosting annual high school musical theater awards programs.

The schools competing include: A.L. Brown High School, Ardrey Kell High School, Butler High School, Cannon School, Carmel Christian School, Central Academy of Technology and Arts, Central Cabarrus High School, cfa Academy, Charlotte Christian School, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Latin School,

Covenant Day School, Cuthbertson High School, Davidson Day School, East Gaston High School, Hickory Ridge High School, Highland School of Technology, Hough High School, Independence High School, Jay M. Robinson High School, Kings Mountain High School, Lake Norman High School, Lincolnton High School, Marvin Ridge High School, Mountain Island Charter School, Nation Ford High School, North Lincoln High School, Northwest Cabarrus High School, Northwest School of the Arts, Northwestern High School, Parkwood High School, Providence Day School, Providence High School, South Mecklenburg High School, South Pointe High School, Southlake Christian Academy, Stuart W. Cramer High School, Sun Valley High School, Weddington High School.

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