Hennepin Theatre Trust Announces SpotLight Musical Theatre Program Honors

Hennepin Theatre Trust today announced the new Fall 2010 honorees from Minnesota high schools recognizing theatre accomplishments by school and category for the 2010-11 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program. Now in its sixth successful year, SpotLight is a Hennepin Theatre Trust initiative which supports high schools that present musical theatre-from classics including Singin' in the Rain to newer works such as The Who's Tommy: A Rock Opera. This year, a record 47 schools are participating from across the Twin Cities' metro area and, new in 2010, into greater Minnesota. Collectively, these high school musicals are made possible by the collaboration of almost 4,000 students and are annually seen by an estimated 100,000 audience members.

Current honorees from high schools who presented musicals in fall 2010 are from:
Bemidji, Bloomington, Circle Pines, Chanhassen, Chaska, Eagan, Edina, Forest Lake, Fridley, Glencoe, Lakeville, Maple Grove, Melrose, Minnetonka, Mound, Moorhead, Mounds View, Oakdale, Rochester, Roseville, Shakopee, Wayzata, White Bear Lake, Winona and Woodbury. A comprehensive list of school participants is included at the end of this press release and a list of the fall 2010 honorees by school and category is attached and available online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org. Spring honorees will be announced later.

Schools and participating musical theatre students will also be honored at SpotLight's culminating event, the sixth annual SpotLight Showcase. This gala evening celebrates and honors high school musical theatre accomplishments by featuring dynamic student performances mixed with award presentations. This year's Showcase will be held at 7 p.m., Monday, June 6, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets, available for only $15, will go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, February 11 in person at the State Theatre Box Office, by calling 1.800.982.2787 and through HennepinTheatreTrust.org. VIP ticket packages including additional restaurant, tours, programming and gift offers will also be available online.

Linda Eder, SpotLight Spokesperson, Broadway actress and Drama Desk-winning vocalist, commented, "When I was student at Brainerd High School, participating in musical theatre and choir helped define my life and provided vital skills for a successful and fulfilling career in the arts. As the new SpotLight Musical Theatre Program Spokesperson, I am honored to share this experience with other students who've discovered the same joy and passion and pleased to join Hennepin Theatre Trust in fostering Minnesota's next generation of young talent."

Hennepin Theatre Trust, owner of the historic State, Orpheum and Pantages Theatres, is a non-profit organization devoted to enriching the vibrant cultural atmosphere of the Twin Cities. The Trust established the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program after recognizing that none existed in Minnesota to honor excellence in high school musical theatre. SpotLight is now in its sixth successful year encouraging and celebrating students who participate and excel in their high school musical.

SpotLight is much more than an honors program. The program's benefits include the opportunity to work with theatre educators and musical theatre professionals who offer training, insight through critical feedback, on-site school workshops and a collaborative conference. A group of evaluators is retained by the Trust to assess each production with constructive written commentary and nominate honorees. Categories include outstanding performance in leading, supporting and featured roles, outstanding performance by a chorus, dance ensemble and student orchestra, outstanding overall performance of a musical and outstanding overall production of a musical. Shows are not compared or ranked against each other, so categories may have multiple honorees. Schools annually apply to participate and pay a nominal administration fee.

New in 2010-2011 is the SpotLight Distance Learning Initiative which allows schools from greater Minnesota to easily participate through live video classes. These seven schools are located in Alexandria, Bemidji, Glencoe-Silver Lake, Melrose, Moorhead, Rochester and Winona.

School Participants in the 2010-11 SpotLight Program
Andover High School: Into the Woods
Bemidji High School: Footloose
Blaine High School: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
The Blake School (Minneapolis): Little Shop of Horrors
Calvin Christian High School (Fridley): Les Míserables
Centennial High School (Circle Pines): How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Champlin Park High School: Singin' in the Rain
Chanhassen High School: Crazy For You
Chaska High School: Grease
Columbia Heights High School: Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Concordia Academy (Roseville): Fiddler on the Roof
Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul): The Pajama Game
Eagan High School: Hairspray
East Ridge High School (Woodbury): Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Eastview High School (Eagan): Thoroughly Modern Millie
Edina High School: Anything Goes
Forest Lake High School: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Fridley Senior High School: Once Upon a Mattress
Glencoe-Silver Lake High School: Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Hill Murray School (Maplewood): Disney's Camp Rock
Irondale High School (New Brighton): Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Jefferson Senior High School (Alexandria): Grease
Lakeville North High School: Thoroughly Modern Millie
Lakeville South High School: Bye Bye Birdie
Main Street School of Performing Arts (Hopkins): Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show
Maple Grove Senior High: Aida
Mayo High School (Rochester): Disney's High School Musical
Melrose Area High School: Footloose
Minnetonka High School: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Moorhead High School: The Who's Tommy: A Rock Opera
Mound Westonka High School: The Spitfire Grill
Park High School (Cottage Grove): Bye Bye Birdie
Richfield Senior High School: Grease
Rogers High School: Godspell
Roseville Area High School: Zombie Prom
Shakopee High School: Oklahoma!
Southwest High School (Minneapolis): Les Míserables
South St. Paul Secondary School: The Apple Tree
St. Francis High School: Into the Woods
Tartan Senior High School: Little Shop of Horrors
Thomas Jefferson High School (Bloomington): Oklahoma!
Totino-Grace High School (Fridley): The Wizard of Oz
Visitation and St. Thomas Academy (Mendota Heights): Damn Yankees
Washburn High School (Minneapolis): Seussical the Musical
Wayzata High School: Hello Dolly!
White Bear Lake Area High School: West Side Story
Winona Senior High School: The Drowsy Chaperone

Educators who wish to participate in the 2011-12 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program should contact Melissa Koch, Director of Education and Community Engagement, at 612.373.5696 or through email at melissa.koch@hennepintheatretrust.org. The application deadline will be in October 2011. SpotLight is made possible by private donations and corporate contributions. If you wish to support this program, additional information about it and sponsorship opportunities is available at www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org/SpotLight

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