NSMT Announces Spotlight Award Winners

The best and brightest stars of high school musicals were announced last night at the star-studded 3rd annual North Shore Music Theatre Spotlight Awards. Hosted by David Nathan Perlow and Addi McDaniel, best known to NSMT audiences as 'Troy' and 'Gabriella' from the 2007 production of Disney's High School Musical, 24 high schools and over 1,000 students vied for top honors at the Tony® Award style program which is designed to honor the accomplishments of high school students and teachers as well as encourage them to achieve the highest levels of excellence in musical theater.

Optical crystal star trophies were presented in 15 categories, including the coveted "Best Overall Musical." And the winners are …

Best Leading Actress - Ariana Conte, Marblehead High School, for her role of 'Sally Bowles' in Cabaret

Best Leading Actor - Owen Grover, Salem High School (MA), for his role of 'Bobby Childs' in Crazy for You

Best Supporting Actress - Yanna Lantz, Tyngsborough High School, for her role of 'Annas' in Jesus Christ Superstar

Best Supporting Actor - Kevin Dubuc, Dracut High School, for his role of 'Thernadier' in Les Miserables School Edition

Best Featured Performer - Christian Bowers, Tyngsborough High School, for his role of 'Caiaphas' in Jesus Christ Superstar

Best Costume Design - Karen Clougher, Tyngsborough High School - Jesus Christ Superstar

Best Choreography - Lara Finn, Salem High School (MA) - Crazy for You

Best Music Direction - Michelle Ladew, Tyngsborough High School - Jesus Christ Superstar

Best Direction - Donna Wresinski, Framingham High School - Once on this Island

Best Ensemble/Chorus - Framingham High School - Once on this Island

Best Orchestra - Framingham High School - Once on this Island

Best Technical Crew/Execution - Framingham High School - Once on this Island

Best Lighting Designer - Jared Sell & Sean O'Leary, Framingham High School - Once on this Island

Best Scenic Design - Steve McGonagle, Framingham High School - Once on this Island

Best Overall Musical - Framingham High School - Once on this Island

Also, in a surprise announcement, winners of auditions held earlier in the day for two parts in NSMT's upcoming regional premier of Disney High School Musical 2, December 18, 2008 through January 11, 2009, were announced. The winners are Lana Herzig and Kerri Rachal both from Dracut High School.

"Spotlight Awards have become a wonderful and exciting tradition at NSMT and a perfect way to celebrate and showcase the immense talent and commitment of all the students, teachers and parents," said Barry Ivan, NSMT's Artistic Director and Executive Producer. "These students are our future and as theater educators and enthusiasts, it is our privilege to honor them and encourage their growth."

Adding to the excitement of the evening, Mitchel Musso, co-star of the popular Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, presented the award to the Best Leading Actor and Actress. Winners in this category, as well as Best Supporting Actor and Actress and Best Technical Crew, received $1,000 awards to support their future education in the performing arts.  Other honored presenters included NSMT's Artistic Director Emeritus Jon Kimbell, State Representative Mary Grant, Beverly Mayor William Scanlon, Arts and Entertainment Reporter Joyce Kulhawik, Boston Globe theater critic Terry Byrne, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Anita Walker, Massachusetts Film Office Executive Director Nick Paleologos, cast members from NSMT's production of Contact, and others.

In addition to the presentation of 15 awards, the ceremony included a grand opening number featuring two students from each of the participating schools directed by NSMT Academy of Music Theater's Director of Dance Myvonwynn Hopton. Additionally, musical numbers from each of the 10 productions nominated for Best Musical were performed throughout the ceremony. Comcast, in addition to providing technical support for the event, donated 10 show tickets to each of the 10 schools nominated for Best Musical. Other sponsors of the 3rd Annual Spotlight Awards are Target and Boston Acoustics.

North Shore Music Theatre's award-winning theatre arts and education programs and youth performances annually reach over 100,000 students.  The Theatre's Youth Performance Academy attracts thousands of students from 4 – 18 years old who are interested in exploring the world of music, theatre and dance and honing their craft.  In 2005, NSMT's Youth Performance Academy received the Junior Theater Festival's Outstanding Achievement in Musical Performance Award and the Outstanding Achievement in Choreography Award for its performance of Disney's Cinderella Kids.  With partnerships with Music Theatre International (MTI) and Disney Theatricals, NSMT has become the model for schools and organizations around the country and is one of the region's leading providers of theatre arts and education programs.

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