2nd Annual Stephen Schwartz Scholarship Finals Held At Loft Theater 4/18

Eight students with local ties will compete before an audience that is expected to include one of the foremost composers of our time, when the Second Annual Stephen Schwartz Scholarship finals are held at The Human Race Theatre Company's Loft Theatre April 18.

Schwartz, whose hits include Wicked, Children of Eden, Pippin and Godspell, as well as Snapshots, which premiered at The Human Race in 2007, is scheduled to be at the scholarship show Each contestant will sing one of his songs and another musical theatre number. The program will be hosted by frequent Human Race performer Jake Lockwood.

At stake in one phase of the competition is a $1500 scholarship from The Human Race for a high school senior planning to major in musical theatre. The two finalists in that category are James C. Blanchard of Hamilton and Cincinnati Christian High School and Annabeth Kane of Oakwood High.

The other contest has half a dozen college students vying for a $3500 scholarship. Contestants there are Baldwin-Wallace junior Jason Slattery of Miamisburg and five Wright State musical theatre majors - Kelsey Celek of Springboro, Brandon Michael Fleming of Euclid, Lindsay Flick of Fairfield, Will Hutcheson of Kettering, and LucIan Smith of Fairborn.

Winners in last year's initial competition were Alexandra Finke of Centerville and Alter High, who is now at the University of Michigan, and Jerome Doerger of Cincinnati and Wright State.

Tickets for the show are $20, available at www.ticketcenterstage.com  or by calling (937) 228-3630 or toll-free (888) 228-3630.

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