Starlight Theatre Announces 2009-10 Blue Star Award Nominations

Starlight Theatre employees fanned out across the city yesterday to deliver 2010 Blue Star Award nominations to local high school theatre students and instructors. The good news of nominations in 20 Blue Star Award categories was delivered to high schools throughout the metropolitan area and outlying communities. On Thursday night, May 27, at Starlight, those nominees will find out whether they'll take home this year's top honors.

Starlight's Blue Star Awards, modeled after Broadway's Tony® Awards, marks its eighth year in 2009-10. Sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the educational program recognizes achievement and excellence in high school musical theatre. This year, a record 49 high schools producing 55 musicals participated. While the majority of schools are from metropolitan Kansas City, the program's reach extends to surrounding communities including St. Joseph, Cameron and Harrisonville.

The culmination of the program each year is the annual Blue Star Awards ceremony on Starlight's Cohen Community Stage. This year's red-carpet event will begin at 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 27. The ceremony is free and open to the public. Parking is $5 per vehicle.

"We're thrilled that interest and participation in our Blue Star Awards program increase every year," said Denton Yockey, Starlight Theatre president and executive producer. "While the nominations and award presentations are definitely the highlight each year, we know the impact of this program is far-reaching. The feedback provided by our Blue Star adjudicators to each school's musical theatre department is invaluable in helping schools raise the bar on their musical productions and in challenging young performers to improve and excel."

Blue Star Award nominations for 2009-10 were made in 20 categories, including Outstanding Overall Production, Outstanding Performance by an Actor and Actress in a Lead Role, Outstanding Orchestra and Outstanding Ensemble. In addition, several categories target artistic and technical excellence in staging a high school musical, including Outstanding Scenic Design, Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Lighting Design and Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design. A new award in 2009-10, Outstanding Artistic Contribution by a Student, is a teacher-nominated category that recognizes students who excel in choreography, direction and/or musical direction. (A complete list of nominations is included at the end of this release.)

A panel of three adjudicators (anonymous judges) attended the musical productions of each participating school during the fall 2009 and/or spring 2010 semesters. These judges provided performance and production critiques to Starlight's Education Department. Additionally, their comments were compiled and shared with each school's theatre teacher and students.

Several nominated schools and students will perform on Starlight's stage at the May 27 awards ceremony. Performances will include a number from each of the six schools and musicals nominated for Outstanding Overall Production, as well as musical medleys performed by the 12 nominees for Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Lead Role.

A final highlight of the annual Blue Star ceremony is the awarding of Rising Star Scholarships

to two high school seniors. The $2,500 college scholarships are presented to one male and one female senior who have contributed the most to his or her high school theatre department and demonstrated exceptional theatrical achievement.

2009-10 Blue Star Award Nominees

Outstanding Overall Production
Blue Valley High School - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Lee's Summit High School - Carousel
Lee's Summit North High School - West Side Story
Lee's Summit West High School - A Chorus Line
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Pippin
Shawnee Mission West High School - Les Misérables

Outstanding Orchestra
Blue Valley High School - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Blue Valley Northwest High School - The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Blue Valley West High School - Sweeney Todd
Lee's Summit High School - Carousel
Shawnee Mission North High School - Rent
Shawnee Mission West High School - Les Misérables

Outstanding Scenic Design, Tier I
Cameron High School - Honk!
Kearney High School - The Pajama Game
Olathe South High School - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Shawnee Mission South High School - Jesus Christ Superstar
Winnetonka High School - Oklahoma!

Outstanding Scenic Design, Tier II
Blue Springs High School - The Wedding Singer
Olathe South High School - West Side Story
Park Hill South High School - Once Upon A Mattress
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Into the Woods
Truman High School - The Music Man

Outstanding Lighting Design
Excelsior Springs High School - Aida
Lee's Summit North High School - West Side Story
Lee's Summit West High School - A Chorus Line
Oak Park High School - Cinderella
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Pippin
Shawnee Mission West High School - Les Misérables

Outstanding Technical Crew
Blue Valley High School - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Set Crew
Blue Valley Northwest High School - The Mystery of Edwin Drood – Set Crew
Oak Park High School - Cinderella – Set Crew
Olathe North High School - Starmites – Set Crew
Olathe South High School - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown – Set Crew
Shawnee Mission West High School - Les Misérables – Set Crew

Outstanding Costume Design, Tier I
Blue Springs High School - The Wedding Singer
Excelsior Springs High School - Aida
Grandview High School - Seussical
Paola High School - The Fantasticks
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Winnetonka High School - Oklahoma!

Outstanding Costume Design, Tier II
Barstow High School - Curtains
Lee's Summit North High School - West Side Story
Lee's Summit West High School - A Chorus Line
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Into the Woods
Shawnee Mission East High School - Footloose

Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design
Barstow High School - Curtains
Blue Springs High School - The Wedding Singer
Olathe North High School - Starmites
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Into the Woods
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Pippin
St. Teresa's Academy - Zombie Prom

Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role
Blue Valley High School - Sarah Bergeson as Narrator – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Blue Valley West High School - Sophia Laster as Mrs. Lovett – Sweeney Todd
Kearney High School - Kayleigh Greenwood as Babe Williams – The Pajama Game
Lee's Summit High School - Jamie Schlotzhauer as Julie Jordan – Carousel
Rockhurst High School - Hope Stillwell as Hope Cladwell – Urinetown
Shawnee Mission South High School - Sara Sommerer as Mary Magdalene – Jesus Christ Superstar

Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
Blue Valley High School - Austin Stang as Joseph – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Kearney High School - Caleb Hoffman as Sid – The Pajama Game
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Ben Jones as Leading Player – Pippin
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Seth Jones as Pippin – Pippin
Shawnee Mission NW High School - Terence Trice as Jim – Big River
Shawnee Mission West High School - Eric Morris as Jean Valjean – Les Misérables

Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role
Harrisonville High School - Holly Harris as Yonah – Children of Eden
Lee's Summit High School - Olivia Lynn as Carrie Pipperidge – Carousel
Lee's Summit North High School - Casi Riegle as Anita – West Side Story
Lee's Summit West High School - Chloe Gibbs as Sheila – A Chorus Line
Rockhurst High School - Sarah Rebottaro as Little Sally – Urinetown
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School - Courtney Kern as Smitty – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
St. Joseph Central High School - Natalie Gay as Dolly Tate – Annie Get Your Gun

Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role
Barstow High School - Sam Glassberg as Christopher Belling – Curtains
Olathe East High School - Joel Chambers as Thenardier – Les Misérables
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Mike Nolan as Charles – Pippin
Shawnee Mission North High School - Steven James as Cain – Children of Eden
Shawnee Mission NW High School - Vik Govindarajan as Julio – Paint Your Wagon
Shawnee Mission South High School - Scott Fagan as Lord Brockhurst – The Boy Friend

Outstanding Male Ensemble Member
Barstow High School - Ben Denzer as Randy Dexter – Curtains
Blue Springs High School - Spencer Bergman as David/Billy Idol – The Wedding Singer
Grandview High School - Dan Sandage as Mayor of Whoville – Seussical
Olathe North High School - Justin Barron as Diggety – Starmites
Shawnee Mission North High School - Gersom Ibarra as Storyteller – Children of Eden
St. Joseph Central High School - Tyler Heckman as Cowboy Trio Member – Annie Get Your Gun

Outstanding Female Ensemble Member
Blue Valley High School - Hannah Scott as Potiphar's Wife – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Blue Valley Northwest High School - Hailey Lapin as Sally – The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Lee's Summit Community Christian - Austin Snethen as Villager/Ball Guest – Cinderella
Olathe Northwest High School - Jillian Miller as Ursula Merkle – Bye Bye Birdie
Winnetonka High School - Rachel Hockensmith as Dream Laurey – Oklahoma!

Outstanding Ensemble
Blue Valley High School - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Lee's Summit High School - Carousel
Lee's Summit North High School - West Side Story
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Pippin
Shawnee Mission NW High School - Paint Your Wagon
Shawnee Mission West High School - Les Misérables

Outstanding Artistic Contribution by a Student
Grandview High School - Sean Robinson – Choreography, Seussical
Hickman Mills/Ruskin High School - Kyra Jones & LeAundre Williams - Choreography, Disney's High School Musical
Olathe South High School - Kaia Nycklemoe – Choreography, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Raymore-Peculiar High School - Hayley Farrell – Choreography, Pippin
Shawnee Mission North High School - Sean Foster - Music Direction, Rent

Technical Achievement Award
Blue Valley West High School - Dane Maddock - Lighting Design
Excelsior Springs High School - Jennifer Knecht - Costume Design
Oak Park High School - Kylor Greene - Lighting Design
Olathe East High School - Katherine Rowe - Stage Management
Shawnee Mission NW High School - Bryan Wheat - Lighting Design and Set Crew
Shawnee Mission South High School - Samantha Morrow - Costume, Hair & Makeup Design

Rising Star Male Scholarship
Blue Valley High School - Austin Stang
Blue Valley Northwest High School - Kirk Koczanowski
Lee's Summit West High School - Rob Glauz
Rockhurst High School - Patrick Pribyl
Shawnee Mission North High School - Sean Foster

Rising Star Female Scholarship
Basehor-Linwood High School - Kristin Taylor
Blue Valley High School - Hannah Scott
Lee's Summit High School - Katelyn Baron
Lee's Summit North High School - Claire Charland
Piper High School - Caitlin Teters
Platte County High School - Kelsey Rae Levi

Presenting Broadway entertainment since 1951, the non-profit Starlight Theatre Association is Kansas City's oldest and largest performing arts organization. The Association operates, programs and maintains the largest stage in the United States, as well as the 16-acre Starlight Theatre complex. While assuming all annual operating costs for the complex, the Association also raises funds for capital improvements and a variety of programs, including national Broadway musical performances, concerts, community outreach and education. Since 2000, the Association has contributed more than $25 million of privately funded improvements to the Kansas City, Mo.-owned Starlight Theatre. Each Broadway season, Starlight donates more than 11,000 tickets to its performances to regional non-profit organizations serving the disadvantaged.

In 2009, Starlight Theatre was again selected as the "Favorite Performing Arts Venue or Organization" in the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association's Visitors' Choice Awards program. Starlight also received a Gold Award for "Best Performing Arts Venue" and a Silver Award for "Best Theater" in Ingram's 2009 Best of Business Kansas City Awards. The theatre seats approximately 8,000 and is located in Swope Park.

For more information, visit www.kcstarlight.com.

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