High School Musical Theatre Takes Its Place on the PPAC Stage at the First Annual Ocean State Star Awards Showcase, June 4

On Sunday, June 4, 2023, high school musical theatre productions and students from Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts will be honored and celebrated at the first annual Ocean State Star Awards Showcase, held on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) in Providence, RI. The awards ceremony will include live student performances.

The Ocean State Star Awards Showcase is inspired by the Tony Awards, with award categories in acting, theatrical design, direction, music, and choreography. Educators/producers are honored with the Community Engagement Ocean State Awards and two graduating seniors will each receive an Ocean State Star Awards Scholarship. A male and female lead performer will be chosen to participate in the 2023 National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmy Awards), taking place on June 26, 2023 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City.

The Ocean State Star Awards made its Rhode Island premiere this 22/23 school year and is a community outreach and engagement program of the Providence Performing Arts Center. The program celebrates the achievements of area educators, designers, and students in public and private high school musical theatre programs.

Ten high schools participated in the Ocean State Star Awards program; a team of adjudicators attended and reviewed the following high school musical theatre productions (listed in alphabetical order) which were staged between October 1, 2022 and April 30, 2023:

• Bishop Hendricken High School's production of Once Upon a Mattress
• Bishop Feehan's production of Urinetown The Musical
• Cranston High School West's production of Bye, Bye Birdie
• Coventry High School's production of Chicago - Teen Edition
• Mount Hope High School's production of The SpongeBob Musical
• North Kingstown High School's production of Grease
• Saint Raphael Academy's production of Mary Poppins, Jr.
• Somerset Berkley Regional High School's production of Shrek The Musical
• South Kingstown High School's production of Legally Blonde The Musical
• West Warwick High School's production of Disney's Frozen

Tickets for the Ocean State Star Awards Showcase on sale now at the PPAC Box Office and online at ppacri.org. Tickets are $25 and $35 and are inclusive of ticketing fees. Tickets for students are available for $15; please show your student ID at the box office window or use a code provided to your school. Box Office window hours are Monday through Friday: 10A to 5P, Saturday, 10A to 2P and two hours prior to curtain time(s) on show days.

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