Starlight Theatre Announces 2017 Blue Star Awards

Yesterday, high school theatre students and instructors across metropolitan Kansas City and in neighboring communities received the good news that they had received nominations for the 15th Anniversary Blue Star Awards from Starlight Theatre. Starlight leaders, staff and board members personally delivered 132 nominations to 42 area high schools. On Thursday night, May 25, winners of the 2017 Blue Star Awards will receive their honors in a public ceremony on Starlight Theatre's Cohen Community Stage.

Starlight's Blue Star Awards, modeled after Broadway's Tony® Awards, marks its 15th anniversary with the 2016-17 school year. Sponsored in part by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the educational program annually recognizes achievement and excellence in high school musical theatre. This year, a total of 52 high schools producing 59 musicals (a new record!) participated. While the majority of schools are in the metropolitan area, some nominated schools are in surrounding communities including St. Joseph and Excelsior Springs, Mo., and Leavenworth and Paola, Kan.

The culmination of the program each year is the annual Blue Star Awards Ceremony at Starlight Theatre. This year's awards ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 25. The ceremony is free and open to the public. Parking is $5 per vehicle.

At the 2017 Blue Star Awards Ceremony, Kansas City's arts community leaders will bestow awards in 22 categories, including Outstanding Overall Production, Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Lead Role, Outstanding Orchestra and Outstanding Ensemble. In addition, several categories recognize artistic contributions and technical excellence in staging a high school musical, including Outstanding Scenic Design and Construction, Outstanding Costume Design and Construction, Outstanding Lighting Design, and Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design.

"The Blue Star Awards is Starlight Theatre's largest and most recognized musical theatre education program," said Rich Baker, Starlight president and CEO. "As we prepare to celebrate the 15th class of Blue Star Awards nominees and winners, we also applaud every one of the 5,000+ high school students and teachers who worked so hard and shared their special talents to entertain audiences across our city and beyond!"

A panel of three adjudicators attended the musical productions of each participating school during the fall 2016 and/or spring 2017 semesters. These judges provided critiques of both performance and technical categories to Starlight's Education Department. Additionally, their comments were compiled and shared with each school's theatre teacher and students; in all, more than 1,000 pages of commentary were sent to the 52 participating schools. The Blue Star Awards Nomination Committee, made up of select adjudicators, met for a total of 42 hours to deliberate and select final nominees and award winners.

Several nominated schools and students will perform on Starlight's stage at the May 25 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 Awards 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.

2016-17 BLUE STAR AWARD NOMINEES

Outstanding Overall Production

• Blue Valley - Bye Bye Birdie
• Central - Big Fish
• Liberty - North Disney's Mary Poppins
• Raymore-Peculiar - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Shawnee Mission East - Seussical
• St. Teresa's Academy - Jane Eyre

Outstanding Artistic Contribution by a Student

• Liberty North - James Sisson for Direction and Music Direction - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Olathe East - Alaina Jerguson for Choreography - The Wizard of Oz
• Park Hill South - Angel Lee for Direction - Monty Python's Spamalot
• Platte County - Allison Bergstrom for Choreography - How to Succeed in Business
• Without Really Trying
• Raymore-Peculiar - Malone Blaich for Choreography - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Winnetonka - Maddie Fields for Music Direction - In The Heights

Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role

• Blue Valley Stephanie Ainsworth as Rose Alvarez - Bye Bye Birdie
• Central - Sydney VanDyke as Sandra Bloom - Big Fish
• Liberty - North Caitlyn Fuller as Mary Poppins - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Raymore-Peculiar - Malone Blaich as Eve/Storyteller - Children of Eden
• Shawnee Mission Northwest - Alex Teeple as Lucy Van Pelt - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
• St. Teresa's Academy - Libby Terril as Jane Eyre - Jane Eyre

Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role

• Blue Valley - Jeremy Jacobs as Albert Peterson - Bye Bye Birdie
• Central - Joey Myers as Edward Bloom - Big Fish
• Grandview - Samuel Lunceford as Seymour Krelborn - Little Shop of Horrors
• Liberty North - Garrett Williams as Bert - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Platte County - Connor Mendenhall as J. Pierrepont Finch - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Shawnee Mission South - Zach Greer as Jean Valjean - Les Misérables School Edition

Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role

• Blue Valley North - Maddie Robert as Lois Lane (Bianca) - Kiss Me, Kate
• Lansing - Brynna Darley as Gertrude McFuzz - Seussical
• Lee's Summit - ElizaBeth Bennett as Ursula - Disney's The Little Mermaid
• Lee's Summit North - Jenell Johnson as Oda Mae Brown - Ghost the Musical
• Shawnee Mission East - Kylie Ledford as Gertrude McFuzz - Seussical
• Shawnee Mission East - Megan Walstrom as JoJo - Seussical

Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role

• Platte County - Spencer Kunz as J.B. Biggley - How to Succeed in Business
• Without Really Trying
• Raymore-Peculiar - Valiante Waltz as Cain/Storytelling Soloist - Children of Eden
• Raytown - Caleb McCarroll as William Barfee/Olive's Dad - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Raytown - Darian Duah as Leaf Coneybear - The 25th Annual Putnam County
• Spelling Bee
• Truman - Cameron Mabie as Will Parker - Oklahoma!
• Truman - Jaggard Williams as Ali Hakim - Oklahoma!

Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role

• Blue Valley - Anna Synek as Mrs. Doris MacAfee - Bye Bye Birdie
• Blue Valley - Tristan Rios as Ursula Merkle - Bye Bye Birdie
• Grain Valley - Cally Beckman as Ronnette - Little Shop of Horrors
• Liberty - Alana Pendergraft as Madame de la Grande Bouche - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
• Liberty North - Emmy Caywood as Mrs. Corry - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Shawnee Mission Northwest - Claire Severance as Sister Mary Patrick - Sister Act

Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role

• Blue Valley - Jack Norton as Hugo Peabody - Bye Bye Birdie
• Excelsior Springs - Trey Potter as Doody - Grease
• Liberty North - Conner Paulson as Robertson Ay - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Raymore-Peculiar - Ian Fleming as Martin Van Buren - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Shawnee Mission Northwest - Jackson Tomlin as Joey - Sister Act
• Truman - Gavin Bechtold as Andrew Carnes - Oklahoma!

Outstanding Female Ensemble Member

• Blue Valley - Ady Shaw as Alice - Bye Bye Birdie
• Kearney - Camryn Brown as Pick-a-little Lady - The Music Man
• Lee's Summit - West Jessica Haney as Ballerina/Greek Statue/Tapping Chimney Sweep/Kite Dancer - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Piper - Olivia Ortiz as Silly Girl/Napkin - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
• Raymore-Peculiar - Song Waltz as A Mysterious Hip Girl/Woman on Tour/Ensemble - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Shawnee Mission East - Gwen Madden as Thing 2 - Seussical

Outstanding Male Ensemble Member

• Kearney - Terrell Christian as Townsperson - The Music Man
• Lee's Summit North - Garrett Richardson as Officer Wallace - Ghost the Musical
• North Kansas City - Dorveon Mulkey as Tailor - Catch Me If You Can
• Olathe North - Brian Weber as Fred - Oklahoma!
• Olathe South - Jordan DeLeon as Guest #3/One of Muzzy's Boys/Speed Tapper/Dance and Vocal Ensemble/Tapper - Thoroughly Modern Millie
• Paola - Brendan Ohlmeier as Villager/Russian - Fiddler on the Roof

Outstanding Ensemble

• Blue Valley - Bye Bye Birdie
• Central - Big Fish
• Liberty - North Disney's Mary Poppins
• Raymore-Peculiar - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Shawnee Mission - East Seussical
• Shawnee Mission - South Les Misérables School Edition

Outstanding Orchestra

• Bishop Miege Sister Act
• Blue Valley Bye Bye Birdie
• Central Big Fish
• Raymore-Peculiar Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Shawnee Mission Northwest Sister Act
• St. James Academy Disney's Mary Poppins

Outstanding Scenic Design and Construction, Tier I ($0 - $1,850)

• Excelsior Springs - Grease
• Harrisonville - South Pacific
• Lansing - Seussical
• Platte County - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Ruskin - Sister Act
• Winnetonka - In The Heights

Outstanding Scenic Design and Construction, Tier II ($1,851+)

• Central - Big Fish
• Grain Valley - Little Shop of Horrors
• Liberty - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
• Liberty - North Disney's Mary Poppins
• Olathe - East Curtains
• Saint Thomas Aquinas - Shrek

Outstanding Lighting Design

• Liberty North - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Oak Park - Disney's The Little Mermaid
• Olathe East - Curtains
• Raytown - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Shawnee Mission East - Seussical
• Winnetonka - In The Heights

Outstanding Technical Crew

• Blue Valley - Lighting Crew - Bye Bye Birdie
• Blue Valley - Sound Crew - Bye Bye Birdie
• Central - Costume Crew - Big Fish
• Liberty North - Deck/Set Crew - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Liberty North - Lighting Crew - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Shawnee Mission East - Hair and Makeup Crew - Seussical

Outstanding Costume Design and Construction, Tier I ($0 - $1,350)

• Fort Osage - The Wizard of Oz
• Leavenworth - Jekyll & Hyde
• Platte County - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Raymore-Peculiar - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Spring Hill - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Winnetonka - In The Heights

Outstanding Costume Design and Construction, Tier II ($1,351+)

• Central - Big Fish
• Lee's Summit - West Disney's Mary Poppins
• Liberty - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
• Liberty North - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Olathe East - The Wizard of Oz
• Shawnee Mission South - Disney's The Little Mermaid

Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design

• Blue Valley - Bye Bye Birdie
• Central - Big Fish
• Leavenworth - Jekyll & Hyde
• Liberty North - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Olathe East - The Wizard of Oz
• Shawnee Mission East - Seussical

Technical Achievement Award

• Leavenworth - Victoria Sallot for Costume Design - Jekyll & Hyde
• Liberty - Emma Kern for Properties Management - Disney's Beauty and the Beast
• Liberty North - Courtney Carr for Stage Management - Disney's Mary Poppins
• Park Hill - Kelly Decker and Caitlin Crosby for Stage Management - Oklahoma!
• Shawnee Mission West - Hannah Parker for Stage Management - Pippin
• Winnetonka - Landon Dowell for Scenic Design - In The Heights

Rising Star Scholarship - Female Nominees

• Blue Springs South - Emma Cunningham
• Blue Valley - Stephanie Ainsworth
• Lee's Summit - ElizaBeth Bennett
• Liberty North - Caitlyn Fuller
• Park Hill - Kelly Decker
• Shawnee Mission Northwest - Kenzi Parsons

Rising Star Scholarship - Male Nominees

• Benton - Brevin Miller
• Blue Valley - Jeremy Jacobs
• Liberty North - William Scott Green
• Olathe North - Cole Bellamy
• Platte County - Connor Mendenhall
• Raymore-Peculiar - Ian Fleming

About Starlight Theatre
Starlight Theatre, recent winner of the Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), is the largest and oldest performing arts organization in Kansas City and the second-largest outdoor producing theatre in the country. Opened as a theater in 1950 and as a not-for-profit organization in 1951, Starlight presents and produces Broadway musicals and concerts. It also offers extensive community outreach and educational programming, including classes, scholarships and Starlight's Blue Star Awards, one of the largest high school musical theatre award programs in the nation. Located on 16 acres in Swope Park, Starlight's venue includes rehearsal halls, gift store, club area for dining, concessions, gardens, fountains and a 10-story, climate-controlled stage. For more information, visit www.kcstarlight.com.