3rd Annual Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards Gala Held 6/6

With the economy being what it is and with school budgets being dramatically cut, The Spirit of Broadway Theater (SBT) in Norwich, CT is working to put the focus on the need for high quality musical theater education in Connecticut's High Schools.

The Spirit of Broadway Theater is proud to announce the Third Annual Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards (CHSMTA) Gala, will take place on Monday June 6, 2011, 6:30pm at The Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT, featuring Tony award writer / lyricist, Joe DiPietro (MEMPHIS) as Special Guest Master of Ceremonies. 20 awards will be presented in 17 different areas of recognition including Technical, Design, Performance and Educational.

"This is not simply the preeminent high school musical theater awards program in the State of Connecticut" said CHSMTA Founder and SBT Artistic Director / CEO, Mr. Brett Bernardini. "This year long educational program sends theater professionals into high schools to provide valuable, constructive and supportive evaluations of their productions. These 16 page evaluations are based on a rubric of excellence for each of the 16 categories related to school productions, including technical, design and performance categories" said Bernardini "Additionally, by being linked to The National High School Musical Theater Awards program, I am working to lift-up these programs in our schools as vehicles for interdisciplinary learning, valid career training, leadership development and necessary creative skills training."

"In these challenging economic times, it is easy to consider the arts a frill" said Bernardini. "Personally, I think we are not looking far enough down the road. These cuts to arts in education are already having an impact on this nations workforce and ultimately, to our global standing as a country. We are a country whose number one export is our culture and yet, we are cutting arts funding across the spectrum of school, city, and state. I am 100% convinced that we - as a country - will pay for these cuts in the immediate future as our edge in innovation, creativity and discovery declines."
According to Ready to Innovate, a new study conducted by The Conference Board, Americans for the Arts, and the American Association of School Administrators:

•U.S. employers rate creativity/innovation among the top five skills that will

increase in importance over the next five years, and rank it among the top

challenges facing CEOs.

• Employers (56 percent) and superintendents (79 percent) agree that a college

degree in the arts is the most significant indicator of creativity in a prospective

job candidate.

• Among eleven subjects offered in high school, superintendants rank arts

activities in the top four that are most likely to develop creativity. Yet, three out

of four top rated arts subjects are offered as an only as elective by a majority of

respondents. Creative writing is the sole required course in more than half the

districts. Less than 1 in 5 require a music class.
The 2011 Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards - dedicated to honor and showcase high school musical theater talent while placing a spotlight on the rich educational opportunities offered through a strong and vibrant High School musical theater programs - has 18 participating high schools and represent all areas of the State of Connecticut.

The participating schools and their associated productions include: Amity Regional High School (Chicago), East Lyme High School (The Drowsey Chaperone, Fairfield Warde High School (Urinetown), Fairfield College Prep High School (Damn Yankees), Farmington High School (Oliver!), Granby High School (The Music Man), Griswold High School (Guys and Dolls), Guilford High School (Anything Goes), Immaculate High School (Aida), New Canaan High School (The Drowsey Chaperone), Newtown High School (Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat), Northwest Catholic High School (42nd Street), Plainfield High School (City of Angels), Regional Center For The Arts (Hairspray), Ridgefield High School (42nd Street), St. Paul Catholic High School (Beauty & The Beast), Trumbull High School (Fiddler On The Roof), and Westhill High School (The Mystery of Edwin Drood).

"Throughout my nearly 20 years as a high school educator, I was passionate and vocal about the fact that the arts need to be both accessible to students of all abilities and backgrounds and an essential part of student development," Bernardini said. "Now as a theater director, I am thrilled to have joined forces with colleagues across the U.S. to create an awards program that begins at the state level and culminates with top national winners engaging in a week of workshops, rehearsals and auditions for further recognition."

Connecticut will compete along with roughly 30 other states from across the United States at The National High School Musical Theater Awards program, held the end of June in New York City. Students awarded Best Actor and Best Actress honors at the CHSMTA Gala in Waterbury, will have the opportunity to be seen and adjudicated by top industry professionals. The National Awards Gala will take place at the Marquis Theater on Broadway.
"In 2009, both of our award recipients for OUTSTANDING ACTOR and OUTSTANDING ACTRESS were in the final four, at the National competition," said Bernardini. "Just when you think it can't get any better, our OUTSTANDING ACTOR recipient, Stephen Marks from Ridgefield, won the Nationals! His achievement won him a four-year scholarship to NYU Tisch School of The Arts and a $10,000 check from the Nederlander Organization. Our first State Awards program and we win Nationals!! How amazing!"
Nominees for the 2011 Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards can be found on our CHSMTA website!

"I would love to see The Palace Theater sold out for this event," said Bernardini. "2010 was the second year we held this event and it was beyond magical...people are still talking about. More importantly to me is that while schools budgets are cut and more and more theater programs are eliminated, it is important for everyone who cares about the arts to make a stand that arts education matters. It is not a luxury, it is essential!

The only way we will ever make people understand the importance of arts education is to show up in numbers that those who make decisions cannot ignore. " said Bernardini. "We have the opportunity on June 6, 2011 to show to the entire State that at least 2,700 people care about arts education! Get your tickets and join us for this remarkable evening!!"
For more information about the 2010 Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards visit www.spiritofbroadway.org or contact The Spirit of Broadway Theater at 860.886.2378

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