Cobb Centre To Name HS Musical Awards After Hensley

  The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, GA announced today that they will an award title the Shuler Hensley award for excellence in high school musical theater. The award is named after Atlanta native Shuler Hensley who has starred on Broadway in such productions as Oklahoma!, Young Frankenstein, and Tarzan.

Similar award programs are held in Pittsburgh (Gene Kelly Awards) and Houston (Tommy Tune Awards). The competition is open to all public and private high schools in the Atlanta area and will honor various categories such as best performance, best direction and best choreography. The first ceremony is set to take place on April 14th, 2009.

Hensley told Access Atlanta, "I think high school is pretty much the most important experience in terms of theater that people have. It's sort of like people get the taste for theater, and then they decide, 'This is something I really want to do. Anytime I can lend my name to this time in kids' lives and offer encouragement, that's what I want to do."

For more information please visit www.cobbenenergycentre.com

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.