West Forsyth, Paideia take top honors in Shuler Hensley musicals awards
West Forsyth High School came away with four prizes and the Paideia School three Tuesday night at the Shuler Hensley Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre.
But the real winner overall at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, filled to its 2,750-seat capacity, was musicals, for which there's an apparently unending enthusiasm at metro high schools. Forty-one schools from 12 metro counties, representing 14 school districts as well as private schools, competed in the third annual ceremony.
The winners ...
- Overall production: West Forsyth High School for "Oklahoma!"
- Leading actor: Mitchell Jones, West Forsyth High School, as Curly in "Oklahoma!"
- Leading actress: Jamie Harwood, the Lovett School, as Marian Paroo in "The Music Man."
- Supporting actor: Dillon Roseen,Starr's Mill High School, as Link Larkin in "Hairspray."
- Supporting actress: Alex Waldon,the Paideia School, as Eponine in "Les Misérables."
- Featured performer: Jeremy Shaffer, the Paideia School, for "Les Misérables."
- Ensemble: West Forsyth High School, "Oklahoma!"
- Direction: Eric Gray, West Forsyth High School, for "Oklahoma!"
- Choreography: Cindy Mora, Pebblebrook High School, for "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."
- Costume design: Jane Price Harmon, the Paideia School, for "Les Misérables."
- Lighting design: Simeon Jones, Milton High School, for "Hairspray."
- Music direction: LenaeRose, Salem High School, for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
- Orchestra: North Cobb Christian School (Audra Boyd and Carrie Anderson), "Disney's Beauty and the Beast."
- Scenic design: Paul McClain, Northview High School, for "Into the Woods."
- Stage crew and technical execution: Milton High School (Renee Denney), "Hairspray."
As part of their honors, leading actor Jones and leading actress Harwood will participate in New York's third annual National High School Musical Theater Awards in June, competing with young performers from across the country for the coveted Jimmy acting awards, scholarships and professional opportunities on Broadway.
Hensley, the Marietta-raised Broadway star for whom the honors are named, had his biggest role yet in the ceremony, at different times and depending on the number about to be performed, modeling a beehive hairdo, donning an Elvis wig and waving a parasol.
The Hensley Awards, an initiative of Cobb Energy's Artsbridgeeducation program, were hosted by newscasters Jovita Moore and Fred Blankenship of WSB-TV, which taped Tuesday's ceremony for later airing.
In addition to the 15 Hensley Awards, the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation presented two scholarships: the Morrell Memorial Scholarship to Sarah Davenport of Buford High School; and the Doris Corrie Russell Scholarship for Dance to Aliysa Shareef, Carver School of the Arts. The Broadway Dreams Foundation presented two scholarships: the Summer Intensive Program to Taylor Justin Hall, Gainesville High School; and the Technical Scholarship to Colby Higgins, Milton High School. The Jerid Morisco Music Education Scholarship went to Ginny Nicholson, Whitewater High School. The Scenic Design Grant, provided by the Jubilee Cultural Arts Alliance, was awarded to Salem High School.
