Photo Flash: Playhouse Square Announces Winners of THE DAZZLE AWARDS

With the aim of inspiring performance and recognizing the importance of musical theater and arts education in Northeast Ohio high schools, Playhouse Square proudly held its inaugural Dazzle Awards ceremony on Saturday, May 21. The Dazzle Awards are affiliated with the National High School Musical Theatre Awards ("The Jimmy Awards") presented by The Broadway League Foundation.

This regional program offered arts education opportunities throughout the school year and culminated with an awards showcase staged by Tony-nominated director/choreographer Dan Knechtges and hosted by Natalie Herbick and David Moss of Cleveland's Own Fox 8. Nearly 80 students performed in fully choreographed opening and closing numbers. Each school nominated in the Connor Family Best Musical categories performed a song from their musical in full make-up and costumes, and the John and Patricia Chapman Best Actor and Actress nominees performed together in medleys.

"It was thrilling to see students from the 19 participating schools perform together on the Connor Palace stage," said Daniel Hahn, vice president of community engagement and education at Playhouse Square, "and we are so proud to have been able to showcase their incredible talent. I'm looking forward to next year already!"

Dazzle Awards were presented to outstanding musical theater productions and students in 13 categories. The 2016 Dazzle Award nominees (*denotes recipient):

Best Student Orchestra

*Solon High School, Shrek the Musical
Akron School for the Arts, The Little Mermaid
Marion L. Steele High School, Little Shop of Horrors
Rocky River High School, Catch Me If You Can
Willoughby South High School, The Addams Family

Best Scenic Design

*Solon High School, Shrek the Musical
Hawken Upper School, Into the Woods
Marion L. Steele High School, Little Shop of Horrors
Open Door Christian School, Cinderella
Willoughby South High School, The Addams Family

Best Technical Execution

*Hawken Upper School, Into the Woods
Lake Ridge Academy, The Addams Family
Marion L. Steele High School, Little Shop of Horrors
Solon High School, Shrek the Musical
Willoughby South High School, The Addams Family

Best Costume Design

*Willoughby South High School, The Addams Family
Lake Ridge Academy, The Addams Family
Marion L. Steele High School, Little Shop of Horrors
North Royalton High School, Big Fish
Open Door Christian School, Cinderella

*CMSD All-City Arts Program, Kiss Me Kate
Euclid High School, West Side Story
Rocky River High School, Catch Me If You Can
Solon High School, Shrek the Musical
Willoughby South High School, The Addams Family

Best Ensemble/Chorus

*CMSD All-City Arts Program, Kiss Me Kate
Marion L. Steele High School, Little Shop of Horrors
Solon High School, Shrek the Musical
Wadsworth High School, Footloose
Willoughby South High School, The Addams Family

The John and Patricia Chapman Best Featured Performer

*Joe Antal, Akron School for the Arts ('Chef Louis' in The Little Mermaid)
Wyatt Daulbaugh, Akron School for the Arts ('Grimsby' in The Little Mermaid)
Adriana Figueroa, Marion L. Steele High School ('Ronnette' in Little Shop of Horrors)
Bridget Miozzi, Solon High School ('Dragon' in Shrek the Musical)
John Suwarna, Marion L. Steele High School ('Audrey 2' in Little Shop of Horrors)

The John and Patricia Chapman Best Supporting Actress

*Larissa Richards, Wadsworth High School ('V. Moore' in Footloose)
Karyn Bellush, Marion L. Steele High School ('Chiffon' in Little Shop of Horrors)
Sara Phillips, Marion L. Steele High School ('Crystal' in Little Shop of Horrors)
Da'Jzhanae Smith, CMSD All-City Arts Program ('Lois/Bianca' in Kiss Me Kate)
Gracie Thanasiu, Akron School for the Arts ('Flounder' in The Little Mermaid)

The John and Patricia Chapman Best Supporting Actor

*Shawn Hammel, Marion L. Steele High School ('Orin DDS' in Little Shop of Horrors)
Ken Ernst, Saint Joseph Academy ('Mr. Mushnik' in Little Shop of Horrors)
Corbin Gray, Euclid High School ('Action' in West Side Story)
Stephan Hall, CMSD All-City Arts Program ('1st Man' in Kiss Me Kate)
Erik Taylor, Marion L. Steele High School ('Mr. Mushnik' in Little Shop of Horrors)

The Connor Family Best Musical (Tier 1 - Performance Budget Less than $10,000)

*Rocky River High School, Catch Me If You Can
Lake Ridge Academy, The Addams Family
Willoughby South High School, The Addams Family

The Connor Family Best Musical (Tier 2 - Performance Budget Greater than $10,000)

The largest performing arts center in the country outside of New York, the not-for-profit Playhouse Square is Northeast Ohio's destination for Broadway and more great entertainment. Playhouse Square is a champion of arts education and downtown Cleveland, and proud to be the home of Cleveland Play House, Cleveland State University Department of Theatre and Dance, DANCECleveland, Great Lakes Theater and Tri-C JazzFest.

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA) impacts more than 50,000 students who participate in high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of Touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. A Best Actress and Best Actor winner from each of these competitions is sent to New York for a week-long theatre intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase on Broadway, where a panel of judges crowns the nation's top performers. Also known as The Jimmy™ Awards, named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $1,000,000 in educational scholarships. In 2012, the program inspired preeminent broadcaster WGBH Boston to produce a 3-part documentary series called "Broadway or Bust," which follows students on a journey from their hometown competitions to their debut on Broadway. The series remains popular viewing at pbs.org. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, the eighth annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards will take place on Monday, June 27, 2016 at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. Coaching and rehearsals for this one-of-a-kind event will be held Sunday, June 19, 2016 through Monday, June 27, 2016 in New York City. For more information, please visit NHSMTA.com.