50 Student Nominees Selected for the 2026 Roger Rees Awards

The Broadway Education Alliance Inc. has just announced the 50 nominees who will compete for the title of Outstanding Performer in the 16th annual Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway (at 95th Street), New York.

This year’s nominees performed in a qualifying role in an officially licensed high school production presented by 104 high schools located across 13 counties throughout the Greater New York area including the Bronx, Dutchess, Kings (Brooklyn), Nassau, New York (Manhattan), Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster and Westchester, during the 2025-2026 academic year. 

The 2026 nominees include:

Dominique Alvarez, Rye Country Day School
Cherish Amoako, Hunter College High School
Jack Chambers, Manhasset High School
Zachary Claro, Monsignor Farrell High School
Miles Cohen, Herricks High School
Siena Cottone, The Knox School
Joel Crump, Léman Manhattan Preparatory School
Marcello DiMarzio, Monsignor Farrell High School
Winter Donnelly, Archbishop Stepinac High School
Jonah Sebastian, Espinosa Beacon High School
Diana Fogel, Long Island High School for the Arts
Lily Giese, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts
Katelyn Gomes, Susan E. Wagner High School
Julia Gordon, Commack High School
William Herbert, Farmingdale High School
Emersyn Hunt, Professional Performing Arts School
Oliver Ipri, Pleasantville High School
Ava Johnson, York Prep School
Jian Kawai, Rye Neck High School
Leo Kettells, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts
Tatianna Krummenacker, Bay Shore Senior High School
Molly Lyons, Beacon High School
Gloria Manning, Professional Performing Arts School
Matthew Manzo, Mount Sinai High School
Anthony Mastrangelo, West Babylon Senior High School
Julia McAlpine, John Jay High School
Jeronnie McDougald, Bay Shore Senior High School
Aidan McNeil, Plainedge High School
Austin Miller, Arlington School
Haley Millowitz, Rye Country Day School
Eleni Misetic, Manhasset High School
Olivia Potorti, Brooklyn High School of the Arts
Madeline Power, Garden City High School
Patrick Ruhle, Chaminade High School
Donovan Russel, Woodlands Middle High School
Dylan Sakaria, Roslyn High School
Tosia Sliwski, Commack High School
Mary Claire Smyth, The Scholars’ Academy
Jacob Solomon, Hauppauge High School
Madisyn Spagna, Roy C. Ketcham High School
Jack Spruiell, Regis High School
Dominick Stern, Dobbs Ferry High School
Ivette Taveras, Brooklyn High School of the Arts
Alissa Tayeh, Susan E. Wagner High School
Leonidas Tirella, St. Francis Preparatory High School
Michael Troy, Suffern High School
Charlie Turner ,Floral Park Memorial High School
Audrey Varley, York Prep School
Maxwell Vegliando, Newburgh Free Academy
Devin Williams, Farmingdale High School

Roger Rees Awards Outstanding Performer nominees were selected from over 500 students throughout the region who were initially adjudicated by local teams of independent theater professionals. The top two scoring students from all participating schools were invited to participate in the Roger Rees Awards Next Step Nominee Selection Event led by award Artistic Director Theo Lencicki, Broadway performer Shannon Mullen, Music Director Shane Parus and a representative from the host institution. Faculty subject experts and performing arts university partners include Cosmo Mallardi from Long Island University (Post Campus, Long Island); Michael Menez from Marymount Manhattan College (Manhattan); and Dr. Christina Schaudel from Rockland Community College (Westchester). 

The 50 award nominees will participate in solo coaching and ensemble performance workshops taught by Broadway professional coaches including Britney Coleman (Company), Micaela Diamond (Parade), Mark Evans (Mrs. Doubtfire), Joseph Morales (Hamilton) as well as 

music directors Steven Cuevas (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Isaac Harlan (Broadway Inspirational Voices), Noah Landis (Hamilton), Christine Riley (Thoroughly Modern Millie). This 3-day educational intensive culminates in the annual talent showcase hosted by Broadway actor, writer, director and author, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, best known for originating the role of Crutchie in Newsies. Tickets prices are $125, $80, $60 and $40 (plus a $5 service charge) and available at The Roger Rees Awards | Symphony Space.   

The Roger Rees Awards recognize the importance of theatre arts education and celebrate the exceptional life and career-long artistic excellence of Broadway’s beloved actor/director, Roger Rees. Playwright Rick Elice, Rees’ partner of over 30 years, and author of “Finding Roger,” said, “Rog would have liked this chance to educate and inspire young actors, to offer a guiding hand as so many were offered to him when he too was a kid with a dream." 

Two students selected by a panel of Broadway experts will represent the Greater New York region at The Broadway League Foundation’s The Jimmy Awards® (also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®) on Monday, June 22, 2026 at the Minskoff Theatre.  

For more information about the program, visit www.rogerreesawards.com.