Blumey Awards in Charlotte name the region’s best in high school musical theater
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A potent and popular reminder of the power of the arts unfolded at sold-out Belk Theater Sunday night with the 12th annual Blumey Awards.
The program from Blumenthal Arts honors excellence in Charlotte-area high school musical productions. At a time when arts groups locally and nationally are seeing their federal funding slashed, the Blumeys represented a boisterous celebration of the many talented young people both on stage and backstage.
The best actor and best actress winners go on to compete in the national high school musical program in New York, known as the Jimmy Awards. This year’s Jimmy Awards are set for June 23 at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.
This year, the Blumeys best actor and actress winners are also classmates. They both attend Central Academy of Technology and Arts in Monroe: Best Actor, Alex Board as Javert, and Best Actress Haley Ciaramella as Eponine, in “Les Misérables School Edition.”
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Sunday night’s program was hosted by performer Warren Egypt Franklin, who has toured in “Hamilton.” Last year’s Best Actress and Best Actor winners, Lainey Gaston and Rylan Lowe, were among the presenters and special guests.
All told, winners in 15 categories were announced, and nominees for best actor, best actress and best musical performed on stage.
The Blumey Awards winners
The envelope please. Here are the other winners from Sunday:
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▪ Bank of America Best Musical – Tier 1: Weddington High, “Chicago: Teen Edition”
▪ Bank of America Best Musical– Tier 2: North Lincoln High, “Pippin”
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▪ Best supporting Actor: William A. Hough High, Jack McRee as Uncle Fester, “The Addams Family”
▪ Best Supporting Actress: North Lincoln High, Emma Rogne as Fastrada, “Pippin”
▪ Best Featured Performer: Central Academy of Technology and Arts, Garrett Dwiggins as Bishop of Digne/Legles, “Les Misérables School Edition.”
▪ Best Overall Direction: North Lincoln High, “Pippin”
▪ Best Ensemble/Chorus: Concord Academy, “Guys and Dolls”
▪ Best Choreography Execution: Weddington High, “Chicago: Teen Edition”
▪ Best Student Orchestra: Central Academy of Technology and Arts, “Les Misérables School Edition”
▪ Best Student Costume Designer: Concord Academy , Lexi LaCroix, “Guys and Doll”
▪ Best Student Set Designer: William A. Hough High, Dylan Vezendy, “The Addams Family”
▪ Best Student Stage Manager: William A. Hough High, Gavin Vezendy, “The Addams Family”
▪ Best Student Reporter, Weddington High, Hayden Kocur
Along with the Blumey Awards, five students were awarded college scholarships:
▪ The Mary Doctor Fine Arts Scholarship: Elijah Phillips, Northwest School of the Arts, will attend Shenandoah University, and Maria Nicoleta Cutitaru, North Carolina School of the Arts High, will attend Boston University.
▪ The Gordon Hay Scholarship: North Lincoln High School senior Emily Stanton, who will attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Weddington High senior Miles Denny-Martinez, who also will attend UNCSA and University of Tennessee Victoria Kahnle.
Life after the Blumeys
The Blumeys and the Jimmys helped launch the careers of a number of Charlotte-area students.
Look no further than Broadway, where Eva Noblezada is “the toast of Mayfair” as Sally Bowles in “Cabaret.” Or catch a recent episode of NBC’s “The Voice,” where Bryson Battle’s well-received run recently ended.
Reneé Rapp has been a hit on TV, at the movies in “Mean Girls” and on concert tours. And Philip Johnson Richardson was on Broadway — and Charlotte —as Tinman as in the revival of “The Wiz.”
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