40th Anniversary of MACY AWARDS To Honor Lee Childress

The 40th ANNUAL MACY AWARDS will be presented on Sunday, May 23 beginning at 12noon at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada, in a ceremony to be hosted by KABC's Entertainment Guru, George Pennacchio and La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts very own Tom McCoy. The 2010 MACY AWARDS will award close to 500 local high school students for their work in local theatre, in addition, at this very special anniversary event, the Macy Awards will also honor Lee Childress with the MACY Humanitarian Award for her 40 years of tireless service on behalf of this high school arts organization. Additionally, the MACY winners in the categories of Best Leading Actor and Best Leading Actress will be sent to New York for the 2nd Annual National High School Musical Theatre Awards held in June.

THE MACY STORY

The MACY Awards, founded in 1969, is dedicated to recognizing, encouraging and rewarding achievements and excellence through high school musical theatre. In 1969, John Childress, then a Los Angeles High-School principal and coach along with his wife Lee, saw that talented performing arts students did not receive the recognition for their hard work and accomplishments as the athletes did. With a love for musical theatre and help from Mayor Sam Yorty, Lee and John founded MACY. After several years John and Lee moved their family and the MACY to Orange County.

Since inception, Lee and John have always cared more about the students than anything else. For 35 years Lee and John supported the MACY. In 2005, John left the MACY in Lee's capable hands. Students who participate in the MACY Awards report that receiving a MACY Award is a "life-changing" experience. The MACY Awards have been changing lives for 39 years.

The annual MACY Awards show is a celebration of the talent, hard work, dedication, energy and boundless enthusiasm of everyone who has participated in the wonderful musical theater productions of our schools. Over 100 MACY alumni have continued in professional theater and all say that High School Theater was extremely important in shaping their careers. The encouragement and recognition provided by the MACY Awards has helped gifted students become successful professionals. Lee and the MACY directors and judges will view 30 to 35 shows and award some 300 trophies and 10 scholarships at the annual awards ceremony. Selected schools will present a shortened version of their productions to the rousing applause of 1300-1500 of their peers and parents. In addition to the individual benefits, these presentations have raised the quality of the MACY Awards each ensuing year. As Lee says each year, "These actors and actresses are beyond the beyond". Lee and the MACY organization have been recognized for their contributions by the Walt Disney Company, the City of Los Angeles, the County of Orange, The LA Times and the Orange County Register.

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