Human Race Theatre Announces Stephen Schwartz Scholarship Winners

Alex Finke and Mimi Klipstine Dick are the winners of The Human Race Theatre Company's Fourth Annual Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Scholarship competition, chosen from among ten finalists who performed at The Loft Theatre April 26.

The Human Race, Dayton's own professional theatre company, created the scholarships after presenting the premiere of the famed composer's (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell, among many others) Snapshots in 2007. The competition is open to high school seniors and college students from the Dayton region who are or plan on majoring in musical theatre.

Each contestant prepared a song by Schwartz and another musical theatre number. Finke, a University of Michigan junior from Centerville, sang "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin and "Pulled" from The Addams Family. Dick, an Interlochen Arts Academy senior from West Milton, performed "Defying Gravity" from Wicked and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" from Anything Goes.

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Musical Director Neal Gittleman served as host for the finals. Judges were Human Race Producing Artistic Director Kevin Moore, Victoria Theatre Association Vice-President - Programming Tina McPhearson, and Human Race Resident Artist and Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music Associate Professor of Musical Theatre Voice Patricia Linhart. The audience, as a group, also had one vote.

Founded in 1986, The Human Race Theatre Company moved to the Metropolitan Arts Center in 1991, taking up residence at the 219-seat Loft Theatre. In addition to the Eichelberger Loft Season, The Human Race produces for the Victoria Theatre's Broadway Series, the Musical Theatre Workshop series, and special event programming. The Human Race, under the direction of Producing Artistic Director Kevin Moore, also maintains education and outreach programs for children, teens and adults, as well as artist residencies in area schools, The Muse Machine In-School Tour, Youth Summer Stock, and The Human Race Conservatory. Human Race organizational support is provided by Culture Works, Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, Shubert Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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