Southwest High School and Hennepin Theatre Trust Announce
New Spring 2011 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program Honors
Honored Students will be featured in the June 6 SpotLight Showcase
MINNEAPOLIS - Southwest High School and Hennepin Theatre Trust today announced the new spring 2011 honorees from Minnesota high schools recognizing theatre accomplishments by school and category for the 2010-11 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program. Now in its sixth successful year, SpotLight is a Hennepin Theatre Trust initiative which supports high schools that present musical theatre—from classics including Singin in the Rain to Disney’s Camp Rock. The SpotLight honors recognize achievements by students and schools in categories including performance, production and community engagement. This year a record number of schools is participating, from across the Twin Cities' metro area and, new in 2010, into greater Minnesota. Collectively, these high school musicals are made possible by the collaboration of almost 4,000 students and are seen annually by an estimated 100,000 audience members.
Southwest High School presented Les Miserables in March and for its achievements is receiving the following honors:
Overall Outstanding Production
Overall Outstanding Performance
Ben Tracy as Marius Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role
Carter Bellaimey as Jean Valjean Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role
Jenny LeDoux as Cosette Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role
Sarah Shelley as Fantine Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role
Tyus Beeson as Javert Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role
Anna Kay as Madame Thenardier Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role
Louis Umbarger as Thenardier Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role
Francesca Dawis as Eponine Honorable Mention Performance in a Leading Role
Joshua Kirk as Gavroche Honorable Mention Performance in a Supporting Role
Kristian Lee as Enjolras Honorable Mention Performance in a Supporting Role
Current honorees from high schools who presented musicals in Spring 2011 are from:
Alexandria/Jefferson Senior High School, Andover High School, Benilde-St. Margaret's School, Blaine High School, Blake School, Calvin Christian High School, Champlin Park High School, Columbia Heights High School, Concordia Academy, Cretin-Derham Hall, Eastview High School, Hill-Murray School, Lakeville South High School, Main Street School of Performing Arts, Park High School, Richfield High School, Rogers High School, South St. Paul Secondary School, Southwest High School, St. Francis High School and Washburn High School. A comprehensive list of school participants is included at the end of this press release and a complete list of the Spring and Fall 2010-11 honorees by school and category is available by request and online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org/spotlight.
Southwest High School and its musical theatre students will also be featured at SpotLight’s culminating event, the sixth annual SpotLight Showcase set for 7 p.m., Monday, June 6, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre. This professionally produced gala evening celebrates and honors high school musical theatre accomplishments, including those cited here, by featuring dynamic student performances mixed with awards presentations. This year nearly 1000 students will be performing. In addition, the names of two students selected to represent Minnesota at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York will be announced that night. Tickets, available for only $15, are on sale now in person at the State Theatre Box Office, by calling 1.800.982.2787 and through HennepinTheatreTrust.org. VIP ticket packages including additional restaurant tours, programming and gift offers are also available online.
Linda Eder, the SpotLight spokesperson, Broadway actress and Drama Desk-winning vocalist who will help host this year’s Showcase, commented, “When I was a student at Brainerd High School, participating in musical theatre and choir helped define my life and provided vital skills for a successful and fulfilling career in the arts. I look forward to joining Hennepin Theatre Trust in celebrating these amazingly talented young students at the SpotLight Showcase.”
Hennepin Theatre Trust, owner of the historic State, Orpheum and Pantages Theatres, is a non-profit organization devoted to enriching the vibrant cultural atmosphere of the Twin Cities. The Trust established the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program after recognizing that none existed in Minnesota to honor excellence in high school musical theatre.
SpotLight is much more than an honors program. SpotLight’s benefits include the opportunity to work year-round with theatre educators and musical theatre professionals who offer training, insight through critical feedback, on-site school workshops and a collaborative conference. A group of evaluators is retained by the Trust to assess each production with constructive written commentary and nominate honorees. Categories include outstanding performance in leading, supporting and featured roles, outstanding performance by a chorus, dance ensemble and student orchestra, outstanding overall performance of a musical and outstanding overall production of a musical. Shows are not compared or ranked against each other, so categories may have multiple honorees. Schools annually apply to participate and pay a nominal administration fee.
New in 2010-2011 is the SpotLight Distance Learning Initiative which allows schools from greater Minnesota to easily participate through live video classes. These seven schools are located in Alexandria, Bemidji, Glencoe-Silver Lake, Melrose, Moorhead, Rochester and Winona.
School Participants in the 2010-11 SpotLight Program
Andover High School: Into the Woods
Bemidji High School: Footloose
Blaine High School: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
The Blake School (Minneapolis): Little Shop of Horrors
Calvin Christian High School (Fridley): Les MÃserables
Centennial High School (Circle Pines): How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Champlin Park High School: Singing in the Rain
Chanhassen High School: Crazy For You
Chaska High School: Grease
Columbia Heights High School: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Concordia Academy (Roseville): Fiddler on the Roof
Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul): The Pajama Game
Eagan High School: Hairspray
East Ridge High School (Woodbury): Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Eastview High School (Eagan): Thoroughly Modern Millie
Edina High School: Anything Goes
Forest Lake High School: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Fridley Senior High School: Once Upon a Mattress
Glencoe-Silver Lake High School: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Hill Murray School (Maplewood): Disney’s Camp Rock
Irondale High School (New Brighton): Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Jefferson Senior High School (Alexandria): Grease
Lakeville North High School: Thoroughly Modern Millie
- more -
Hennepin Theatre Trust’s 2010-11 SpotLight Spring Honors, p. 3
Lakeville South High School: Bye Bye Birdie
Main Street School of Performing Arts (Hopkins): Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
Maple Grove Senior High: Aida
Mayo High School (Rochester): Disney’s High School Musical
Melrose Area High School: Footloose
Minnetonka High School: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Moorhead High School: The Who’s Tommy: A Rock Opera
Mound Westonka High School: The Spitfire Grill
Park High School (Cottage Grove): Bye Bye Birdie
Richfield Senior High School: Grease
Rogers High School: Godspell
Roseville Area High School: Zombie Prom
Shakopee High School: Oklahoma!
Southwest High School (Minneapolis): Les MÃserables
South St. Paul Secondary School: The Apple Tree
St. Francis High School: Into the Woods
Tartan Senior High School: Little Shop of Horrors
Thomas Jefferson High School (Bloomington): Oklahoma!
Totino-Grace High School (Fridley): The Wizard of Oz
Visitation and St. Thomas Academy (Mendota Heights): Damn Yankees
Washburn High School (Minneapolis): Seussical the Musical
Wayzata High School: Hello Dolly!
White Bear Lake Area High School: West Side Story
Winona Senior High School: The Drowsy Chaperone
Educators who wish to participate in the 2011-12 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program should contact Melissa Koch, Director of Education and Community Engagement, at 612.373.5696 or through email at melissa.koch@hennepintheatretrust.org. The application deadline will be October 1, 2011. SpotLight is made possible by private donations and corporate contributions. If you wish to support this program, additional information about it and sponsorship opportunities is available at www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org/SpotLight.
Southwest High School is an International Baccalaureate World School that works to serve the needs of all students with particular emphasis on preparing students for college. Ninety-Two percent of the class of 2011 will attend post-secondary education. The Washington Post recognized the excellence of Southwest by naming it the top public high school in Minnesota.
HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST, owner of the historic State, Orpheum and Pantages Theatres, is a non-profit organization devoted to enriching the vibrant cultural atmosphere of the Twin Cities. The Trust’s activities include Broadway touring productions, the related Broadway Confidential series, SpotLight Musical Theatre Program for high schools, Critical View student reviewer program, Teen Ushers, the Access Program and Kids’ Night. For more information, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment