2021 Blue Star Awards Winners Honored At Starlight Theatre on May 20
Starlight recently welcomed area high school students back into the theatre for the first time since 2019 for the 19th annual Blue Star Awards Ceremony. The much anticipated event was a year of many firsts.
Starlight granted more than $10,000 in scholarships - the most ever awarded in the program - and introduced a new category, the Dream Production Award.
For the 2020-21 Blue Star Awards, Starlight made adjustments to highlight broader work of schools and students, with the opportunity to submit materials in seven categories. Categories ranged from areas of performance, technical achievement and theatre program support. More than 90 students involved in musical theatre received nominations. The Blue Star Awards are modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards®.
This year’s winners include Millie Bell of Olathe East High School - the first ever recipient of the Dream Production Award, which highlights the creativity of students working in the areas of design, direction and choreography. Elaine Watson and Nadia Higareda each received a Rising Star Scholarship and Justin Cooley took home the Blue Star Award for Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role with Ava Wolesky receiving the award for Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role.
The 2021 Blue Star Awards are sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and CommunityAmerica Credit Union.
For information regarding all of Starlight’s community engagement programs, visit kcstarlight.com/engage.
2020-2021 Blue Star Awards Winners
Dream Production Award
Millie Bell for Choreography
Olathe East High School
Rising Star Scholarship
Elaine Watson
Lee's Summit North High School
Rising Star Scholarship
Nadia Higareda
Liberty North High School
Community Impact Award
Winnetonka High School
Technical Achievement Award
Breanna Kristian for Stage Management and Properties Design
Olathe East High School
Technical Achievement Award
Grant Martin for Costume Design
Olathe East High School
Technical Achievement Award
Nathan Caskey for Lighting Design and Scenic Construction
Raymore-Peculiar High School
Performance Scholarship
Darcie Hingula
St. Teresa’s Academy
Performance Scholarship
Elaine Watson
Lee’s Summit North High School
Performance Scholarship
Emily Clark
Platte County High School
Performance Scholarship
Maddy Terril
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
Performance Scholarship
Madelynn Darst
Platte County High School
Performance Scholarship
Sydney Nicks
Olathe East High School
Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
Justin Cooley as Dmitry – Olathe East – Anastasia
Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role
Ava Wolesky as Esmeralda – Liberty North – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Starlight congratulates all of our 2020-21 honorees, as well as the many other talented students and schools nominated for Blue Star Awards!