Grandview High School leads way with nine nominations; Previous winner Charlotte Movizzo will host May 23 ceremony

Finalists for the seventh annual Bobby G Awards were announced today by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The Bobby G’s are the Colorado regional-awards program for the larger The Jimmy® Awards/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards™ (NHSMTA).

2017-18 Outstanding Leading Actors Abby Lehrer and Elisha Horne. Photo by Emily Lozow.

The Bobby G Awards honor outstanding achievements by Colorado students and educators in the areas of performance, design, direction, choreography, orchestration, technical production and overall production excellence. The evening is an opportunity for students from all over Colorado to commune and mutually support one another’s work.

This year, adjudicators considered musical productions from 45 participating schools, of which 20 took part in workshops hosted by DCPA Teaching Artists.

“This year we had more than 4,100 students participate,” said DCPA Education Program Manager Claudia Carson. “In all, 28 schools from 12 Colorado counties received at least one nomination, and more than 850 students participated in our workshops.”

The awards ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 23, in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The program will include performances from the shows nominated for Outstanding Overall Production, and a medley featuring the nominees for Outstanding Performance by an Actor or Actress in a Leading Role. The evening’s host will be Charlotte Movizzo, who was named Outstanding Leading Actress in 2015-16.

Topping today’s list of nominees is Grandview High School with nine nominations for its staging of Hairspray, including Outstanding Musical. Joining them in that category are Castle View’s MAMMA MIA!, Chaparral’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Rock Canyon’s Newsies and Valor Christian’s Thoroughly Modern Millie. None of those five schools was nominated in the Outstanding Musical category last year. Castle View followed Grandview with seven nominations and Valor Christian was next with six.

Four years ago, Edwin Harris was performing in the Denver Center’s ‘A Christmas Carol.’ Now he’s nominated as Outstanding Leading Actor by the Bobby G Awards. Photo by John Moore.

The winners of Colorado’s Outstanding Leading Actor and Actress awards not only will be invited to attend the 11th annual Jimmy Awards  in June at the Minskoff Theatre in New York, but to participate in a week-long series of intensive classes and workshops with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only talent showcase on Broadway. The national awards ceremony, which is presented by The Broadway League Foundation, will be hosted by Tony Award winner Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen) on Monday, June 24. The NHSMTA program impacts more than 100,000 students throughout the United States. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $2 million in educational scholarships.

Today’s announcement produced several nominees of note, including Outstanding Leading Actor hopeful Edwin Harris for his portrayal of Seaweed in Grandview High School’s Hairspray. Harris performed in three seasonal stagings of the DCPA Theatre Company’s A Christmas Carol from 2013-15.

Joseph Robinson, who won the 2017 Rising Star Award as outstanding underclassman for playing Dewhurst in The Scarlet Pimpernel for Chaparral High School, is nominated this year as a leading actor for his work as Freddy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Likewise, Regis Jesuit High School’s Ellie Hill, who was nominated alongside Robinson in 2017 for playing La Fou in Beauty and the Beast, is nominated this year as an outstanding supporting actress for playing Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act.

Joshua Cellar and Abby Linderman, nominated as leading actor and actress for playing Jimmy Smith and Millie Dillmount in Valor Christian High School’s Thoroughly Modern Millie, are both listed as among the show’s four co-choreographers, earning second nominations for each.

Castle View High School has several return nominees. Director Rob Scott, who won for Scenic Design last year, is nominated again for MAMMA MIA!, with Rose Goolsby. And the Musical Direction team of Jay McGuffin, Heath Walter and Rochelle Walter are nominated again for the same show.

For an idea of what titles are most popular at local high schools right now, consider that among this year’s participating schools, four performed Shrek The Musical, and three presented The Little Mermaid and the school edition of Chicago.

This year’s field includes six first-time schools, two of them from Grand Junction: Grand Junction High School and Central High School. The others are SkyView Academy (Highlands Ranch), Eagle Ridge Academy (Brighton), Highlands Ranch High School and Northglenn High School.

2018-19 Bobby G Awards Finalists:

Outstanding Achievement in Hair and Make-Up Design

Britney Juarez
The Little Mermaid
Fort Collins High School

Mackenzie Johnson and Brianna Lindahl
Hairspray
Grandview High School

Amethyst Kellogg
The Addams Family
Ponderosa High School

Kari Armstrong and Elizabeth Vandermeer
James and the Giant Peach
Poudre High School

Charlotte Keys, Kassie Spring and Mackenzie Talley
Big Fish
Ralston Valley High School

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
Maggie Bennink and Alejandra Floripe
Les Misérables
Boulder High School

Sarah Husson and Laura Stone-Majetic
The Addams Family
Broomfield High School

Kayla Blair, Katelynn Brusco and Julie Snow
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Chaparral High School

Keanan Bell, Tammy Giradot, Ariana Griffiths, Julia Novy and Sequoyah Recio
MAMMA MIA!
Glenwood Springs High School

Elle Armstrong, Kari Armstrong, Ranier Kahl and Alida Kress
James and the Giant Peach
Poudre High School

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
Chad Hawthorne
Chicago (High School Edition)
Discovery Canyon Campus

Nate Cheney and Jacob Larson
Once on This Island
Eaglecrest High School

Matthew Pappas
The Little Mermaid
Fort Collins High School

Katelyn Brennan, Julian Ingle-Lewis, Matt Jensson and Alexander Tucker
MAMMA MIA!
Glenwood Springs High School

Greyson Nicholson
The Sound of Music
Legend High School

Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design
Louis King and Ely Scheeres
Les Misérables
Boulder High School

Rose Goolsby and Rob Scott
MAMMA MIA!
Castle View High School

Astra Megyesi
Chicago (High School Edition)
George Washington High School

Sunjoi Gandhi, Colin McCormick, Bailey McCoy and Amanda Penke
The Sound of Music
Legend High School

Riley Downing, Bob Frisch, Cindy Porter and Edward Steketee
Shrek The Musical
Loveland High School

Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra
MAMMA MIA!
Castle View High School

Shrek The Musical
Denver School of the Arts

Rock of Ages (High School Edition)
Erie High School

Chicago (High School Edition)
George Washington High School

Catch Me If You Can
Palmer Ridge High School

Outstanding Achievement in Musical Direction
Mary Bateman and Beau Bryson
Les Misérables
Boulder High School

Jay McGuffin, Heath Walter and Rochelle Walter
MAMMA MIA!
Castle View High School

Darin Drown, Keith Farmer and Mindi Loewen
Hairspray
Grandview High School

Paul Ijames and Kurt Stroman
The Sound of Music
Legend High School

Nathan Johnson, Marty Magenee, Rick Paswaters and Jenny Timmons
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Valor Christian High School

Outstanding Performance by a Chorus
Monty Python’s Spamalot (School Edition)
Heritage High School

Shrek The Musical
Loveland High School

Chicago (High School Edition)
North High School/Strive Prep Excel

Sister Act
Regis Jesuit High School

Big Fish
Ralston Valley High School

Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
Sabrina Gentry
MAMMA MIA!
Castle View High School

Claire Dicke
Chicago (High School Edition)
Discovery Canyon Campus

Joe De Mers and Brianna Lindahl
Hairspray
Grandview High School

Mindy Marcus
Newsies
Rock Canyon High School

Joshua Cellar, Jamie Geary, Abby Linderman and Caroline Younger
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Valor Christian High School

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Jacob Cheney
Bill
MAMMA MIA!
Glenwood Springs High School

Jake Rogers
Wilbur Turnblad
Hairspray
Grandview High School

Cole Mahlmeister
French Taunter, Tim the Enchanter, Prince Herbert’s Father
Monty Python’s Spamalot (School Edition)
Heritage High School

Landin Taylor
Marcellus Washburn
The Music Man
Montezuma-Cortez High School

Gabriel Ureño
Mereb
Aida
Vista PEAK Preparatory

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Molly Hancock
Rosie
MAMMA MIA!
Glenwood Springs High School

Kaori Hardison
Penny Pingleton
Hairspray
Grandview High School

Corina Hedahl
Dragon
Shrek The Musical
Loveland High School

Colleen Swift
Jenny Hill
Big Fish
Ralston Valley High School

Ellie Hill
Sister Mary Patrick
Sister Act
Regis Jesuit High School

Rising Star (Outstanding Underclassman)
Spencer Neuman
Gavroche
Les Misérables
Boulder High School

Logan Schreck
Pepper
MAMMA MIA!
Castle View High School

Avi Levin
Pinocchio
Shrek The Musical
Denver School of the Arts

Katt Newsom
Louisa Von Trapp
The Sound of Music
Legend High School

Gatlin Zbylski
Chef Louis
The Little Mermaid
ThunderRidge High School

Outstanding Achievement in Direction
Rochelle Walter and Wesley Ferguson
MAMMA MIA!
Castle View High School

David Peterson and Kristine Smiley
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Chaparral High School

Brianna Lindahl
Hairspray
Grandview High School

Talia Liccardello
Little Women
Littleton High School

Cindy Baker
Newsies
Rock Canyon High School

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Chipo Muchineripi
Motormouth Maybelle
Hairspray
Grandview High School

Bella Hathorne
Jo March
Little Women
Littleton High School

Briseida Cisneros Castaneda
Aida
Aida
Vista PEAK Preparatory

Olivia LaMee
Ariel
The Little Mermaid
ThunderRidge High School

Abby Linderman
Millie Dillmount
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Valor Christian High School

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Joseph Robinson
Freddy
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Chaparral High School

Edwin Harris
Seaweed J. Stubbs
Hairspray
Grandview High School

Curtis Lemieux
Crutchie
Newsies
Rock Canyon High School

Joshua Cellar
Jimmy Smith
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Valor Christian High School

Kyler Hershman
Trevor Grayden
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Valor Christian High School

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
MAMMA MIA!
Castle View High School

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Chaparral High School

Hairspray
Grandview High School

Newsies
Rock Canyon High School

Thoroughly Modern Millie
Valor Christian High School

2018 Outstanding Special Achievement Award Winners:

In addition to the above nominations, this year’s three Special Achievement winners also were announced today:

Outstanding Special Achievement in Student Leadership
Kelsey Renee Hurt
The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Central High School

Outstanding Special Achievement in Design Process
Jason Tyler and the Tower Theater Program
The Little Mermaid
Fort Collins High School

Outstanding Special Achievement in Props Management and Design
Olivia Martinez
Aida
Vista PEAK Preparatory

Bobby G Awards: 2018-19 Participating Schools

(with number of nominations in parentheses):

• Boulder High School, Les Misérables (4)
• Brighton High School, Guys and Dolls
• Broomfield High School, The Addams Family (1)
• Castle View High School, MAMMA MIA! (7)
• Central High School, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (1)
• Conifer High School, Little Shop of Horrors
• Chaparral High School, Dirty Rotten Scroundrels (4)
• Denver School of the Arts, Shrek The Musical (2)
• Discovery Canyon Campus High School, Chicago (High School Edition) (2)
• Durango High School, 9 to 5
• Eaglecrest High School, Once on This Island (1)
• Eagle Ridge Academy, Into the Woods
• Erie High School, Rock of Ages (High School Edition) (1)
• Fort Collins High School, The Little Mermaid (3)
• Fossil Ridge High School, Rent
• George Washington High School, Chicago (High School Edition) (2)
• Glenwood Springs High School, MAMMA MIA! (4)
• Grand Junction High School, Into The Woods
• Grandview High School, Hairspray (9)
• Greeley West High School, Shrek The Musical
• Heritage High School, Monty Python’s Spamalot (School Edition) (2)
• Highlands Ranch High School, The Little Mermaid
• Lakewood High School, Big Fish
• Legend High School, The Sound of Music (4)
• Lewis-Palmer High School, Beauty and the Beast
• Liberty High School, Godspell
• Littleton High School, Little Women (2)
• Loveland High School, Shrek The Musical (4)
• Lutheran High School, Beauty and the Beast
• Montezuma-Cortez High School, The Music Man (1)
• North High School and STRIVE Prep Excel Academy, Chicago (High School Edition) (1)
• Northglenn High School, Curtains
• Palmer Ridge High School, Catch Me If You Can (1)
• Pomona High School, Shrek The Musical
• Ponderosa High School, The Addams Family (1)
• Poudre High School, James and the Giant Peach (2)
• Ralston Valley High School, Big Fish (3)
• Regis Jesuit High School, Sister Act (2)
• Resurrection Christian School, Bye Bye Birdie
• Rock Canyon High School, Newsies (4)
• SkyView Academy, The Drowsy Chaperone
• ThunderRidge High School, The Little Mermaid (2)
• Valor Christian High School, Thoroughly Modern Millie (6)
• Vista PEAK Preparatory, Aida (3)
• Westminster High School, Rock of Ages (High School Edition)

A note on the Bobby G Awards

Adjudicators made up of professional working theatre artists attended the participating high 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 complete extensive evaluation forms offering detailed feedback on all of the various elements involved with staging a musical production. Participating schools receive a copy of the forms complete with each adjudicator’s comments, praise, and constructive criticism designed to motivate growth and recognize success. These evaluations serve as a foundation for the nominations.