Orpheum Theatre Announces 2013 High School Musical Theatre Award Nominees

The Orpheum Theatre has announced the nominees for the 2013 High School Musical Theatre Awards. Modeled after the Tony Awards, The Orpheum's High School Musical Theatre Awards recognizes achievements in all areas of high school musical theatre. This event is part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards program which includes 30 programs from across the country.

On Thursday, May 23rd at 7:00 p.m., students and supporters from 24 participating schools across the Mid-South will gather at The Orpheum for the final awards ceremony and over 200 students will perform on stage. The winners of the Lead Actor and Actress categories will travel to New York City in June to compete nationally in the Jimmy Awards held at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway.

The Nominees for the 2013 High School Musical Theatre Awards

Outstanding Chorus
The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
Into the Woods, Hutchison
Hot Mikado, Lausanne Collegiate
Oliver!, St. Agnes Academy
All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale

Outstanding Small Ensemble
The Wickersham Brothers in Seussical the Musical, Bolton High
The Millionaires in Some Like it Hot, Collierville High
City Folk, The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High
The Yellow Brick Road Dancers in The Wiz, Houston High
Three Little Maids in Hot Mikado, Lausanne Collegiate
The Workhouse Orphans in Oliver!, St. Agnes Academy

Outstanding Student Orchestra
The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Some Like it Hot, Collierville High
Bye-Bye Birdie, Overton High
25th Annual Spelling Bee, Ridgeway High
All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale
Little Shop of Horrors, White Station High

Outstanding Music Direction
Leiza Collins Carter, The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
JD Frizell, Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
Dennis Whitehead, Into the Woods, Hutchison
Steven Liening, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Ridgeway High
Mike Neal, Oliver!, St. Agnes Academy
JorDan Wells, All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale

Outstanding Dance Execution
The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
The Wiz, Houston High
Singin' in the Rain, Southern Baptist Educational Center
All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale
Anything Goes, St. Mary's Episcopal

Outstanding Featured Dancer
Elizabeth Myers as Leopard in Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
David Mercado as King Triton in The Little Mermaid Jr., Hernando High
Abigail Clements as Judy Haynes in White Christmas, Horn Lake High
McCheyne Post as The Wiz in The Wiz, Houston High
Kylan Owens as Albert Peterson in Bye-Bye Birdie, Overton High
James Yates as Cosmo in Singin the Rain, Southern Baptist Educational Center

Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design
Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
Some Like it Hot, Collierville High
Into the Woods, Hutchison
Hot Mikado, Lausanne Collegiate
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Memphis University
South Pacific, Tipton-Rosemark Academy

Outstanding Costume Design Tier I
The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
Some Like it Hot, Collierville High
The Wizard of Oz, Evangelical Christian
Into the Woods, Hutchison
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Memphis University

Outstanding Costume Design Tier II
Seussical the Musical, Bartlett High
The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High
The Little Mermaid Jr., Hernando High
South Pacific, Tipton-Rosemark
All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Wynne High

Outstanding Scenic Design Tier I
Seussical the Musical, Bolton High
Some Like it Hot, Collierville High
Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
Into the Woods, Hutchison
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Memphis University
Anything Goes, St. Mary's Episcopal

Outstanding Scenic Design Tier II
Seussical the Musical, Bartlett High
The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High
The Little Mermaid Jr., Hernando High
White Christmas, Horn Lake High
All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Wynne High

Outstanding Artistic Element
The Ship in The Little Mermaid Jr., Hernando High
Costume/Puppetry Execution of Milky White, Into the Woods, Hutchison
The Shadow Play in Hot Mikado, Lausanne Collegiate
Rain on Stage in Singin' in the Rain, Southern Baptist Educational Center
The Silent Film in Singin' in the Rain, Southern Baptist Educational Center
Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, White Station High

Outstanding Lighting Design

The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High

Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian

The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High

Into the Woods, Hutchison
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Memphis University

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Wynne High

Outstanding Production Materials
Grease, Corinth High
The Little Mermaid Jr., Hernando High
Into the Woods, Hutchison
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Memphis University
Singin' in the Rain, Southern Baptist Educational Center
South Pacific, Tipton-Rosemark Academy

Outstanding Front of House
The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
Grease, Corinth High
The Little Mermaid Jr., Hernando High
South Pacific, Tipton-Rosemark Academy
Singin' in the Rain, Southern Baptist Educational Center

Student Technical Achievement Award
Alex Kesner, Briarcrest Christian
Jon Luke Cave, Evangelical Christian
Walker Thompson, Memphis University
Amber Campbell, Ridgeway High
Nicolas Kleiderer, Southern Baptist Educational Center
Mark Hartmann, St. Benedict at Auburndale

Outstanding Technical Achievement
The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High
Into the Woods, Hutchison
Anything Goes, St. Mary's Episcopal
Oliver!, St. Agnes Academy

Outstanding Featured Actress
Tamlyn Sampson as Effy in The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High
Jada Tate as Pitti-Sing in The Hot Mikado, Lausanne Collegiate
Shekinah Graham as Crystal in Little Shop of Horrors, Marion High
Avery Blanton as Storyteller in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Memphis University
Hannah Jones as Widow Corney in Oliver!, St. Agnes Academy
Francie Saunders as Elijah J Whitney in Anything Goes, St. Mary's Episcopal

Outstanding Featured Actor
Chandler White as Gangster 1 in The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Noah Gustofson as General Genghis Kahn in Suessical the Musical, Bolton High
Grant Robertson as The Emerald City Guard in The Wizard of Oz, Evangelical Christian
Ben Woods as The Mikado in Hot Mikado, Lausanne Collegiate
Bryan Kenton as Harry Macafee in Bye-Bye Birdie, Overton High
John Prascak as Sherrif Earl in All Shook Up, St. Benedict

Outstanding Supporting Actress
Jesse Steele as Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Lauren Mohler as Kala in Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
Mary Page Pearson as Shelby in The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High
Michal Cook as Katisha in The Hot Mikado, Lausanne Collegiate
Kirkland Shuler as Sylvia in All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale
McKenzie Wilkes as Mayor Matilda in All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale

Outstanding Supporting Actor
Matt Nelson as Adolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
James Blaisdell as Osgood Fielding in Some Like it Hot, Collierville High
Logan Greenwell as Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods, Hutchison
John Mathias as Pooh Bah in Hot Mikado, Lausanne Collegiate
Kyle Van Frank as Dennis in All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale
Ian Goodwin as The Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, White Station High

Outstanding Direction by a Teacher
Saralynn Archibald, The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Ashleigh Williams, Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
Keith Salter, Some Like it Hot, Collierville High
Chris Luter, The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High
Jay Rapp, Into the Woods, Hutchison
Ryan Kathman, All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale

Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role
Miranda Dyer as Percy in The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High
Nicole Hale as Dorothy in The Wiz, Houston High
Olivia Wingate as The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, Hutchison
Ellen Nikbakht as Artful Dodger in Oliver!, St. Agnes Academy
Addie James as Natalie/Ed in All Shook Up in St. Benedict at Auburndale
Maddye Regis as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, Tipton-Rosemark Academy

Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
Joshua Smith as Scare Crow in The Wizard of Oz, Evangelical Christian
Sam Shankman as The Baker in Into the Woods, Hutchison
Ephraim Graham as William Barfee in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Ridgeway High
Russell Lehman as Billy Crocker in Anything Goes, St. Mary's Episcopal
Tyler Vernon as Emile DeBecque in South Pacific, Tipton Rosemark
Luke Conner as J. Pierpont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Wynne High

Outstanding Overall Production
The Drowsy Chaperone, Arlington High
Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
The Spitfire Grill, Cordova High
Into the Woods, Hutchison
The Hot Mikado, Lausanne Collegiate
All Shook Up, St. Benedict at Auburndale

Judge's Bravo Award
Austin Conlee as Man in Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone Arlington High
Cody Arthur as Horton in Seussical the Musical, Bartlett High
Cooper Neal as Young Tarzan in Tarzan the Musical, Briarcrest Christian
Olivia Willkinson as Milky White in Into the Woods, Hutchison
Karen Shaeffer as The Announcer in Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Memphis University

People's Choice Award
Voting Begins May 10

The 2013 High School Musical Theatre Awards are presented in part by Thomas and Betts. Other generous sponsors include Sedgwick CMS, Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Gould's Day Spas and Salons, PNC Bank, Gina and Jim Wiertelak and Winston Wolfe. The Orpheum's High School Musical Theatre Awards are Thursday, May 23th, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15-$35 and go on sale to the public May 6th.

About The Orpheum Theatre

The Orpheum Theatre is operated by the Memphis Development Foundation, a non-profit organization which depends on the financial support of the community to carry out its mission to foster the enjoyment and understanding of the arts in Memphis, as well as the economic prosperity of Downtown and surrounding areas. For more information, visit www.orpheum-memphis.com or call 901-525-7800. The Orpheum is located at 203 South Main Street Memphis, TN 38103.