CAPA Reveals Nominees for 2026 Marquee Awards Honoring Central Ohio High School Musical Theatre

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) revealed the nominees in all 13 categories of the 2026 CAPA Marquee Awards. Designed to recognize and celebrate the wealth of high-caliber musical theatre talent in central Ohio, this year-long, educational program offers selected high schools the opportunity to participate in professional theatre education activities throughout the school year.

During the 2025-26 school year, each of the 31 participating central Ohio high schools also submitted a musical theatre production for review by the program's team of professional adjudicators. The team provided educationally focused feedback and evaluated students/productions for a CAPA Marquee Award in the categories of Best Musical Production, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Direction, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Dance Execution, Outstanding Student Orchestra, and Outstanding Technical Execution. Adjudicators evaluated hard-copy submissions in the categories of Backstage Excellence, Outstanding Student Designer, and National Student Reporter.

Nominees for the 2026 CAPA Marquee Awards are:

National Student Reporter

Alivia Lash, Hamilton Township High School
Payton Theile, Bexley High School

Outstanding Student Orchestra

Dublin Coffman High School, Mamma Mia!
Grove City High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
New Albany High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
Olentangy Orange High School, Mean Girls High School Version
Worthington Kilbourne High School, Chicago: Teen Edition

Backstage Excellence

Stage Managers, Marysville High School, Anything Goes
Publicity Crew, Olentangy Berlin High School, Disney's Frozen
Costume Crew, Olentangy Liberty High School, The Addams Family Musical
Costume Crew, Westerville South High School, Les Misérables School Edition
Co-Heads of Costume, Whetstone High School, The SpongeBob Musical

Outstanding Student Designer

Fynn Asendorf, Arts and College Preparatory Academy, Sound Design, Mamma Mia!
Darcy Hazzard, Centennial High School, Set Design, The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)
Miranda Long, Hamilton Township High School, Costume & Props Design, Disney's Frozen
Leah Polsinelli, Jonathan Alder High School, Lighting Design, The Drowsy Chaperone
Lily Wahl, Licking Heights High School, Lighting Design, The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Outstanding Technical Execution

Marysville High School, Anything Goes, Stage Manager: Johanna Olofsson
New Albany High School, Chicago: Teen Edition, Stage Managers: Margaret Farrell & Casper Green
Westerville South High School, Les Misérables School Edition, Stage Manager: Rachel Kuta
Fairfield Union High School, Bye Bye Birdie, Stage Manager: Raegan Elson
Pickerington High School Central, Mamma Mia!, Stage Manager: Isabella Peirano

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Audrey Barr, Fairfield Union High School, Ursula Merkle in Bye Bye Birdie
Bella Hines-Chapman, Eastmoor Academy High School, Carla in In the Heights
Gabby Muñoz, Whetstone High School, Pearl Krabs in The SpongeBob Musical
Ani Olsheski, Bexley High School, Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown
Julia Yoder, Bishop Watterson High School, Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch, The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Dillon Childers, Fairfield Union High School, Hugo Peabody in Bye Bye Birdie
Malachi Gullick, Eastmoor Academy High School, Sonny in In the Heights
Asher Light, Westerville South High School, Enjolras in Les Misérables School Edition
Elwyn Saiter, Jonathan Alder High School, Underling in The Drowsy Chaperone
Jacob Thomas, Worthington Christian School, Julien Dufayel in Amélie: Teen Edition

Outstanding Dance Execution

Eastmoor Academy High School, In the Heights
Grove City High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
Jonathan Alder High School, The Drowsy Chaperone
Marysville High School, Anything Goes
New Albany High School, Chicago: Teen Edition

Outstanding Ensemble

Eastmoor Academy High School, In the Heights
Grove City High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
Hamilton Township High School, Disney's Frozen
Jonathan Alder High School, The Drowsy Chaperone
Marysville High School, Anything Goes

Best Direction

Brianna Bizzaro, Marysville High School, Anything Goes
Matthew Gregory, Fairfield Union High School, Bye Bye Birdie
Seth Harms, Eastmoor Academy High School, In the Heights
Elliott Lemberg, New Albany High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
Liz O'Dorisio, Bishop Watterson High School, The Wizard of Oz (RSC Version)

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Ava Baker, New Albany High School, Matron Mama Morton in Chicago: Teen Edition
Allyson Carroll, Pickerington High School North, Carrie White in Carrie: The Musical
Katelyn Kieninger, New Albany High School, Roxie Hart in Chicago: Teen Edition
Cecilia Langhals, Marysville High School, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes
Amaya Washington, Reynoldsburg High School, Leading Player in Pippin Revival Version

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Lucas Langhals, Marysville High School, Moonface Martin in Anything Goes
Kyle Meadows, Eastmoor Academy High School, Benny in In the Heights
Zeke Moses, Bexley High School, Bobby Strong in Urinetown
Drew Wintersteller, New Albany High School, Amos Hart in Chicago: Teen Edition
Jimmy Zolkowski, Upper Arlington High School, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family Musical: School Edition

Best Musical Production

Eastmoor Academy High School, In the Heights
Marysville High School, Anything Goes
New Albany High School, Chicago: Teen Edition
Upper Arlington High School, The Addams Family Musical: Teen Edition
Westerville South High School, Les Misérables School Edition

The CAPA Marquee Awards will culminate in a live student showcase at the Ohio Theatre on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:30 pm. The event will announce the winners of each category and include performances from the nominees for Best Musical Production, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Actress in a Leading Role, as well as opening and closing numbers that incorporate students from all participating high schools. A student technical team will also work backstage.

Tickets are $15 for students and $25 for adults and can be purchased in-person at the CAPA Ticket Center at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.), online at www.CAPAMarqueeAwards.com or by phone at (614) 469-0939.