Blumenthal Performing Arts Announces The 2019 Blumey Awards Nominees

Blumenthal Performing Arts is pleased to announce the nominees competing in the 8th Annual High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Blumey Awards, presented by Wells Fargo on Sunday, May 19, at Belk Theater.

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 19, at 7:00 p.m., in Belk Theater. Tickets for The Blumey Awards ceremony go on sale to the public on Thursday, May 2 at 10am and 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. The Blumey Awards will once again also be broadcast on WTVI (dates and times to be announced in the coming weeks).

"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-eight participating schools. David Dabbon will be back as 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.

Linda Booth, a Charlottean, and the region's most sought-after choreographer will choreograph the opening and closing numbers as well as the medleys. As a teaching artist, Linda has worked with over 20,000 youth, and she has choreographed over 200 productions, in regional, educational, and professional theater.

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 The National High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards (named after famed Broadway producer, James M. Nederlander). The national show and ceremony take place on June 24, 2019.

Sixteen student critics are also participating in the Student Critic Program in association with the 8th Annual Blumey Awards presented by Wells Fargo. The Student Critic Program is part of The Blumey Awards with support from The Charlotte Observer. Of these sixteen 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 20191"

2019 Nominees for The Blumey Awards

Best Student Orchestra

East Mecklenburg High School- Anything Goes
Hickory Ridge High School- Little Shop of Horrors
Northwest School of the Arts- Freaky Friday
Northwestern High School- Newsies
Providence High School- Newsies
William A. Hough High School- Fiddler on the Roof

Best Set Construction

Ardrey Kell High School- Curtains
cfa Academy- Hello, Dolly!
Gaston Day School- Fiddler on the Roof
Lake Norman High School- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Providence High School- Newsies
Stuart W. Cramer High School- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Best Costume Creation

Central Academy of Technology and Arts- Rock of Ages: High School Edition
cfa Academy- Hello, Dolly!
Nation Ford High School- Young Frankenstein
Piedmont Community Charter School- Mary Poppins
Pine Lake Preparatory School- Bright Star
Stuart W. Cramer High School- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Best Choreography Execution

Ardrey Kell High School- Curtains
Charlotte Country Day School- Catch Me If You Can
Nation Ford High School- Young Frankenstein
Northwest School of the Arts- Freaky Friday
Pine Lake Preparatory School- Bright Star
Stuart W. Cramer High School- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Best Ensemble/Chorus

Ardrey Kell High School- Curtains
Nation Ford High School- Young Frankenstein
Northwest School of the Arts- Freaky Friday
Pine Lake Preparatory School- Bright Star
Providence High School- Newsies
Stuart W. Cramer High School- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Best Overall Direction

Ardrey Kell High School- Curtains
Lake Norman High School- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Nation Ford High School- Young Frankenstein
Northwest School of the Arts- Freaky Friday
Pine Lake Preparatory School- Bright Star
Stuart W. Cramer High School- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Best Supporting Actor

Cannon School- Griffin Jones as Man in the Chair- The Drowsy Chaperone
Fort Mill High School- Emmett Froebrich as Gideon- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Northwest School of the Arts- Rixey Terry as Mike- Freaky Friday
Pine Lake Preparatory School- J. T. Sutek as Billy Cane- Bright Star
Providence High School- Brandon Szep as Davey- Newsies
Stuart W. Cramer High School- Alex Manley as Schroeder- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Best Supporting Actress

Ardrey Kell High School- Sara Stone as Carmen Bernstein- Curtains
cfa Academy- Mia Rice as Irene Molloy- Hello, Dolly!
Lake Norman High School- Emily Faria as Sally- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Northwest School of the Arts- Carlyn Head as Katherine Blake- Freaky Friday
Pine Lake Preparatory School- Amanda Foss as Margo- Bright Star
William A. Hough High School- Julia Leeman as Hodel- Fiddler on the Roof

Best Featured Performer

Ardrey Kell High School- Richard Barker as Christopher Belling- Curtains
cfa Academy- Brittany Schell as Minnie Fay- Hello, Dolly!
Fort Mill High School- Spencer Dulin as Frank- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Northwest School of the Arts- Brooke Watts as Ms. Meyers- Freaky Friday
Pine Lake Preparatory School- Andrew Battalia as Daryl- Bright Star
William A. Hough High School- Haley Vogel as Tzeitel and Grandma Tzeitel- Fiddler on the Roof

Wells Fargo Best Musical - Tier 1

Nation Ford High School- Young Frankenstein
Pine Lake Preparatory School- Bright Star
Stuart W. Cramer High School- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Wells Fargo Best Musical - Tier 2

Ardrey Kell High School- Curtains
Northwest School of the Arts- Freaky Friday
Providence High School- Newsies

The students listed below are the top 20 finalists in the categories of Best Actor and Best Actress. The 6 nominees for these categories will be announced in early May.

Finalists for Best Actor

Ardrey Kell High School- John Parker Demos as Aaron Fox- Curtains
Cannon School- Cole Ventura as Aldolpho- The Drowsy Chaperone
Central Academy of Technology and Arts- Sayo Oni as Drew- Rock of Ages: High School Edition
cfa Academy- Asher Vanderburg as Cornelius Hackel- Hello, Dolly!
Charlotte Country Day School- Jack Flowers as Carl Hanratty- Catch Me If You Can
Charlotte Latin School- William Kressner as Bert- Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Covenant Day School- Luke Protasewich as Phantom- The Phantom of the Opera
Cuthbertson High School- Wesley Franks as Sam- Mamma Mia!
Forestview High School- Scout Stamey as Curly- Oklahoma!
Fort Mill High School- Will Roque as Adam- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Gaston Day School- Ben King as Tevye- Fiddler on the Roof
Lake Norman High School- Ivan Dixon as Charlie Brown- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Nation Ford High School- Jackson Ringley as Frederick Frankenstein- Young Frankenstein
Northwest School of the Arts- Izzat Monroe as Adam- Freaky Friday
Piedmont Community Charter School- Tanner Bowers as Bert- Mary Poppins
Pine Lake Preparatory School- Chris Hyslop as Jimmy Ray Dobbs- Bright Star
South Mecklenburg High School- Cavan Meade as Tom Thumb- Barnum
Stuart W. Cramer High School- Jacob Hooks as Charlie Brown- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Westminster Catawba Christian School- Luke Hancock as Jean Valjean- Les Miserables
William A. Hough High School - Drew Colven as Tevye- Fiddler on the Roof

Finalists for Best Actress

Ardrey Kell High School- Leigh Hrischenko as Georgia Hendricks- Curtains
Cannon School- Isabella Ortiz as Janet Van de Graff- The Drowsy Chaperone
Central Academy of Technology and Arts- Miia Harris as Sherrie- Rock of Ages: High School Edition
cfa Academy- Sarah Ann Burke as Dolly Levi- Hello, Dolly!
Charlotte Latin School- Arella Flur as Mary Poppins- Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins
Christ the King Catholic High School- Gabriella DuPont as Peggy Sawyer- 42nd Street
Covenant Day School- Kimmi Curcio as Christine- The Phantom of the Opera
Forestview High School- Grace Miller as Ado Annie- Oklahoma!
Fort Mill High School- Gillian Huntley as Milly- Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Gaston Day School- Sarah Wehmueller as Hodel- Fiddler on the Roof
Lake Norman High School- Jordan O'Sullivan as Lucy- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy- Chrissa Weir as Orphie- Orphie and the Book of Heroes
Mallard Creek High School- Faith Hart as Olive Ovstrovsky- The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Nation Ford High School- Gracie Bentley as Inga- Young Frankenstein
Northwest School of the Arts- Zoe Freeman as Ellie Blake- Freaky Friday
Piedmont Community Charter School -McKenna Lawler as Marry Poppins- Mary Poppins
Pine Lake Preparatory School- Piper Loebach as Alice Murphy- Bright Star
Providence High School- Kara Kucsma as Katherine- Newsies
Stuart W. Cramer High School- Marissa Garrison as Sally- You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
William A. Hough High School- Sophia Leeman as Golde- Fiddler on the Roof

The schools competing include: Arborbrook Christian Academy, Ardrey Kell High School, Cannon School, Carmel Christian School, Central Academy of Technology and Arts, Central Cabarrus High School, cfa Academy, Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte Christian, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Latin School, Christ the King Catholic High School, Covenant Day School, Cuthbertson High School, David W Butler High School, Davidson Day School, East Lincoln High School, East Mecklenburg High School, Forestview High School, Fort Mill High School, Gaston Day School, Hickory Ridge High School, Highland School of Technology, Independence High School, Jay M. Robinson High School, Lake Norman High School, Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy, Lincolnton High School , Mallard Creek High School, Nation Ford High School, North Lincoln High School, Northwest Cabarrus High School,

Northwest School of the Arts, Northwestern High School, Piedmont Community Charter School, Pine Lake Preparatory School, Providence High School, Shelby High School, South Mecklenburg High School,

South Pointe High School, SouthLake Christian Academy, Stuart W. Cramer High School, theHUB@CBTC,

Weddington High School, Westminister Catawba Christian School, William A. Hough High School, York Comprehensive High School.

For more information: BlumenthalArts.org/BlumeyAwards.

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