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2015-16 Bobby G Awards Finalists are announced
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.
Three 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.
(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.
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.
Notables from Colorado theatre community:
- Lanny 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.
Photo from the 2015 Bobby G Awards ceremony.
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