Casa Manana Announces 2016 Buckley Award Nominees; Ceremony Set for May!

Casa Mañana is excited to announce the nominees for the 16th annual Betty Lynn Buckley Awards.

Named after Fort Worth's own Tony Award winning Best Actress, Fort Worth Independent School District and Casa Mañana alumnae Betty Lynn Buckley, this exciting program has stood to promote and celebrate excellence in high school musical theatre since 2000. Participation is open to Denton, Wise, Parker, Hood, Johnson and Tarrant County. This year, there were 28 schools participating in the categories for musicals and 19 schools in the categories for plays.

The program culminates in a Tony Awards-style ceremony on Thursday, May 19, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. at Casa Mañana Theatre. Tickets go on sale to the public on Tuesday, May 17 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 817.332.2272.

A panel of distinguished judges - comprised of local theatre professionals and educators - votes for a winner in each of 11 award categories for musicals: Best Musical, Best Male and Female Actor, Best Male and Female Supporting Actor, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Orchestra, Best Choreography; and 3 award categories for plays: Best Play and Best Male and Female Actor. Design categories are divided into two levels dependent upon the budget size of the school's production. Categories are only open for student designers and artists. Awards include a $1,000 scholarship, which are provided by generous donors who recognize the benefits of this program and the impact musical theatre has on the lives of students.

Casa Mañana congratulates all of the high schools, students and educators for an outstanding year of theatre!

See the full list of nominees below:

Best Play

Northwest High School, You Can't Take It with You

Birdville High School, A Piece of My Heart

FWAFA, The 39 Steps

Grapevine High School, These Shining Lives

All Saints' Episcopal School, Wit

Guyer High School, The Dresser

Best Male Actor in a Play

Ryder Hartsfield, Richard Hannay, The 39 Steps, FWAFA

Jackson Miller, Tom Donohue, These Shining Lives, Grapevine High School

Ben Wagner, Junior, Dearly Departed, Nolan Catholic High School

Cayden Candioto, Tony Kirby, You Can't Take It with You, Northwest High School

John Wittman, Dr. Chumley, Harvey, Fort Worth Country Day

Vincent Witherspoon, Paul Sycamore, You Can't Take It with You, Northwest High School

Best Female Actor in a Play

Ashley Munson, Charlotte, These Shining Lives, Grapevine High School

Katherine D'Souza, Veta Louise, Harvey, Fort Worth Country Day

Erica Lendl, Catherine Donohue, These Shining Lives, Grapevine High School

Chamey Suchors, Penny Sycamore, You Can't Take It with You, Northwest High School

Sarah Domalewski, Lucille, Dearly Departed, Nolan Catholic High School

Gabi Maranda, Suzanne, Dearly Departed, Nolan Catholic High School

Best Musical

Haltom High School, West Side Story

Byron Nelson High School, South Pacific

All Saints' Episcopal School, The Drowsy Chaperone

Richland High School, Beauty and the Beast

Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy, Crazy for You

Carroll Sr High School, Young Frankenstein

Best Male Actor in a Musical

Joe Caskey, Emile De Becque, South Pacific, Byron Nelson High School

Michael Flake, Reverend, Footloose, Lake Ridge High School

Harrison Cram, Edmund, Narnia the Musical, Birdville High School

Drew Brown, Frederick Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein, Carroll Sr High School

Tyler Jones, Igor, Young Frankenstein, Carroll Sr High School

Stewart Wentz, Lord Farquaad, Shrek, Frisco High School

Best Female Actor in a Musical

Allison Wheeler, Ethel, Footloose, Lake Ridge High School

Courtney Lynn Povero, Natalie Heller/Ed, All Shook Up, FWAFA

Kayla Jeffries, Belle, Beauty and the Beast, Richland High School

Marissa Suazo, Anita, West Side Story, Haltom High School

Grace Evans, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Drowsy Chaperone, All Saints' Episcopal School

Avery Perkins, Doria, Smile, Trinity Valley School

Best Male Supporting Actor in a Musical

Brazos Pinto, Man in Chair, The Drowsy Chaperone, All Saints' Episcopal School

Ashton Miramontes, Dennis, All Shook Up, FWAFA

Ben Singel, Herard, Hermit, Young Frankenstein, Carroll Sr High School

Riley Henderson, Thomas Andrews, Titanic, Lake Country Christian

Joey Witten, Luther Billis, South Pacific, Byron Nelson High School

Xavier Baker, Mr. Tumnus, Narnia the Musical, Birdville High School

Ryan Tan, Bud Frump, How to Succeed..., The Oakridge School

Clay Morgan, Lumiere, Beauty and the Beast, Richland High School

Best Female Supporting Actor in a Musical

Nicole Berg, Mother, Crazy for You, Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy

Whitney Pavell, Brenda, Smile, Trinity Valley School

Renee Merrill, Kitty, The Drowsy Chaperone, All Saints' Episcopal School

Patience Dotson, Rosalia, West Side Story, Haltom High School

Martha Sudderth, Maria, Smile, Trinity Valley School

Myia Oliver, Kate McGowan, Titanic, Lake Country Christian

Kathleen Clum, Beth March, Little Women, Fort Worth Country Day

Best Student Lighting Design

Alex Rose, Young Frankenstein, Carroll Sr High School

Amanda Fisk, Smile, Trinity Valley School

Connor Stewart, Seussical, Arlington Lamar High School

Logan Dean, All Shook Up, FWAFA

Lane Pilcher , South Pacific, Byron Nelson High School

Ty Wood, West Side Story, Haltom High School

Best Student Sound Design

Duncan Shumate, Smile, Trinity Valley School

John Watters, West Side Story, Haltom High School

Emma Horn, South Pacific, Byron Nelson High School

Rachel Waddell, Beauty and the Beast, Richland High School

Nicole Butcher, Young Frankenstein, Carroll Sr High School

Diego Huazano, Seussical, Arlington Lamar High School

Best Student Scenic Design

John Watters, Ty Wood, West Side Story, Haltom High School

Kasi Flores, South Pacific, Byron Nelson High School

Collin Debolt, Connor Stewart, Seussical, Arlington Lamar High School

Honda Garcia, Beauty and the Beast, Richland High School

Ciara Smith, Braden Anderson, Young Frankenstein, Carroll Sr High School

Cameron Collis, Shrek, Frisco High School

Best Student Costume Design

Jessica Peterson, Narnia the Musical, Birdville High School

Jordain Blanco, Seussical, Arlington Lamar High School

Elizabeth Allison, Beauty and the Beast, Richland High School

Ciara Smith, Alexandra Bramley, Young Frankenstein, Carroll Sr High School

Kristin Priest, All Shook Up, FWAFA

Student Orchestra

Carroll Sr High School, Young Frankenstein

Creekview High School, Cinderella

Richland High School, Beauty and the Beast

Northwest High School, The Music Man

Arlington Lamar High School, Seussical

Weatherford High School, Seussical

Student Choreography

Megan Antone, Titanic, Lake Country Christian

Zoey Steck, Seussical, Arlington Lamar High School

Anna Chase Lanier, Gareth Forsberg, Young Frankenstein, Carroll Sr High School

Sabrina Evans, Grace Senkowsky, Shrek, Nolan Catholic High School

Emily Hatch, Claire Crenshaw, Seussical, Weatherford High School

Maddi Gunn, All Shook Up, FWAFA

For more information about the Sixteenth Annual Betty Lynn Buckley Awards, visit www.casamanana.org/education/buckley-awards.

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