Two Students Win 'Triple Threat' Awards at Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards Showcase

In a surprise reveal tonight during the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards Showcase at the Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines Performing Arts named two Triple Threat Award recipients. The students are:

• Poni Lejukole, Waukee High School, Waukee, Iowa
  • Lejukole played Eponine in Waukee's production of LES MISERABLES: School Edition
• Demarius Fisher, Roosevelt High School, Des Moines, Iowa
  • Fisher played Donkey in Roosevelt's production of Shrek the Musical

As Triple Threat Award recipients, Lejukole and Fisher will represent Iowa at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City, June 19-28, 2016. They will join students from across the country for a 10-day intensive private coaching, master classes and rehearsals with Broadway professionals. Lejukole and Fisher's 10-day intensive will culminate with a final performance on Monday, June 27 at the Minskoff Theatre, home to Disney's The Lion King on Broadway.

Des Moines Performing Arts, who presents the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards, is a partner of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. To identify Iowa's two student representatives at Nationals, the Triple Threat Award program was created. The Triple Threat Award recognizes students who are a "triple threat," demonstrating excellent acting, dancing and vocal talents. Additionally, the Triple Threat Award recognizes students who exemplify the spirit of the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards.

This year, 31 students from participating Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards schools auditioned for the Triple Threat Award. The students were invited to audition based on the strength of their performances in their school musical production in a role. On the evening of Saturday, June 4 and during the day on Sunday, June 5, the Triple Threat Award nominees auditioned, worked with Broadway veterans and received private coaching from local university faculty at the Civic Center.

In addition to announcing the Triple Threat Award recipients, Des Moines Performing Arts announced that two Triple Threat nominees received a full scholarship to the Broadway Summer Intensive, a weeklong musical theater workshop at the Des Moines Civic Center in July.

The Broadway Summer Intensive scholarship recipients are:

• Brent Nery, East High School, Des Moines, Iowa
• Lauren Malcomson, Roosevelt High School, Des Moines, Iowa

About the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards

In 2012, Des Moines Performing Arts launched the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards, the organization's yearlong education initiative that honors young musical theater artists for their outstanding achievements. Throughout the school year, performing arts professionals and educators served as adjudicators to review musical productions and offer constructive feedback to each of the participating high schools. In the program's fourth year, 34 Iowa high schools within 125 miles of the Civic Center participated.

Culminating this year's Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards was tonight's Awards Showcase. Based on the adjudicators' feedback, several awards were presented at the Awards Showcase including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Principal Role, Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Technical Achievement. The Awards Showcase also featured inter-school medleys and performances from the musical productions the students presented during the school year.

Check out photos from the Awards Showcase at https://www.facebook.com/IowaHighSchoolMusicalTheaterAwards.

For more information about the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards, visit DesMoinesPerformingArts.org.

About Des Moines Performing Arts

Des Moines Performing Arts is a private not-for-profit organization celebrating 36 years of presenting the performing arts to Iowa and the surrounding states on three stages in Des Moines - the Civic Center, Stoner Theater and the Temple Theater. The organization also operates Cowles Commons (formerly Nollen Plaza), a longtime Des Moines landmark currently under renovation. Des Moines Performing Arts is a presenter of major Broadway and educational touring companies, performers and groups, and is home to many local and regional groups, including the Des Moines Symphony. All performances of the Broadway Series are supported by Willis Auto Campus. All performances at the Temple Theater are supported by Prairie Meadows. All performances of the Family Series are supported by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. For more information, visit DesMoinesPerformingArts.org.

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