Playhouse Square Announces Nominees For Fourth Annual Dazzle Awards Presented By Pat And John Chapman

With the aim of recognizing the importance of musical theater and arts education in Northeast Ohio high schools, Playhouse Square proudly hosts the Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman, affiliated with The Jimmy Awards/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards.

This regional program offers arts education opportunities throughout the school year and culminates with an awards ceremony hosted by Natalie Herbick of Cleveland's Own Fox 8 on May 18 at 7:30 p.m. Students participating in the ceremony will walk the "PNC Red Carpet" as they enter the beautiful Connor Palace for the Dazzle Awards. Each school will have the opportunity to send a student reporter to cover the PNC Red Carpet entrance.

As part of a new technical theater apprenticeship, two students will have the opportunity to shadow the Dazzle Awards lighting and sound designers, observe the creative process with the director/choreographer and music director and apply their skills with the stage management team. Interested juniors and seniors from schools participating in the Dazzle Awards submitted applications and letters of recommendation. From the pool of applicants, Maya Kohrman of Hawken Upper School and Ethan Korvne of Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC were selected.

Dazzle Awards will be presented to outstanding musical theater productions and students in 14 categories, including the "Spirit of the Dazzle Awards" category, awarded to the student who most embodies camaraderie, passion and an infectiously positive attitude throughout rehearsal week as identified by the Dazzle Awards creative team. The Best Actor and Best Actress will represent Northeast Ohio at The Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theatre in New York in June.

The 2019 Dazzle Award Nominees:

# nominated in same category last year
* last year's recipient if nominated again this year

Best Student Orchestra

Marion L. Steele High School, South Pacific
Nordonia High School, The Wizard of Oz
Orange High School, Chicago (High School Edition)
Padua Franciscan High School, Chaplin
Rocky River High School, Singin' in the Rain #
Shaker Heights High School, Pippin #
Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival)

Best Scenic Design

CMSD All-City Musical, 42nd Street
Hawken Upper School, Chicago (High School Edition)
Open Door Christian Schools, Newsies #
Rocky River High School, Singin' in the Rain #
Saint Joseph Academy, Newsies
Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast *
Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) #

Best Technical Execution

Aurora High School, Into the Woods
Magnificat High School, Footloose
Open Door Christian Schools, Newsies
Saint Joseph Academy, Newsies
Shaker Heights High School, Pippin #
Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast *
Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival)

Best Costume Design

Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC, Big Fish #
Avon Lake High School, On the Town
Lutheran West High School, Fiddler on the Roof
Open Door Christian Schools, Newsies #
Padua Franciscan High School, Chaplin
Rocky River High School, Singin' in the Rain *
Saint Ignatius High School, The Wedding Singer

Best Choreography Execution

CMSD All-City Musical, 42nd Street #
Magnificat High School, Footloose #
Nordonia High School, The Wizard of Oz
Rocky River High School, Singin' in the Rain #
Saint Joseph Academy, Newsies
Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast
Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival)

Best Ensemble/Chorus

CMSD All-City Musical, 42nd Street #
Magnificat High School, Footloose
Marion L. Steele High School, South Pacific
Nordonia High School, The Wizard of Oz
Rocky River High School, Singin' in the Rain #
Saint Joseph Academy, Newsies
Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast #

Best Featured Performer

Veronica Conroy, Saint Joseph Academy ('Elmer' in Newsies)
Shyanne Dunn, CMSD All-City Musical ('Lorraine Flemming' in 42nd Street)
Logan Jancsurak, Aurora High School ('Narrator / Mysterious Man' in Into the Woods)
Sydney Montique, Mayfield High School ('Dragon / Humpty' in Shrek the Musical)
Jackson Rapacki, Willoughby South High School ('Chief Sitting Bull' in Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) )
Owen Stickney, Rocky River High School ('R.F. Simpson' in Singin' in the Rain)
Aidan Woods, Marion L. Steele High School ('Commander William Harbison' in South Pacific)

Best Supporting Actress

Morgan Bedilion, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC ('Jenny Hill' in Big Fish)
Sasha Borshev, Mayfield High School ('Pinocchio' in Shrek the Musical)
Jayden Deblock, Lutheran West High School ('Tzeitel' in Fiddler on the Roof)
Jenai Mosley, CMSD All-City Musical ('Andy Lee' in 42nd Street)
JoJo Radecky, Walsh Jesuit High School ('Minnie' in Hello Dolly!)
Serrin Scrutchings, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC ('The Witch' in Big Fish)
Jocelyn Stone, CMSD All-City Musical ('Maggie Jones' in 42nd Street)

Best Supporting Actor

Drew Albrecht, Aurora High School ('Rapunzel's Prince' in Into the Woods)
Harlan Freidman-Rommel, Shaker Heights High School ('Charlemagne' in Pippin)
Johnny Kushan, Aurora High School ('Cinderella's Prince / Wolf' in Into the Woods)
Nathan Park, Willoughby South High School ('Charlie Davenport' in Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) )
Matt Rajko, Willoughby South High School ('Buffalo Bill Cody' in Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) )
Chad Ressler, Solon High School ('LeFou' in Beauty and the Beast)
Spencer Skok, Saint Ignatius High School ('George' in The Wedding Singer)

Best Actress

Joelle Fisher, Solon High School ('Belle' in Beauty and the Beast)
Lavinia Hallaran-Mclean, Willoughby South High School ('Winnie Tate' in Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) )
Eve Jursinski, Saint Joseph Academy ('Crutchie' in Newsies)
Joelle Kristoff, Chagrin Falls High School ('Ariel Moore' in Footloose)
Hannah Kulawiak, Aurora High School ('The Witch' in Into the Woods) #
Roxie Popovsky, Orange High School ('Roxie Hart' in Chicago (High School Edition) )
Margo Tipping, Walsh Jesuit High School ('Mrs. Malloy' in Hello Dolly!)

Best Actor

Felix Albino, Saint Joseph Academy ('Jack Kelly' in Newsies) #
Daniel Blum, Mayfield High School ('Donkey' in Shrek the Musical)
Colin Frothingham, Shaker Heights High School ('Pippin' in Pippin)
Karsen Guldan, Hudson High School ('The Phantom' in The Phantom of the Opera)
J.R. Heckman, Solon High School ('The Beast' in Beauty and the Beast) *
Charles Kadair, Walsh Jesuit High School ('Cornelius Hackl' in Hello Dolly!)
Jon Roy, Open Door Christian Schools ('Jack Kelly' in Newsies)

The Connor Family Best Musical (Tier 1)

Open Door Christian Schools, Newsies
Rocky River High School, Singin' in the Rain *
Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival)

The Connor Family Best Musical (Tier 2)

CMSD All-City Musical, 42nd Street
Nordonia High School, The Wizard of Oz
Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast #

Public and private high schools located in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit Counties were invited to apply for participation in the Dazzle Awards. Information and applications for the 2020 Dazzle Awards will be available online at playhousesquare.org/dazzleawards in August.

Tickets for the Dazzle Awards are available online at playhousesquare.org or by calling 216-241-6000.

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