2015-16 Bobby G Awards Finalists are announced

2015-16 Bobby G Award Finalists

For more 2015-16 nominees, click the ‘forward’ arrow on the image above.

Finalists for the fourth annual Bobby G Awards were released this afternoon. The awards program, which culminates in a Tony Awards-style ceremony and performance on May 26 at the Buell Theatre, celebrates outstanding achievement in high-school musical theatre in Colorado. This year the program was expanded to include 40 schools across Colorado, up from 30 the year before.

Savannah Wood Mountain ViewThree schools garnered 10 nominations each: Mountain View High School in Loveland (Anything Goes), Arvada West (Les Misérables) and Boulder Fairview (Guys and Dolls). Those three are all up for Outstanding Production of a Musical, along with Denver School of the Arts’ Spring Awakening and Cherry Creek High School’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  All five schools will be invited to perform at the May 26 Bobby G Awards ceremony, as well as the 10 individuals nominated for Outstanding Actor or Actress. (Pictured right: Savannah Wood of Mountain View High School.)

In all, 16 schools earned at least one nomination, not including this year’s Special Achievement winners, which were announced today: 

  • Annie Trumble, Costumes, D’Evelyn High School’s Young Frankenstein
  • Shu Lee & Aurora Vadas-Arendt, Student Direction, Niwot High School’s The Sound of Music
  • Tristana Whetten, Orchestra Vista PEAK Preparatory’s Beauty and the Beast

The Bobby G Awards, overseen and hosted by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, are Colorado’s regional representative within the larger National High School Musical Theatre Awards, otherwise known as “The Jimmy Awards.” The winners of Colorado’s Outstanding Actor and Actress awards not only will be invited to attend the Jimmy Awards on June 27 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York, but to participate in a week-long series of intensive classes and workshops with Broadway actors, directors and designers.

Video highlights from the 2015-16 Bobby G Awards ceremony.

Last year’s Bobby G Award winner for Outstanding Actor was Evatt Salinger for Durango High School’s Les Misérables. This year, his younger brother, Curtis Salinger, is nominated in the same category for playing Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde.

Adjudicators, made up of professional working theatre artists in the Denver area, attended the participating schools’ musical theatre productions. Using the standards set by The Bobby G Awards training and criteria, as well as their own professional experience, these adjudicators completed extensive evaluation forms, offering schools detailed feedback on various elements of their musical productions. Participating schools receive each adjudicator’s comments, praise and constructive criticism as a way of recognizing accomplishments and motivating future growth.

With today’s announcement, tickets are now on sale for the 2015-16 Bobby G Awards ceremony, which will include performances by students from across Colorado on the Buell Theatre stage. The evening is an opportunity for the students to commune and mutually support one another’s work. Click here to purchase tickets.

(Story continues after the following list of nominations.)

2015-16 Bobby G Award Finalists: 

 

Outstanding Achievement in Hair and Make-up Design

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Kendall Mesch

Beauty and the Beast

Boulder High School

Austin Sabala

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Marrisa Hadden

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Skylar Arterburn & Owen Nuss

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Averi Davis & Emma Smith

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design

Beauty and the Beast

Boulder High School

Harrison Haggas, Chaney McCulloch, Shelly Cox-Robie & Chris Sweeney

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Jimmy Miller & Katya Zabelski

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

MaryV Benoit & Lara Kirksey

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Jen Bleem, Cindy Sipes & Lauryn Starke

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Molly Merewether, Teri Nydegger, Amy Sares & Denise Wood

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Whitney Larson & Kayli Porterfield

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Yasmin Farsad

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Lenora Gant & Caleb Werkmeister

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Jude Franco & Tanner Friar

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Mallory Hart & Katherine Yates

 

 

Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design

Tarzan

Brighton High School

Jane Archuleta, Nick Dibbern, Phil Lollar & Sammy Perez

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Jack Hagen, Yuuki Hashimoto & Caleb Nghe

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Shailyn Clay, Tyler King, Rebecca Reynolds & Lucas Sanchez

 

 

 

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Westminster High School

Corey Baca, Brandon PT Davis & Andre Rodriguez

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Mallory Hart, Riley Hoffman & Rhys Holton

Outstanding Achievement in Choreography

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Angie Dryer

Tarzan

Brighton High School

Leigh Miller & Lindsey Solano

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Ronni Gallup

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Bailey Friar & Tammy Johnson

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Karen Cassel & Emma Sappey

Outstanding Achievement in Musical Direction

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Chris Maunu & Craig Melhorn

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Michael Bizzaro & Travis Keller

Company

Fort Collins High School

Kaitlin Miles

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Phil Forman, Bryan Kettlewell & Peter Toews

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Brian Cook, Charles Craig & Vicki Duckworth

 

Outstanding Performance by a Chorus

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Tarzan

Brighton High School

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

 

 

Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Beauty and the Beast

Boulder High School

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

 

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Tarzan

Brighton High School

Lauren Rocha

Kala

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Tilly Leeder

Vivienne Kensington

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Senora Robinson

Serena

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway)

Legend High School

Hannah Jones

Gabrielle

Mary Poppins

Valor Christian High School

Elleon Dobias

Miss Andrew

 

 

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Beauty and the Beast

Boulder High School

Marcos Ospina

Lumiere

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Jimmy Bruenger

Hanschen

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Jacob Sadow

Harry the Horse

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Brandon Warren

Nicely-Nicely Johnson

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway)

Legend High School

Michael Mathey

Jean-Michel

Rising Star

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Matti Guillette

Margot

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Jenna Szczech

Pilar

Company

Fort Collins High School

Audrey Smith

Sarah

Mary Poppins

Valor Christian High School

Abby Lehrer

Bird Woman

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

John Kibozi

Levi

 

 

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Sienna Sewell

Sarah Brown

Anything Goes

Glenwood Springs High School

Abbie Cheney

Reno Sweeney

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Savannah Wood

Reno Sweeney

Sweet Charity

Ponderosa High School

Charlotte Movizzo

Charity Hope Valentine

Legally Blonde

Steamboat Springs High School

Keala Fraioli

Elle Woods

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Danny Miller

Jean Valjean

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Garrett Charles

Javert

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Michael Kosko

Moritz

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Curtis Salinger

Emmett Forrest

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Jacob Pearce

Nathan Detroit

Outstanding Achievement in Direction

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Lindsey Welsh

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Jimmy Miller

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Shawn Hann

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Lanny Boyer & Janice Vlachos

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Brian Cook, Annie Dwyer & Tom Mullin

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

 

Special Achievement Award-Winners

Outstanding Special Achievement in

Costumes

Young Frankenstein

D’Evelyn High School

Annie Trumble

Outstanding Special Achievement in Student Direction

The Sound of Music

Niwot High School

Shu Lee & Aurora Vadas-Arendt

Outstanding Special Achievement in Orchestra

Beauty and the Beast

Vista PEAK Preparatory

Tristana Whetten

 

Today’s announcement produced several return nominees, including Danny Miller of Arvada West, who was nominated as Outstanding Actor for his role as Valjean in Les Misérables. In 2014, Miller was nominated in the same category as a sophomore for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera.

Reserve your seat for the May 26 Bobby G Awards celebration!

Other repeaters from 2014-15 include Cherry Creek’s Jim Miller, who’s nominated both for Direction and Costuming How to Succeed…. Last year, Miller won the Costuming award. Karen Cassel, a co-nominee for choreographing Wheat Ridge High School’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, won the award last year for Fairview’s Anything Goes.

Jack Hagen of Cherry Creek High School (How to Succeed …) has now been part of three straight nominations for Scenic Design. Mountain View’s Costuming team of Jen Bleem, Jerri Hartshorn and Cindy Sipes were nominated last year. Among those who have been nominated twice over the past three years are Cherry Creek High School’s Yasmin Farsad (Lighting Design), among others.

Jimmy Miller is nominated for directing and choreographing Cherry Creek High School's 'How to Succeed in Business...'

Jim Miller is nominated for directing and choreographing Cherry Creek High School’s ‘How to Succeed in Business…’ 

Notables from Colorado theatre community:

  • A Michael KoskoLanny Boyer: The University of Northern Colorado grad who appeared in the BDT Stage’s production of The Music Man was co-nominated last year for lighting Anything Goes at Fairview High School. This year, he is a co-nominee for directing Guys & Dolls.
  • Annie Dwyer and Tom Mullin, longtime favorites at the former Heritage Square Music Hall, are among three nominees for Outstanding Direction of Wheat Ridge High School’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Dwyer is a Henry Award-winner who now appears often at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse.
  • Ronni Gallup (who performed in Town Hall’s West Side Story) is nominated for a third straight year in Choreography (Cherry Creek’s How to Succeed…)
  • Michael Kosko, a senior at Denver School of the Arts (pictured right), was nominated as Outstanding Actor for his role as Moritz in Spring Awakening. He recently starred in Miners Alley Playhouse’s Brighton Beach Memoirs and appeared in The Avenue Theater’s Tigers Be Still.
  • Leigh Miller, a graduate of the DCPA’s National Theatre Conservatory and will soon appear in Off-Center’s Sweet & Lucky, is nominated for Brighton High School’s Tarzan
  • BDT Stage veteran Shelly Cox-Robie is part of the Boulder High School team nominated for Outstanding Costume Design for Boulder High School’s Beauty and the Beast.

2015 Bobby G Awards Ceremony

Photos from the 2015 Bobby G Awards ceremony.


Selected recent NewsCenter coverage of the Bobby G Awards:

Bobby G Awards a triumph for Durango High School
Video: Outstanding Actor Nominee Performances
Video: Bobby G Award winners sing National Anthem at Rockies game
Video: The Acceptance Speeches
Video: A look at Durango’s Outstanding Musical, Les Misérables
Photos: The 2015 Bobby G Awards. (Download for free)
Andre’ Rodriguez’s stirring Bobby G Awards speech
Video: See how we introduced all 30 participating schools
Video: Page to Stage highlights with Bobby G Awards winners
Meet your Bobby G Awards nominees, in their own words
Video: Coloradans on Broadway to high-schoolers: ‘Be relentlessly yourself’
2014-15 Bobby G Awards: Complete list of nominations 

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