Nordonia Drama’s production of The Wizard of Oz received 4 nominations for the Playhouse Square Dazzle Awards last week! See related story about the play here.
They were nominated in the following categories:
- Best Choreography Execution
- Best Ensemble/Chorus
- Best Orchestra
- and, BEST MUSICAL!
As a Best Musical nominee, they will be performing the Jitterbug number on the Connor Palace stage at the Dazzle Awards on May 18th.
Here is more info about the Dazzle Awards:
With the aim of recognizing the importance of musical theater and arts education in Northeast Ohio high schools, Playhouse Square proudly hosts the Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman, affiliated with The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards®.
This regional program offers arts education opportunities throughout the school year and culminates with an awards ceremony hosted by Natalie Herbick of Cleveland’s Own Fox 8 on May 18 at 7:30 p.m. Students participating in the showcase will walk the “PNC Red Carpet” as they enter the beautiful Connor Palace for the Dazzle Awards. Each school will have the opportunity to send a student reporter to cover the PNC Red Carpet entrance.
As part of a new technical theater apprenticeship, two students will have the opportunity to shadow the Dazzle Awards lighting and sound designers, observe the creative process with the director/choreographer and music director and apply their skills with the stage management team. Interested juniors and seniors from schools participating in the Dazzle Awards submitted applications and letters of recommendation. From the pool of applicants, Maya Kohrman of Hawken Upper School and Ethan Korvne of Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC were selected.
Dazzle Awards will be presented to outstanding musical theater productions and students in 14 categories, including the “Spirit of the Dazzle Awards” category, awarded to the student who most embodies camaraderie, passion and an infectiously positive attitude throughout rehearsal week as identified by the Dazzle Awards creative team. The Best Actor and Best Actress will represent Northeast Ohio at The Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theatre in New York in June.
The 2019 Dazzle Award Nominees:
# nominated in same category last year * last year’s recipient if nominated again this year
Best Student Orchestra
Marion L. Steele High School, South Pacific Nordonia High School, The Wizard of Oz Orange High School, Chicago (High School Edition) Padua Franciscan High School, Chaplin Rocky River High School, Singin’ in the Rain # Shaker Heights High School, Pippin # Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival)
Best Scenic Design
CMSD All-City Musical, 42nd Street Hawken Upper School, Chicago (High School Edition) Open Door Christian Schools, Newsies # Rocky River High School, Singin’ in the Rain # Saint Joseph Academy, Newsies Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast * Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) #
Best Technical Execution
Aurora High School, Into the Woods Magnificat High School, Footloose Open Door Christian Schools, Newsies Saint Joseph Academy, Newsies Shaker Heights High School, Pippin # Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast * Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival)
Best Costume Design
Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC, Big Fish #
Avon Lake High School, On the Town Lutheran West High School, Fiddler on the Roof Open Door Christian Schools, Newsies # Padua Franciscan High School, Chaplin Rocky River High School, Singin’ in the Rain * Saint Ignatius High School, The Wedding Singer
Best Choreography Execution
CMSD All-City Musical, 42nd Street # Magnificat High School, Footloose # Nordonia High School, The Wizard of Oz Rocky River High School, Singin’ in the Rain # Saint Joseph Academy, Newsies Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival)
Best Ensemble/Chorus
CMSD All-City Musical, 42nd Street # Magnificat High School, Footloose Marion L. Steele High School, South Pacific Nordonia High School, The Wizard of Oz Rocky River High School, Singin’ in the Rain # Saint Joseph Academy, Newsies Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast #
Best Featured Performer
Veronica Conroy, Saint Joseph Academy (‘Elmer’ in Newsies) Shyanne Dunn, CMSD All-City Musical (‘Lorraine Flemming’ in 42nd Street) Logan Jancsurak, Aurora High School (‘Narrator / Mysterious Man’ in Into the Woods) Sydney Montique, Mayfield High School (‘Dragon / Humpty’ in Shrek the Musical) Jackson Rapacki, Willoughby South High School (‘Chief Sitting Bull’ in Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) ) Owen Stickney, Rocky River High School (‘R.F. Simpson’ in Singin’ in the Rain) Aidan Woods, Marion L. Steele High School (‘Commander William Harbison’ in South Pacific)
Best Supporting Actress
Morgan Bedilion, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘Jenny Hill’ in Big Fish) Sasha Borshev, Mayfield High School (‘Pinocchio’ in Shrek the Musical) Jayden Deblock, Lutheran West High School (‘Tzeitel’ in Fiddler on the Roof) Jenai Mosley, CMSD All-City Musical (‘Andy Lee’ in 42nd Street)
JoJo Radecky, Walsh Jesuit High School (‘Minnie’ in Hello Dolly!) Serrin Scrutchings, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘The Witch’ in Big Fish) Jocelyn Stone, CMSD All-City Musical (‘Maggie Jones’ in 42nd Street)
Best Supporting Actor
Drew Albrecht, Aurora High School (‘Rapunzel’s Prince’ in Into the Woods) Harlan Freidman-Rommel, Shaker Heights High School (‘Charlemagne’ in Pippin) Johnny Kushan, Aurora High School (‘Cinderella’s Prince / Wolf’ in Into the Woods) Nathan Park, Willoughby South High School (‘Charlie Davenport’ in Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) ) Matt Rajko, Willoughby South High School (‘Buffalo Bill Cody’ in Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) ) Chad Ressler, Solon High School (‘LeFou’ in Beauty and the Beast) Spencer Skok, Saint Ignatius High School (‘George’ in The Wedding Singer)
Best Actress
Joelle Fisher, Solon High School (‘Belle’ in Beauty and the Beast) Lavinia Hallaran-Mclean, Willoughby South High School (‘Winnie Tate’ in Annie Get Your Gun (Revival) ) Eve Jursinski, Saint Joseph Academy (‘Crutchie’ in Newsies) Joelle Kristoff, Chagrin Falls High School (‘Ariel Moore’ in Footloose) Hannah Kulawiak, Aurora High School (‘The Witch’ in Into the Woods) # Roxie Popovsky, Orange High School (‘Roxie Hart’ in Chicago (High School Edition) ) Margo Tipping, Walsh Jesuit High School (‘Mrs. Malloy’ in Hello Dolly!)
Best Actor
Felix Albino, Saint Joseph Academy (‘Jack Kelly’ in Newsies) # Daniel Blum, Mayfield High School (‘Donkey’ in Shrek the Musical) Colin Frothingham, Shaker Heights High School (‘Pippin’ in Pippin) Karsen Guldan, Hudson High School (‘The Phantom’ in The Phantom of the Opera) J.R. Heckman, Solon High School (‘The Beast’ in Beauty and the Beast) * Charles Kadair, Walsh Jesuit High School (‘Cornelius Hackl’ in Hello Dolly!) Jon Roy, Open Door Christian Schools (‘Jack Kelly’ in Newsies)
The Connor Family Best Musical (Tier 1)
Open Door Christian Schools, Newsies Rocky River High School, Singin’ in the Rain * Willoughby South High School, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival)
The Connor Family Best Musical (Tier 2)
CMSD All-City Musical, 42nd Street Nordonia High School, The Wizard of Oz Solon High School, Beauty and the Beast #
Public and private high schools located in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit Counties were invited to apply for participation in the Dazzle Awards. Information and applications for the 2020 Dazzle Awards will be available online at playhousesquare.org/dazzleawards in August.
Tickets for the Dazzle Awards are available online at playhousesquare.org or by calling 216-241-6000.
