BWW San Antonio: 25 High School Students Enter Final Rehearsal for Joci Awards Scholarship Competition on May 20

With the school year wrapping up around San Antonio and surrounding areas, many students are looking forward to lazy days by the pool, sleeping late and just being free from the busy school year. However, there are a group of 25 students who have been working tirelessly to succeed and be the best they can as they prepare to participate in the Joci Awards Scholarship Competition on May 20, 2018 at the Empire Theatre in San Antonio. Final rehearsals take place on Saturday and Sunday for the amazingly talented student finalists from Donna, Seguin and San Antonio High Schools.

The Joci Awards Scholarship Competition was founded in 2009 and has awarded more than $585,000 in scholarships. It also serves as a Regional Award Program (RAP), for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City.

The Joci Awards Scholarship Competition will be open to the public and take place on Sunday, May 20, at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by visiting the Majestic Theatre's website. For additional information, call 210-223-4343 or visit www.lascasasfoundation.org.

Las Casas Foundation continues to support and promote the development of the performing arts through education and scholarships, as well as the restoration and preservation of historic theatres. Las Casas Foundation also offers a variety of educational initiatives to nurture and grow the performing arts, including the annual Joci Awards Scholarship Competition.

Competitors will have a chance to shine having been chosen from 36 schools throughout South Texas. Showcase participants are already winners and are guaranteed scholarship funds, but the amount for each will be determined by guest judges that include nationally recognized playwrights, actors, choreographers and dancers.

As previously announced, the nominees are as follows:

ACTING:

Gilberto Beltran - Donna North High School; Donna, TX

Mick Buck - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

Mikayla Johnson - Edgewood Fine Arts Academy; San Antonio, TX

Katerina Pourliakas - Ronald Reagan High School; San Antonio, TX

Gabriel Samandi - International School of the Americas; San Antonio, TX

Roberto Soto - McCollum High School; San Antonio, TX

BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:

Drake Leach as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family - Saint Mary's Hall; San Antonio, TX

Jose Ruiz-Gonzalez as Che in Evita - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

Andrew Swetonic as Curly McLain in Oklahoma! - Ronald Reagan High School; San Antonio, TX

Caden Thomas as Billy Flynn in Chicago - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:

Bella Campos as Ado Annie in Oklahoma! - Ronald Reagan High School; San Antonio, TX

Lauren Cole as Ariel in The Little Mermaid - Sandra Day O'Connor High School; San Antonio, TX

Andrea Diaz as Velma Kelly in Chicago - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

Emily Edwards as Eva Peron in Evita - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

Eleanor Hardwick as Roxie Hart in Chicago - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

Amber Mawande-Spytek as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz - Seguin High School; Seguin, TX

Presley Weber as Diana Goodman in Next to Normal - Alamo Heights High School; San Antonio, TX

DANCE:

Abigail Amaya - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

Peyton Davis - Sandra Day O'Connor High School; San Antonio, TX

Emma Vicana - Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson High School; San Antonio, TX

VOCAL:

Katerina Damm - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

Olivia Eguia - Alamo Heights High School; San Antonio, TX

Zander Herrera - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

Sophia (Skye) Palmer - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX

Hannah Peyton - North East School of the Arts; San Antonio, TX