DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards Announces Winners!

Dallas Summer Musicals is a nonprofit organization committed to education, which led to begin the awards program patterned after Broadway's Tony Awards®. DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards brings stars, community celebrities, show business veterans and Dallas leaders together for an evening of celebration.

In five years, DSM HSMTA has become the second largest program in the country! They have grown from 33 high schools to 67 high schools presenting 70 productions. Each school's performance is evaluated by a panel of judges, who are working professionals in the arts, entertainment, acting, music, dance, theatre education, arts administration, talent management and production design. Ballots are tabulated by the accounting firm of Grant Thornton LLP, and the top scoring schools in each category are nominated. Awards are given to: Best Actor & Actress, Best Supporting Actor & Actress, Best Featured Actor & Actress, Best Direction, Best Musical Direction, Best Ensemble, Best Orchestra, Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting, Best Crew and Best Musical. In addition, several cash scholarships will be presented this year to outstanding students nominated by their teachers.

The Best Actor & Actress winners receive an all-expense paid five-day trip to New York City. They perform on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre, where they represent DSM HSMTA in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmy Nederlander Awards) for a chance to win prizes and scholarships.

Below, is a full list of the 2016 nominees and winners!

BEST FEATURED ACTOR

Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Jess Westman as JoJo, Seussical
Aledo H.S. - Andy Brite as Underling, The Drowsy Chaperone
All Saints' Episcopal School - Austin Decker as Robert Martin, The Drowsy Chaperone
Birdville H.S. - Luke Flowers as Peter, Narnia, the Musical
Grapevine H.S. - Matthew Lavery as Frank Abagnale, Sr., Catch Me If You Can
Guyer H.S. - Corbin Born as George Banks, Mary Poppins
WINNER: McKinney Boyd H.S. - Bryson Jackson as Nicely Nicely, Guys and Dolls
North Lamar H.S. - Paul Bayer as Robertson Ay, Mary Poppins
Northwest H.S. - Vincent Witherspoon, Eli Witherspoon, Jonathan Sneed, and Gibson Terry as The School Board, The Music Man
Pearce H.S. - Jack Durham as R. F. Simpson, Singin' in the Rain
Rowlett H.S. - Zach Taylor as Major General, The Pirates of Penzance
Weatherford H.S. - Robert Chavez as Horton, Seussical

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS

Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Raissa Teta as Sour Kangaroo, Seussical
Aledo H.S. - Mallory Bomhoff as Kitty, The Drowsy Chaperone
All Saints' Episcopal School - Renee Merrill as Kitty, The Drowsy Chaperone
Berkner H.S. - Ashley Johnson as Jan, Grease
Birdville H.S. - Olivia Simms as Susan, Narnia, the Musical
Grapevine H.S. - Ashley Munson as Carol Strong, Catch Me If You Can
Guyer H.S. - Ally Roberts as Winifred Banks, Mary Poppins
North Lamar H.S. - Anna Holbrook as Mrs. Brill, Mary Poppins
WINNER: Pearce H.S. - Shelby Griswold as Zelda Zanders, Singin' in the Rain
Richardson H.S. - Bethany Jelinek as Vi, Footloose
Teague H.S. - Hannah Anderson as Miss Sandra, All Shook Up
Weatherford H.S. - Kelsie Schlosser as Sour Kangaroo, Seussical

BEST SCENIC DESIGN

Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Seussical
Carroll Senior H.S. - Young Frankenstein
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - My Fair Lady
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts - All Shook Up
Lake Country Christian School - Titanic
Lake Highlands H.S. - Kiss Me, Kate
Mabank H.S. - Thoroughly Modern Millie
WINNER: Pearce H.S. - Singin' in the Rain
Plano Senior H.S. - Legally Blonde
Plano West H.S. - Funny Girl
Rowlett H.S. - The Pirates of Penzance
Waco H.S. - She Loves Me

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Colleyville Heritage H.S. - My Fair Lady
WINNER: Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy - Big Fish
Lake Highlands H.S. - Kiss Me, Kate
McKinney H.S. - Once Upon a Mattress
North Forney H.S. - Happy Days, The Musical
North Lamar H.S. - Mary Poppins
Pantego Christian School - The Fantasticks
Plano East H.S. - Urinetown
Richardson H.S. - Footloose
Rowlett H.S. - The Pirates of Penzance
Waco H.S. - She Loves Me
Weatherford H.S. - Seussical

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Centennial H.S. - Disney's High School Musical
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - My Fair Lady
Denton H.S. - Into the Woods
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts- All Shook Up
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy - Big Fish
Lake Highlands H.S. - Kiss Me, Kate
Mansfield H.S. - Sweeney Todd
Pearce H.S. - Singin' in the Rain
Plano East H.S. - Urinetown
WINNER: Rockwall H.S. - The Addams Family
Southwest Christian School - Shrek The Musical
Weatherford H.S. - Seussical

BEST ALL-STUDENT ORCHESTRA

Berkner H.S. - Grease
Garland H.S. - The Music Man
Highland Park H.S. - Cinderella
Independence H.S. - Once Upon a Mattress
Lake Highlands H.S. - Kiss Me, Kate
McKinney Boyd H.S. - Guys and Dolls
Mansfield H.S. - Sweeney Todd
Pearce H.S. - Singin' in the Rain
Southwest Christian School - Shrek The Musical
WINNER: R.L. Turner H.S. - My Fair Lady
Waxahachie H.S. - Spamalot
Wylie H.S. - Shrek The Musical

BEST ENSEMBLE/CHORUS

Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Seussical
All Saints' Episcopal School - The Drowsy Chaperone
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - My Fair Lady
Forney H.S. - The Addams Family
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy - Big Fish
Grapevine H.S. - Catch Me If You Can
Guyer H.S. - Mary Poppins
Lake Highlands H.S. - Kiss Me, Kate
WINNER: North Lamar H.S., Paris - Mary Poppins
Pearce H.S. - Singin' in the Rain
Plano Senior H.S. - Legally Blonde
Waxahachie H.S. - Spamalot

BEST CREW & TECHNICAL EXECUTION

Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Seussical
All Saints' Episcopal School - The Drowsy Chaperone
WINNER: Carroll Senior H.S. - Young Frankenstein
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - My Fair Lady
Forney H.S. - The Addams Family
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy - Big Fish
Guyer H.S. - Mary Poppins
Lake Highlands H.S. - Kiss Me, Kate
North Lamar H.S. - Mary Poppins
Pearce H.S. - Singin' in the Rain
University H.S. - Cinderella
Wakeland H.S. - Mary Poppins

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Aledo H.S. - The Drowsy Chaperone
WINNER: All Saints' Episcopal School - The Drowsy Chaperone
Carroll Senior H.S. - Young Frankenstein
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts - All Shook Up
Grapevine H.S. - Catch Me If You Can
Guyer H.S. - Mary Poppins
McKinney Boyd H.S. - Guys and Dolls
Plano East H.S. - Urinetown
Plano Senior H.S. - Legally Blonde
Richardson H.S. - Footloose
Rowlett H.S. - The Pirates of Penzance
University H.S. - Cinderella

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION

Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Seussical
All Saints' Episcopal School - The Drowsy Chaperone
Birdville H.S. - Narnia, The Musical
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - My Fair Lady
Forney H.S. - The Addams Family
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy - Big Fish
Grapevine H.S. - Catch Me If You Can
Guyer H.S. - Mary Poppins
McKinney Boyd H.S. - Guys and Dolls
North Lamar H.S. - Mary Poppins
Pearce H.S. - Singin' in the Rain
WINNER: Waxahachie H.S. - Spamalot

BEST DIRECTION

WINNER: Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Seussical
Aledo H.S. - The Drowsy Chaperone
All Saints' Episcopal School - The Drowsy Chaperone
Birdville H.S. - Narnia, The Musical
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - My Fair Lady
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy - Big Fish
Guyer H.S. - Mary Poppins
Independence H.S. - Once Upon a Mattress
Lake Highlands H.S. - Kiss Me, Kate
North Lamar H.S. - Mary Poppins
Rowlett H.S. - The Pirates of Penzance
Waxahachie H.S. - Spamalot

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Cody Free as Cat in the Hat, Seussical
Aledo H.S. - William Pinckard as Man in Chair, The Drowsy Chaperone
All Saints' Episcopal School -Brazos Pinto as Man in Chair, The Drowsy Chaperone
Carroll Senior H.S. - Tyler James as Igor, Young Frankenstein
Grapevine H.S. - James Myers as Carl Hanratty, Catch Me If You Can
Guyer H.S. - Tanner Garmon as Michael Banks, Mary Poppins
Lake Highlands H.S. - Robert Mahurin as Lucentio / Bill, Kiss Me, Kate
Nolan Catholic H.S. - Justin Norris as Donkey, Shrek The Musical
WINNER: Pearce H.S. - Jake Griffin as CosMo Brown, Singin' in the Rain
Rockwall H.S. -Travis Bomkamp as Patsy, Spamalot
Waxahachie H.S. - Calvin Rehonic as King Arthur, Spamalot
Weatherford H.S. - Jett Good as JoJo, Seussical

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Shelby Walker as Mayzie LaBird, Seussical
Aledo H.S. - Abby Dean as Janet Van de Graaf, The Drowsy Chaperone
All Saints' Episcopal School - Grace Evans as The Chaperone, The Drowsy Chaperone
Birdville H.S. - Hannah Detrick as Lucy, Narnia, the Musical
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - BreAnne Jackson as Mrs. Pearce, My Fair Lady
Grapevine H.S. - Josie Moyer as Paula Abagnale, Catch Me If You Can
Guyer H.S. - Ashlynn Stewart as Jane Banks, Mary Poppins
Midway H.S. - Sarah Jane Byford as Jane Banks, Mary Poppins
North Lamar H.S. - Kallyn Burchinal as Winifred Banks, Mary Poppins
Nolan Catholic H.S. - Gabrielle Falcon as Dragon / Mama Ogre, Shrek The Musical
Pearce H.S. - Claire Greenberg as Lina Lamont, Singin' in the Rain
WINNER: Weatherford H.S. - Claire Crenshaw as Mayzie LaBird, Seussical

BEST LEADING ACTOR

Carroll Senior H.S. - Drew Brown as Young Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - Ryland Kaiser as Henry Higgins, My Fair Lady
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy - Christian Wickoff as Edward Bloom, Big Fish
WINNER: Guyer H.S. - John Frederickson as Bert, Mary Poppins
Independence H.S. - Luke Weber as Sir Harry, Once Upon a Mattress
Pantego Christian School - Ray Solis as El Gallo, The Fantasticks
Pearce H.S. - Sam Snyder as Don Lockwood, Singin' in the Rain
South Garland H.S. - Sammy Swim as The Emcee, Cabaret
Waxahachie H.S. - Blake Sauceda as Sir Robin, Spamalot

BEST LEADING ACTRESS

All Saints' Episcopal School - Sarah Boone as Janet Van de Graaf, The Drowsy Chaperone
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - Melanie Chandler as Eliza Doolittle, My Fair Lady
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy - Alexandra Doke as Sandra, Big Fish
Guyer H.S. - Malana Wilson as Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins
Independence H.S. - Sophia Kaiafas as Lady Larkin, Once Upon a Mattress
Plano East H.S. - Claire Methvin as Little Sally, Urinetown
Plano West H.S. - Meg Grinde as Fanny Brice, Funny Girl
WINNER: Waxahachie H.S. - Kaiden Maines as Lady of the Lake, Spamalot
Weatherford H.S. - Emily Hatch as Gertrude McFuzz, Seussical

BEST MUSICAL

Abilene H.S. & Cooper H.S. - Seussical
Carroll Senior H.S. - Young Frankenstein
Colleyville Heritage H.S. - My Fair Lady
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy - Big Fish
Guyer H.S. - Mary Poppins
Pearce H.S. - Singin' in the Rain
Rowlett H.S. - The Pirates of Penzance
WINNER: Waxahachie H.S. - Spamalot

Photo Credit: Chris Waits

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