Rockwall, Rowlett students among nominees for 9th Annual Dallas Summer Musicals High School Musical Theatre Awards

Dallas Summer Musicals (DSM) is pleased to announce the 2020 nominees for the 9th Annual DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards (HSMTA). The awards ceremony, which traditionally takes place live at the Music Hall at Fair Park, will be presented virtually on May 14, 2020. As a result of the current ban on social gatherings, this year’s ceremony will take on a new and exciting digital format. All awards will be announced in a video presentation featuring engaging performances, virtual acceptance speeches, and cameos from top Broadway talent.

Patterned after Broadway’s Tony Awards®, the DSM HSMTA celebrate the power of the arts and its ability to significantly improve all areas of education. The annual DSM HSMTA recognizes artistic and educational achievements of North Texas students and their high school programs. A total of 72 performances from 68 participating high schools were evaluated by a by a diverse group of highly qualified judges from the North Texas theater community.

“It is so important, more now than ever, to show our unity a community by celebrating the hard work, dedication, and incredible talent of these students and teachers in theater programs across North Texas,” says Ken Novice, president of Dallas Summer Musicals. “We are so proud of all the 2020 DSM HSMTA participants and congratulations to this year’s nominees!”

Awards will be presented in 15 categories and scholarships are awarded to outstanding graduating seniors who are nominated by their teachers and selected by the DSM scholarship panel. Through funds raised by private donations, DSM HSMTA will award $55,000 in cash scholarships to continue to foster the great talent North Texas has to offer. To date, DSM HSMTA College Scholarship program has awarded $300,000 in cash scholarships to deserving students.

All nominees, participating high schools and their shows are listed at DSMHSMTA.org. Winners will be announced at a virtual DSM HSMTA awards ceremony on Thursday, May 14, 2020. A link to view the presentation will be posted at DSMHSMTA.org and on DSM’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

2020 DSM HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS NOMINEES
The nominees include (in alphabetical order by school):

Best Musical
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – Bring It On
Forney High School – Seussical
Guyer High School – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
JJ Pearce High School – Newsies
Northwest High School – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Plano East Senior High School – Bring It On
Plano Senior High School – Chicago: High School Edition
Waxahachie High School – Big Fish

Best Direction
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – Bring It On
Everman High School – Once On This Island
Forney High School – Seussical
Fort Worth Country Day School – The Drowsy Chaperone
Grapevine Faith Christian School – The Music Man
Guyer High School – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Plano East High School – Bring It On
Waxahachie High School – Big Fish

Best Choreography
Everman High School – Once On This Island
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Guyer High School – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Mabank High School – James and the Giant Peach
North Forney High School – Sweeney Todd
Northwest High School – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Plano East Senior High School – Bring It On
Plano Senior High School – Chicago: High School Edition

Best Music Direction
Aledo High School – Into the Woods
Byron Nelson High School – Beauty and the Beast
Frenship High School – Mamma Mia
Guyer High School – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
JJ Pearce High School – Hairspray
Plano East Senior High School – Bring It On
Plano Senior High School – Chicago: High School Edition
Waxahachie High School – Big Fish

Best Orchestra
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – Bring It On
Byron Nelson High School – Beauty and the Beast
Carroll Senior High School – Amelie
Lebanon Trail High School – Chicago: High School Edition
Mansfield High School – The Little Mermaid
Richardson High School – Urinetown
Wakeland High School – Once Upon a Mattress
Waxahachie High School – Big Fish

Best Scenic Design
Mabank High School – James and the Giant Peach
Melissa High School – Urinetown North Lamar High School – Matilda Richardson High School – Urinetown
Rowlett High School – Catch Me If You Can Southwest Christian School – Evita Waxahachie High School – Big Fish Weatherford High School – Matilda

Best Costume Design
All Saints’ Episcopal School – Mamma Mia
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – Bring It On
Forney High School – Seussical
Fort Worth Country Day School – The Drowsy Chaperone
Mansfield High School – The Little Mermaid Southwest Christian School – Evita Waxahachie High School – Big Fish
Wylie East High School – The Wiz

Best Lighting Design
Guyer High School – Little Women
JJ Pearce High School – Newsies
Northwest High School – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Plano East Senior High School – Bring It On
Plano Senior High School – Chicago: High School Edition Robert E. Lee High School – Chicago: High School Edition Southwest Christian School – Evita
Wylie East High School – The Wiz

Best Stage Crew & Technical Execution
All Saints’ Episcopal School – Mamma Mia Guyer High School – Little Women
JJ Pearce High School – Newsies
Melissa High School – Urinetown
Nolan Catholic High School – The Music Man Plano East Senior High School – Bring It On Southwest Christian School – Evita Waxahachie High School – Big Fish

Best Ensemble
A&M Consolidated High School – Footloose
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – Bring It On
Everman High School – Once On This Island
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts – Guys & Dolls
Guyer High School – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
JJ Pearce High School – Newsies
North Forney High School – Sweeney Todd
Plano East Senior High School – Bring It On

Best Leading Actor
A&M Consolidated High School – Footloose – Beau Cochran Grapevine Faith Christian School – The Music Man – Ethan Swaney
Guyer High School – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder – Parker Jackson Guyer High School – Elf – Travis Barton
JJ Pearce High School – Hairspray – Christian Walters
North Forney High School – Sweeney Todd – William Aceytuno North Lamar High School – Matilda – Sean Gist
Rowlett High School – Catch Me If You Can – Caleb Howard Southwest Christian School – Evita – Ellis Stumbo Waxahachie High School – Big Fish – Ben Barker

Best Leading Actress
Carroll Senior High School – Amelie – Michelle D’Amico Forney High School – Seussical – Brooke Tharp
Fort Worth Country Day School – The Drowsy Chaperone – Claire Guthrie Guyer High School – Little Women – Haley Dortch
JJ Pearce High School – Newsies – Abbi Stephenson McKinney High School – Into the Woods – Isha Lal North Lamar High School – Matilda – Reyna Hildreth
Robert E. Lee High School – Chicago: High School Edition – Lizzy Tucker Wakeland High School – Once Upon a Mattress – Piper Mackie
Wylie High School – Shrek – Anna Claire Boone

Best Supporting Actor
Grand Prairie High School – Shrek – Zion Maxwell
Grapevine Faith Christian School – The Music Man – Peyton Bruce
Lebanon Trail High School – Chicago: High School Edition – Brandon Thomas Mabank High School – James and the Giant Peach – Gage Hardin
Mansfield High School – The Little Mermaid – Gabriel Hill Melissa High School – Urinetown – Thaddeus Baker
Northwest High School – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas – Joshua Sneed Ovation Academy for the Performing Arts – Chaplin – Corbin Ross

Best Supporting Actress
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts – Bring It On – Kathryn Hine Grapevine Faith Christian School – The Music Man – Miley Harris
Guyer High School – A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder – Grace Duncan Guyer High School – Elf- Kiersten Farris
Highland Park High School – The Phantom of the Opera – Christine Schlehuber Northwest High School – Irving Berlin’s White Christmas – Audrey Burnett Plano East High School – Bring It On – Klarke Pipkin
Wakeland High School – Once Upon a Mattress – Leah Zalenski

Best Featured Performer
Bishop Lynch High School – The Drowsy Chaperone – Lorenzo Curran Duncanville High School – Cinderella: Enchanted Edition – Alexis Walker Frenship High School – Mamma Mia – Gannon Duffy
Haltom High School – Mamma Mia – Val Parker Kaufman High School – Matilda – Elaine Frosch
Rockwall High School – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Omar Hazaimeh Rowlett High School – Catch Me If You Can – Nick Butcher
Southwest Christian School – Evita – Abbie McCurdy

Submitted press release by Dallas Summer Musicals.

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