Blumenthal Performing Arts Announces Nominees for 6th Annual Blumey Awards; Ceremony 5/21

Blumenthal Performing Arts is pleased to announce the 72 nominees - six each in 12 categories - competing in the 6th Annual High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Blumey Awards, presented by Wells Fargo on Sunday, May 21, 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.

Winners will be announced at The Blumey Awards Ceremony on May 21, at 7:00 p.m., in Belk Theater. Tickets for The Blumey Awards ceremony go on sale to the public on Thursday, May 4 at 10 a.m. Tickets range from $45 to $100. Tickets will be available at BlumenthalArts.org, 704-372-1000 or from the box office in the Belk Theater lobby, 130 N. Tryon St.

Maureen O'Boyle, anchor for WBTV, and Amy Burkett of WTVI will be emceeing the black-tie event. This year, The Blumey Awards will also be broadcast on WTVI on Tuesday, May 30 at 8 p.m.

"While competition and awards are part of the process, getting to the Blumey Awards is really about working together to create a musical," said Blumenthal President Tom Gabbard. "Everyone there that night can feel the collective pride for what these students, teachers and parents have achieved in working hard to put their shows together. The Blumey Awards is one of the best nights in Charlotte each year."

Like the Tony Awards®, The Blumey Awards Ceremony will feature a performance by each of the six nominated schools in the best musical category, a medley of performances by the six finalists for Best Actor and for Best Actress, and an opening and closing number that features two students from each of the forty-six participating schools.

David Dabbon will once again serve as the music director and orchestrator for The Blumey Awards. David is a New York based composer and Grammy nominated orchestrator and has served as the music director since the inaugural Blumey Awards ceremony in 2012. Chris Bailey, a professional choreographer, will choreograph the opening and closing numbers as well as the medleys. Chris has been the choreographer for numerous West End, Broadway, and touring shows including the US national tours of Evita and Shrek the Musical, as well as Assassins at Menier Chocolate Factory in London.

Blumenthal Performing Arts will again participate in the National High School Musical Theater Awards. The national show and ceremony take place in New York on June 26, 2017. 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).

Fifteen student critics are also participating in the Student Critic Program in association with the 6th 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 ObserverStudent 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 2017."

This year's nominees for The Blumey Awards:

Best Set Construction

Ardrey Kell High School - Chicago

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Sweeney Todd

Central Cabarrus High School - Dogfight

Nation Ford High School - The Drowsy Chaperone

Providence Day School - Side Show

Stuart W. Cramer High School - Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Costume Creation

A. L. Brown High School - Anything Goes

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Sweeney Todd

Central Cabarrus High School - Dogfight

Cuthbertson High School - Les Miserables

Northwestern High School - Young Frankenstein

Piedmont Community Charter - Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Student Orchestra

Ardrey Kell High School - Chicago

Bunker Hill High School - Once on This Island

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Sweeney Todd

East Mecklenburg High School - The Wiz

Hough High School - Little Shop of Horrors

Providence High School - Hairspray

Best Choreography Execution

Ardrey Kell High School - Chicago

Bunker Hill High School - Once on This Island

cfa Academy - Big Fish

Charlotte Latin School - Crazy For You

Nation Ford High School - The Drowsy Chaperone

Northwest School of the Arts - All Shook Up

Best Ensemble/Chorus

Ardrey Kell High School - Chicago

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Sweeney Todd

Covenant Day School - The Wizard of Oz

Nation Ford High School - The Drowsy Chaperone

Northwest School of the Arts - All Shook Up

Providence Day School - Side Show

Best Overall Direction

Ardrey Kell High School - Chicago

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Sweeney Todd

Davidson Day School - Bonnie & Clyde

Nation Ford High School - The Drowsy Chaperone

Northwest School of the Arts - All Shook Up

Providence Day School - Side Show

Best Featured Performer

Ardrey Kell High School - Kevin Wholey as Emcee (Chicago)

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Stewart Harrison as Adolpho Pirelli (Sweeney Todd)

Northwest Cabarrus High School - Haylee Frazier as Lavinia (A Little Princess)

Northwest School of the Arts - Renee Rapp as Miss Sandra (All Shook Up)

Northwestern High School - Herbert White as Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein (Young Frankenstein)

Stuart W. Cramer High School - Jo Ocasio as Muzzy Van Hossmere (Thoroughly Modern Millie)

Best Supporting Actor

Ardrey Kell High School - Andrew Sickles as Amos Hart (Chicago)

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Sayo Oni as Tobias Ragg (Sweeney Todd)

Marvin Ridge High School - Christian Regan as Cat in the Hat (Seussical)

Nation Ford High School - Robert Leaks as Robert Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone)

Northwest School of the Arts - Rixey Terry as Dennis (All Shook Up)

Providence Day School - David Conlin as Buddy (Side Show)

Best Supporting Actress

Ardrey Kell High School - Bailey Thomas as Roxie Hart (Chicago)

cfa Academy - Brittany Schell as Jenny Hill (Big Fish)

Nation Ford High School - Jessica Shamble as Janet Van De Graaff (The Drowsy Chaperone)

Northwest Cabarrus High School - Macy Skaggs as Becky (A Little Princess)

Northwest School of the Arts - Hannah-Kathryn Wall as Sylvia (All Shook Up)

Providence Day School - Katlyn Gonzalez as Daisy (Side Show)

The following students have scored in the top 25 in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories and will be invited to audition before a special panel on Saturday, May 6. The six nominees for both of these categories will be chosen after the auditions and announced on Monday, May 8.

Best Actor

A. L. Brown High School - Matthew Byrd as Billy Crocker (Anything Goes)

Ardrey Kell High School - Jacob Bollacke as Billy Flynn (Chicago)

Butler High School - Andre Braza as Prince Dauntless (Once Upon a Mattress)

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Justin Rivers as Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd)

Central Cabarrus High School - Drew Coley as Eddie (Dogfight)

cfa Academy - Tim Brausch as Edward Bloom (Big Fish)

Charlotte Christian School - Dallas Thomley as Willard Hewitt (Footloose)

Charlotte Country Day School - Kenny Letts as Scarecrow (The Wizard of Oz)

Charlotte Latin School - Ethan Holtzman as Bobby Child (Crazy For You)

Covenant Day School - Harrison Chase as Scarecrow (The Wizard of Oz)

Davidson Day School - Thaddaeus Freidline as Clyde (Bonnie & Clyde)

Hough High School - Cley Butler as Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors)

Independence High School - Ron Gibson as Minstrel (Once Upon a Mattress)

Jay M. Robinson High School - Andrew Krug as Charlie Brown (You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown)

Lincolnton High School - Spencer Hoops as Radames (Aida)

Marvin Ridge High School - Jack Shanahan as Horton (Seussical)

Nation Ford High School - Westin Hicks as Man in Chair (The Drowsy Chaperone)

Northwest Cabarrus High School - Tucker Skaggs as Captain Crewe (A Little Princess)

Northwest School of the Arts - JoNathan Davis as Chad (All Shook Up)

Northwestern High School - Logan Ingram as Igor (Young Frankenstein)

Piedmont Community Charter - Dylan Medlin as Jimmy Smith (Thoroughly Modern Millie)

Pine Lake Preparatory - Peter Quinn as Cornelius Hackl (Hello, Dolly!)

Providence Day School - Chris Melton as Terry (Side Show)

South Mecklenburg High School - Ryan Faucette as J. Pierrepont Finch (How to Succeed in Business...)

Stuart W. Cramer High School - Dakota Jones as Jimmy Smith (Thoroughly Modern Millie)

Best Actress

Arborbrook Christian Academy - Miah Critchett as Rose Alvarez (Bye Bye Birdie)

Ardrey Kell High School - Anna Hertel as Velma Kelly (Chicago)

Bunker Hill High School - Jana Sales as Ti Moune (Once on This Island)

Butler High School - Miranda DiPaolo as Princess Winnifred (Once Upon a Mattress)

Carmel Christian School - Domenica Coka as Sandra Bloom (Big Fish: School Edition)

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Maddy Sedberry as Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd)

cfa Academy - Shianne Armstrong as Sandra Bloom (Big Fish)

Charlotte Latin School - Arella Flur as Polly Baker (Crazy For You)

Cuthbertson High School - Hannah Conkling as Fantine (Les Miserables)

Davidson Day School - Analise Malick as Bonnie (Bonnie & Clyde)

Independence High School - Isabella Villanueva as Princess Winnifred (Once Upon a Mattress)

Jay M. Robinson High School - Alaina Newell as Lucy (You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown)

Lincolnton High School - Ashley Robinson as Aida (Aida)

Nation Ford High School - Maddie Neff as The Drowsy Chaperone (The Drowsy Chaperone)

Northside Christian Academy - Olivia Ficklin as Maria (The Sound of Music)

Northwest Cabarrus High School - Mia Rice as Sara Crewe (A Little Princess)

Northwest School of the Arts - Maya Sistruck as Natalie Haller (All Shook Up)

Piedmont Community Charter - Bianca Moten as Millie Dillmount (Thoroughly Modern Millie)

Pine Lake Preparatory - Piper Loebach as Dolly Levi (Hello, Dolly!)

Providence Day School - Tessa Giordano as Violet (Side Show)

Providence High School - Lilli Hancock as Tracy Turnblad (Hairspray)

South Mecklenburg High School - Marielisa Cashman as Rosemary Pillkington (How to Succeed in Business...)

South Point High School - Kayla Booth as Princess Winnifred (Once Upon a Mattress)

SouthLake Christian Academy - Haley Conway as Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

Stuart W. Cramer High School - Abigail Morrison as Millie Dillmount (Thoroughly Modern Millie)

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

Davidson Day School - Bonnie & Clyde

Nation Ford High School - The Drowsy Chaperone

Stuart W. Cramer High School - Thoroughly Modern Millie

Wells Fargo Best Musical - Tier 2

Ardrey Kell High School - Chicago

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Sweeney Todd

Northwest School of the Arts - All Shook Up

The schools competing include: A. L. Brown High School, Arborbrook Christian Academy, Ardrey Kell High School, Bunker Hill High School, Butler High School, Cannon School, Carmel Christian School, Central Academy of Technology and Arts, Central Cabarrus High School, Central High School, cfa Academy, Charlotte Christian School, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Latin School, Covenant Day School, Cuthbertson High School, Davidson Day School, East Mecklenburg 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, Northside Christian Academy, Northwest Cabarrus High School, Northwest School of the Arts, Northwestern High School, Piedmont Community Charter, Pine Lake Preparatory, Providence Day School, Providence High School, Queens Grant High School, Shelby High School, South Mecklenburg High School, South Point High School, South Pointe High School, Southlake Christian Academy, Stuart W. Cramer High School, Weddington High School.

For more information: BlumenthalArts.org/BlumeyAwards.

Blumenthal Performing Arts serves the Carolinas as a leading cultural, entertainment and education provider. For more information, call (704) 372-1000 or visit BlumenthalArts.org. Blumenthal Performing Arts receives operating support from the Arts & Science Council and North Carolina Arts CounciL. Blumenthal Performing Arts is also supported by PNC Bank, sponsor of the PNC Broadway Lights.

To post a comment, you must register and login.