Spring 2013 SpotLight Program Honorees Announced by Hennepin Theatre Trust

Hennepin Theatre Trust today announced the new spring 2013 honorees from Minnesota high schools recognizing musical theatre accomplishments by school and category for the 2012-13 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program. Now in its eighth successful year, SpotLight is Hennepin Theatre Trust's flagship educational initiative which honors and supports Minnesota high school musical theatre students and programs. This year, 56 schools, including nine from greater Minnesota, are presenting musicals made possible by the collaboration of almost 5,000 students and annually seen by an estimated 105,000 audience members.

Current honorees from high schools who presented musicals in spring 2013 are from Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Benilde-St. Margaret's (St. Louis Park), Chaska, Columbia Heights, Concordia Academy, Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul), DeLaSalle (Minneapolis), Eagan, Edina, FAIR (Minneapolis), Hill-Murray School (Maplewood), Lakeville South, LaCrescent, Main Street School of Performing Arts (Hopkins), Minnetonka, Park (Cottage Grove), Richfield, Rogers, Southwest (Minneapolis), St. Francis, St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, Tartan (Oakdale), Thomas Jefferson (Bloomington) and Washburn (Minneapolis). Additional honors to schools presenting musicals in fall 2012 were announced in December. A list of participating schools is included at the end of this press release, the spring 2013 honorees by school are attached and a comprehensive list of fall and spring honors is available online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

Schools and participating students will be honored at SpotLight's culminating event, the eighth annual SpotLight Showcase, held at 7 p.m., Monday, June 3, 2013 at the Orpheum Theatre. This evening recognizes high school musical theatre accomplishments by featuring dynamic student performances mixed with award presentations. This year's Showcase will feature a student medley of songs from the Trust's 2013/14 Broadway Season.

Tickets, available for only $15, are on sale now in person at the State Theatre Box Office, by calling 1.800.982.2787 and throughHennepinTheatreTrust.org. Exclusive red carpet packages, including programming and gift offers, are also available online.

Two students will also be selected at the Showcase as Triple Threat Award honorees and earn a free customized trip to New York courtesy of the Trust where they will receive private coaching in singing and acting, take dance classes at Broadway Dance Center, meet with industry professionals about the business of Broadway, participate in a private audition with Telsey and Company and take in Broadway shows.

Hennepin Theatre Trust, owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and New Century Theatres, is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to arts-inspired community cultural development. The Trust established the SpotLight Musical Theatre Programafter recognizing that none existed in Minnesota to honor excellence in high school musical theatre. The Trust supports participating schools by providing high-quality learning, performing and creative experiences for students to develop and empower the next generation of innovative arts leaders.

SpotLight's benefits include the opportunity to work with local and National Theatre educators and musical theatre professionals who offer training, insight through critical feedback and on-site school workshops. A group of evaluators is retained by the Trust to assess each production with constructive written commentary and nominate honorees. Categories include outstanding performance in leading, supporting and featured roles, outstanding performance by a chorus, dance ensemble and student orchestra, outstanding overall performance of a musical and outstanding overall production of a musical.

Honors are also given for technical achievement and community engagement. Shows are not compared or ranked against each other, so categories may have multiple honorees. Schools annually apply to participate and pay a nominal administration fee. SpotLight advocates for the importance of high school musical theatre education to support the statewide community of theatre artists, teachers and families who participate in this art form.

School Participants in the 2012-13 SpotLight Program

Andover High School: The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Anoka High School: Legally Blonde: The Musical and All Shook Up

Bemidji High School: Into the Woods

Benilde-St. Margaret's (St. Louis Park): Thoroughly Modern Millie

Blaine High School: Hello, Dolly!

Cambridge-Isanti High School: Seussical: The Musical

Centennial High School (Circle Pines): Annie

Chanhassen High School: The Boy Friend

Chaska High School: 9 to 5: The Musical

Chisago Lakes High School: The Sound of Music

Columbia Heights High School: Hairspray

Concordia Academy (Roseville): Disney's Beauty & the Beast

Cretin-Derham Hall (Saint Paul): Disney's Beauty & the Beast

DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis): Anything Goes

Eagan High School: Guys and Dolls

East Ridge High School (Woodbury): White Christmas

Eastview High School (Apple Valley): Good News!

Edina High School: Bye Bye Birdie! and The Hundred Dresses

FAIR Downtown School (Minneapolis): Aida (School Edition)

Fridley Senior High School: Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Glencoe-Silver Lake High School: Annie

Hill-Murray School (Maplewood): Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Hinckley-Finlayson High School: Anastasia

Irondale High School (New Brighton): Grease

Kennedy High School (Bloomington): Hairspray

La Crescent High School: Little Shop of Horrors

Lakeville North High School: Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka

Lakeville South High School: Les Miserables (School Edition)

Main Street School of Performing Arts (Hopkins): Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka

Maple Grove Senior High School: Urinetown: The Musical

Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis): Big River

Minnetonka High School: The Secret Garden and Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida

Monticello High School: A Christmas Carol Musical

Moorhead High School: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Mound Westonka High School: My Fair Lady

New Life Academy (Woodbury): Hello, Dolly!

North High School (North St. Paul): Hello, Dolly!

Park High School (Cottage Grove): Once Upon a Mattress

Richfield Senior High School: Chicago

Rogers High School: You're A Good Man Charlie Brown

Roseville Area High School: Guys & Dolls

Shakopee High School: Disney's Beauty & the Beast

Southwest High School (Minneapolis):The Who's Tommy

South St. Paul Secondary School: Les Miserables (School Edition)

St. Francis High School: Grease

St. Louis Park High School: All Shook Up

Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists: Chicago

Tartan Senior High School (Oakdale): Peter Pan

The Blake School (Minneapolis): Guys and Dolls

Thomas Jefferson High School (Bloomington): Disney's Beauty & the Beast

Totino-Grace High School (Fridley): Godspell

Washburn High School (Minneapolis): My Feet is Tired, But My Soul is Rested and Urinetown

Wayzata High School: The Sound of Music

White Bear Lake Area High School: Anything Goes

Winona Senior High School: Alice in Wonderland

Zimmerman High School: Hello, Dolly!

Educators who wish to participate in the 2013-14 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program should contact Whitney Rhodes, SpotLightManager, at 612.455.9531 or whitney.rhodes@hennepintheatretrust.org. The application deadline will be in October 2013. SpotLight is made possible by private donations and corporate contributions. If you wish to support this program, additional information and sponsorship opportunities are available at www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

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