Utah Festival Announces 2022 Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards Winners

Two Utah high school performers are on their way to New York City after winning the award for Best Actress and Best Actor in the ninth annual Utah High School Musical Theatre Awards held in the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City May 7. Savannah Carrasco from Skyridge High School in Lehi won for her role as Aldonza in The Man of La Mancha and Hayden Henderson from Northridge High School won for his portrayal of Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

These students will represent the state of Utah at the Jimmy Awards® in New York City in June where they will experience 10 days of private coaching, master classes and rehearsals with theatre professionals. The week culminates at Broadway's Minskoff Theatre when they perform and compete for the prestigious Jimmy Awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress, as well as opportunities for professional advancement and other awards.

"Dare to dream, dreams do come true," said Michael Ballam, Founding General Director of Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre. Vanessa Ballam, director of UHSMTA added, "After a two-year hiatus, joining together as artists in the beautiful Eccles Theater was nothing short of miraculous. Utah Festival is honored to be a part of this artistic journey"

The evening showcased 10 production numbers by high schools nominated for Best Musical and medleys performed together by all contenders for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Davis High School in Kaysville took home the Award for Best Musical for their production of Bright Star.

The education and outreach department of Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre in Logan sponsors and produces the event and is partnered with Magic Space Entertainment and Broadway at the Eccles as their national affiliate. Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre sponsors the winners of Best Actor and Best Actress to fly to New York City to compete on the national level.

Utah Festival sent 19 professional judges to 43 Utah high school musicals over the past six months to score and respond to the productions. Then the juried finalists competed in the official awards ceremony at the Eccles Theater. The UHSMTA gives awards in 19 different categories from The Annette Macfarlane Award for Best Choreography to The Summerhays Music Award for Best Orchestra and the John & Melissa Lewis Award for Best Musical. Visit www.utahfestival.org for more info.