Winners Announced for the Eighth Annual Bobby G Awards

The Lead Actor and Actress nominees pose for a photo with John Ekeberg

The Lead Actor and Actress Nominees with DCPA Executive Broadway Director, John Ekeberg. Photo by McLeod9 Creative.

The Bobby G Awards took place May 26 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. After walking a red carpet for interviews and photo ops, over a thousand students and educators were joined by family and friends at the ceremony. The event was hosted by Abigail Brooks, 2018 Outstanding Lead Actress winner and most recently seen on the 20th season of American Idol. Performances by the five nominated Overall Production schools took place throughout the evening as well as a medley sung by the ten nominated Lead Actors and Actresses. 

The Bobby G Awards is a regional high school musical theatre program that participates in The Jimmy Awards® and honors Colorado students and educators in the areas of performance, design, direction, choreography, musical direction, orchestration, technical production, and overall production excellence. The evening serves as an opportunity for the DCPA to honor Colorado musical theatre educators and the programs and for Colorado students to celebrate and support each other. 

Historically, the winners of the Bobby G Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress awards represent Colorado in a week-long series of intensive workshops with industry professionals and rehearsals in preparation for a one-night-only Jimmy Awards® on Broadway. The Jimmy Awards® will return to an in-person event for the first time in two years and will take place at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City on June 27, 2022. 

After topping the nominations list in seven categories, Overland High School left the evening with three awards, including Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design, Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical, and Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role by Madison Manning. The Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role award went to Thomas Beeker from Frederick High School, a school that had not previously participated in the Bobby G’s. 

Pueblo County High School also took home three awards, including Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra, Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design, and Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role by Christopher Ryan. An unprecedented tie took place for the Supporting Actor winners, as Kai Symons was also awarded in the category from Palisade High School. 

While Madison is honored to receive the Lead Actress award, she is not able to attend The Jimmy Awards®. Madison will be representing Colorado in the National Finals for the Distinguished Young Women Scholarship, which has conflicting timing with The Jimmy Awards®. She won the scholarship’s regionals last year and she committed to the National Finals before she was nominated for The Bobby G Awards. Ella Plourde, the nominee from Valor Christian High School, will attend The Jimmy Awards in Madison’s place.

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical

Sister Act, Overland High School

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 

Thomas Beeker, Harold Hill in The Music Man, Frederick High School 

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 

Madison Manning, Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act, Overland High School 

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 

Kai Symons, Charlie Davenport in Annie Get Your Gun, Palisade High School 

Christopher Ryan, Josh/Motorwise Guy in Zombie Prom, Pueblo County High School 

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 

Ava Hillbrand, Torrey in Freaky Friday, Glenwood Springs High School 

Outstanding Performance by a Chorus 

The Addams Family, Arvada West High School 

Rising Star 

Addison Cain, Alice Beineke in The Addams Family, Central High School 

Outstanding Achievement in Choreography 

Christy Inama, Georgia Lawrence and Riana McHugh, Once Upon a Mattress, Palmer Ridge High School 

Outstanding Achievement in Direction 

Talia Liccardello and Audrey DeMoulin, Into the Woods, Littleton High School 

Outstanding Achievement in Hair and Make-Up Design 

Kaylie Bookout, Josie Lessig and Jessica Nelson, The Little Mermaid, Faith Christian Academy 

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design 

Kylie Good and Virgil Lindt, Zombie Prom, Pueblo County High School 

Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra 

Zombie Prom, Pueblo County High School 

Outstanding Achievement in Musical Direction 

Erin Pettitt, A Chorus Line, Denver School of the Arts 

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design 

Jennifer Barclay, Jolene Brumm and Taryn Mitchell, Beauty and the Beast, Elizabeth High School 

Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design 

Ian Bild and Sara Sachs, Sister Act, Overland High School 

Special Achievement Awards 

Special Achievement in Sound Lead: Kelly Whitehead, MAMMA MIA!, Brighton High School 

Special Achievement in Creating a Theatre Culture of Inclusivity: Jennifer Bryner, Chicago, Broomfield High School 

Special Achievement in Costume Lead: Isabel Anderson, Annie, Fort Collins High School