Recipients Announced For The 21st Anniversary of The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards

The 5th Avenue Theatre has recognized the dedication of High School Musical Theater educators and students with The 2022/23 5th Avenue Theatre Awards Project. Now in its 21st year, this program honors the accomplishments of Washington State students and the communities that foster their talents.

The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards Project celebrates and honors exceptional accomplishments from the 2022/23 school year. Each year, high schools from across Washington State submit their work for consideration through The 5th Avenue Theatre Awards. This year, a panel of acclaimed theater professionals viewed high school students' submissions from across the state.

"The level of dedication, passion, and commitment to the arts that we see from the participants of these programs is awe inspiring," said assistant director of education and engagement, Connie Corrick. "The energy these students bring to their programs is exhilarating and the recognition they have received is a testament to their exceptional talent. We are honored to be celebrating these individuals for all their hard work."

The Recipients of The 21st Annual 5th Avenue Theatre Awards

Special Honors: Student Excellence Awards
Cody Wattendorf, Production Pitch Project, Lighting Design for Matilda the Musical
Emma Jollie, Character Development Project, Paulette Bonafonté in Legally Blonde: The Musical

Outstanding Work by a Student in Choreography
Neha Mahesh, Redmond High School, The Drowsy Chaperone

Outstanding Work by a Student in Lighting Design
Cody Wattendorf, The Overlake School, Matilda the Musical

Outstanding Work in Character Development
Addison Jones, Tahoma High School, Constance in The Clockmaker's Daughter
Ellen Hume, Shorewood High School, Rose Fenny in Dogfight
Emma Jollie, Fife High School, Paulette Bonafonté in Legally Blonde: The Musical
Jodi Rossano, Federal Way High School, Heather MacNamara in Heathers: The Musical
Joshua Miller, Tahoma High School, Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Kyle Gerstel, Mercer Island High School, Danny Zuko in Grease
MacKenzie Stiles, Heritage High School, Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress
Maria Knauss, Tahoma High School, Jane Doe in Ride the Cyclone
McKale Granados, Bellevue Christian School, The Witch in Into the Woods

Special Recognition in Character Development
Abigail Weiss, Mercer Island High School, Betty Rizzo in Grease
Anna DeBord, Bellevue Christian School, Little Red in Into the Woods
Asier Sadaba, Mercer Island High School, Noel Gruber in Ride the Cyclone
Ava Skinner, Bellevue Christian School, Cinderella in Into the Woods
Benjamin Norman, Fife High School, Warner Huntington III in Legally Blonde: The Musical
Bodie Borg, Bellevue Christian School, Jack in Into the Woods
Christopher Noordman, Stadium High School, Enjolras in Les Misérables
Colin Pennell, Fife High School, Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde: The Musical
Hampton Kay, Bellevue Christian School, The Wolf in Into the Woods
Hanah Georgiu, Bellevue Christian School, The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods
Hannah Rose, Federal Way High School, Donkey in Shrek The Musical
Josiah Clark, Bellevue Christian School, The Baker in Into the Woods
Katie Metteer, Bellevue Christian School, Jack's Mother in Into the Woods
Keaton Englund,Fife High School, Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde: The Musical
Lucy Amann, Federal Way High School, Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia!
Melia Mills, Cedarcrest High School, Mrs. Potts in Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Milo Mechem-Mille, Mercer Island High School, JD in Heathers: The Musical
Sage Mattson, Fife High School, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical

Special Honors: Outstanding Educators
Elizabeth Jacobsen, Stadium High School
Elizabeth McMurray-Hauk, Juanita High School

Special Honors: Student Achievement
Callie Kinnan, Bellevue Christian School
Haili Horiuchi, Stadium High School
Kindred McQueen, Mercer Island High School
Rhianna Johnson, Sehome High School

Special Honors: Educational Impact
Stadium High School, Les Misérables

Special Honors: Parent Support
Marysville-Pilchuck High School, Marysville High Schools Drama Boosters
Trisha Ross, Angie Winter, Sheri Blanchard, Marlena Dank, Tom Winter, Jim Ross, Leah Crumrine, Michelle Brediger, Lisa Sawyers, Seann and Heidi Legaspi, Katie Pagle, Kara Moddejonge, Melissa Romano Stadium High School, Theresa Griswold

Special Honors: Senior Spotlight
Alex Gutridge, Hockinson High School
Arin Hunt, Aberdeen High School
Hampton Kay, Bellevue Christian School
Chels Crook, Sehome High School
Disha Cattamanchi, Juanita High School
Ethan Cordova, Tahoma High School
Evelyn Wygle, Stadium High School
Francisco Cruz, North Creek High School
Oscar LaVergne, Wenatchee High School
Sadie Jensen, Mercer Island High School

2022/23 Participant Schools
Aberdeen High School
Bellevue Christian School
Cedarcrest High School
Federal Way High School
Fife High School
Heritage High School
Hockinson High School
Juanita High School
Marysville-Pilchuck High School
Mercer Island High School
North Creek High School
Redmond High School
Sehome High School
Shorewood High School
Stadium High School
Tahoma High School
The Overlake School
Wenatchee High School

About The 5th Avenue Theatre:

The 5th Avenue Theatre is one of America's leading musical theater companies. We enrich the community we love with the art form we love—giving the Pacific Northwest a front-row seat to original powerhouse productions that go on to light up marquees and audiences all the way to Broadway. From the page to the stage, we bring passion and epic scale to every musical we create with big talent and bigger-than-life productions. As a nonprofit theater company and our region's largest performing arts employer, we spread the joy of great musicals with people of all ages across our region and state. Each year, we reach 30,000 young people through our nationally acclaimed education programs. Programs designed to develop new musicals ensure that the next generation of great musicals will be there to tell the stories that captivate tomorrow's audiences. On the national stage, we are a leading voice for the power of this art form to lift the human spirit.

For more information about The 5th Avenue Theatre, its season and its programs, please visit www.5thavenue.org.

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