Students Selected for 2023/24 Jerry Ensembles at the Overture

Overture Center for the Arts and The Grand Theater in Wausau have named nearly 40 Wisconsin high school students to their 2023/24 Jerry Ensembles, the premier vocal performance groups representing the Jerry Awards.

Students from participating Jerry Awards high schools can audition each year to join the Central or Southern Jerry Ensemble. The Central Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble is directed by Marshall DeLonay, and the Southern Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble is directed by Gail Becker.

The accomplished singers of the Jerry Ensemble participate in the group 2-4 years each, delighting audiences with songs from musical theater, movies, legendary artists and more. They present solos, duets, trios and group performances in front of a variety of audiences in a variety of settings each year, including the Jerry Awards Ceremony, Cocktails with Tim & Karra, UW basketball games and Kids in the Rotunda. According to Karra Beach, Overture’s director of Broadway Engagement Programs, performing live with the ensemble helps students develop poise and confidence while building technical skills in acting, singing and dancing.

2023/24 Central Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble (new members in bold)

• Camryn Balk-Yaatenen, Newman Catholic High School
• Gwen Bergman, Marathon High School
• Lily Casey, Wausau East High School
• Olivia England, Lakeland Union High School
• Julia Gerdes, Rhinelander High School
• Cayley Gosney, Pittsville High School
• Catherine Harmon, DC Everest Senior High School
• Kaemyn Heritage, Northland Pines High School
• Morgan Hoernke, Mosinee High School
• Milo Holdhusen, Wausau West High School
• Anna Jacobson, DC Everest Senior High School
• Alexis Justice, Marshfield High School
• Lauren Krembs, DC Everest Senior High School
• Elena Larson, Rhinelander High School
• River MacCarthy, Wausau West High School
• Nolan Mudler, Wausau West High School
• Megan Nguyen, DC Everest Senior High School
• Terrek Schjoth, DC Everest IDEA Charter School
• Julian Traska, DC Everest Senior High School
• Nolan Travis, Wausau West High School
• Adam Vue, DC Everest Senior High School
• Jordan Whitsett, DC Everest Senior High School

Upcoming Performances

• Pre-show performance prior to “Mean Girls” at The Grand Theater, November 19
• Pre-show performance before Broadway star Michael Cavanaugh’s “A Merry Rockin’ Christmas,” December 12
• Wausau Conservatory of Music’s Christmas Open House, December 10

“The Grand Theater is so excited to present this year’s Central Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble,” said Katy Lang, director of development and community engagement at The Grand Theater. “In our seventh season of supporting the Ensemble, we are thrilled to feature students from all over Central and Northern Wisconsin, with 12 schools represented in all. One of our greatest joys is to watch these young people, who may have otherwise never met, perform together and form friendships over the course of their time in the Ensemble. We also love to watch The Grand Theater’s audiences fall in love with these talented performers; by the end of the season, they always have quite a loyal fanbase! We can’t wait to get started on another fantastic season with the Central Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble.”

2023/24 Southern Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble (new members in bold)

• Erica Briski, Oregon High School
• Lilly Cherney, Monroe High School
• Matias Finley, Abundant Life Christian School
• Gracie Halverson, Madison West High School
• Nathan Heil, New Glarus High School
• Beau Bastian Jacobs, Oregon High School
• William Kastner, Kettle Moraine School for Art & Performance
• Teagan Kluetzman, Madison East High School
• Dalaney Lange, DeForest High School
• Zöe Littlefield, Madison West High School
• Molly McArdle, Sun Prairie West High School
• Lucy Natale, Parker Arts Academy
• Leena Rathgeber, Monona Grove High School
• Owen Sehgal, Middleton High School
• Connor Wilkinson, Sun Prairie East High School
• Aurelia Wochenske, Oregon High School (Alternate)

Upcoming Performances

• Cocktails with Tim & Karra, Disney’s Aladdin, October 8
• Cocktails with Tim & Karra, My Fair Lady, November 16 and 17
• Kids in the Rotunda performance of Disney's Winnie the Pooh KIDS, January 13 

“For over 10 years, I've been the director of the Jerry Ensemble,” said Gail Becker, director of the Southern Ensemble. “Overture Center mentors this unique group of talented ensemble members to not only perform but to serve as ambassadors for their youth programs. Since the pandemic, our performers are even more excited to get in front of audiences and share their incredible gifts. Of course, they are fantastic entertainers, but it is not only about singing and acting; it is more about being a member that is important. Every time I see these students engaging themselves in front of people at different types of events, they are so poised. They speak with guests and represent the program with an excellent demeanor. The skills they gain from the Jerry Ensemble will propel them through college and beyond. Overture is helping to grow and mold our future leaders. It's going to be a marvelous year."

THE JERRYS – Celebrating 15 years! The Jerrys is Overture’s high school musical awards program that encourages, recognizes and honors excellence in high school musical theater. The program began in the 2009/10 school year with 23 productions within 45 miles of Madison and has since expanded across the state through partnerships with Marcus Performing Arts Center, The Grand Theater and Viterbo University Fine Arts Center. Educators and industry professionals review productions at Wisconsin high schools and/or community theater organizations and provide valuable feedback to students. In its first decade, the Jerry Awards engaged more than 700,000 students, teachers, theater professionals and community members and has grown into a nationally recognized showcase of the brightest stars in Wisconsin high school musical theater.

 

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