2023 Blue Star Awards Nominations
Each year, thousands of high school students across the Kansas City metro wait in anticipation for the announcement of the annual Blue Star Awards nominations. Today, Starlight leadership, staff, and board members revealed this year’s nominees via in school presentations and in a premiere video on Starlight’s social media. In the 2022-23 Blue Star Awards season, 54 schools and more than 4,000 metro area students participated, making the program one of the largest and most respected high school musical awards shows in the nation.
“The energy, enthusiasm, and sheer talent that we see in the Blue Star Awards is a direct result of the hard work that these thousands of students put into their productions each year,” Alex Jones, Starlight’s Vice President of Community Engagement, said. “Their passion and commitment continue to inspire us, and we look forward to celebrating all of the nominees at the Blue Star Awards Ceremony on May 17 at Starlight Theatre.”
Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards®, Starlight’s annual Blue Star Awards recognize achievement and excellence in musical theatre among Kansas City area high school students. Winners will be announced in 26 categories and more than $6,500 in scholarships will be awarded at the Blue Star Awards Ceremony, which will also feature 11 onstage performances.
The 21st annual Blue Star Awards Ceremony will take place Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. at Starlight Theatre. Tickets are free but reservations are required.
2022-23 Blue Star Awards Nominees
Fort Osage
Once Upon a Mattress
Liberty North
Into the Woods
Mill Valley
Guys and Dolls
Olathe East
Disney’s Newsies
Olathe North
Anything Goes
Olathe West
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Platte County
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
St. James Academy
Singin’ in the Rain
Lee’s Summit West
Ben Bruner as Rapunzel’s Prince
Into the Woods
Liberty
Bennett Chapman as Scuttle
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Oak Park
Chase Droegemueller as Pablo
Sister Act
Oak Park
Drew Chamberlin as TJ
Sister Act
Olathe South
Jay Allen as Smee
Peter Pan
Olathe Northwest
Max Elmore as Hot Blades Harry
Urinetown
Platte County
Chandavian Bradley as Lurch
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Raymore-Peculiar
Noah Tuttle as Shylock
Something Rotten!
Bishop Miege
Belle Dessert as Dream Laurey
Oklahoma!
Leavenworth
Daysia Reneau as Mrs. Fezziwig
A Christmas Carol
Liberty
Allyson Johnston as Jetsam
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Liberty
Molly Brusven as Flotsam
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Oak Park
Ginger Jones as Sister Mary Patrick
Sister Act
Oak Park
Ivy Byers as Sister Mary Lazarus
Sister Act
Rockhurst
Cate Coble as Hot Blades Harriet
Urinetown
Truman
Sarah Bumgardner as Kelsi Nielsen
Disney’s High School Musical
Blue Valley
Disney’s Mary Poppins
Blue Valley Southwest
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Liberty
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Olathe Northwest
Urinetown
Park Hill
Little Shop of Horrors
Platte County
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Raymore-Peculiar
Something Rotten!
Rockhurst
Urinetown
Blue Valley Northwest
Catch Me If You Can
Blue Valley Southwest
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Excelsior Springs
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Platte County
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Platte County
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Raytown
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Raytown South
Bright Star (School Edition)
Shawnee Mission West
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Truman
Disney’s High School Musical
Blue Springs
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Blue Springs South
Mamma Mia!
Central
Disney’s Mary Poppins
Liberty
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Liberty North
Into the Woods
Olathe West
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Park Hill
Little Shop of Horrors
Raymore-Peculiar
Something Rotten!
Blue Springs South
Clara Bay & Caylee Betts, Costume Design
Liberty
Mary Bates, Stage Management
Olathe East
Hannah Willard, Sound Design & Crew Head
Olathe East
Rylee Carney, Set Painting Design & Crew Head
Olathe South
Michael Rathman, Sound Design
Olathe West
Isaac Lowe, Stage Management
Park Hill South
Claire Richardson, Lighting/Sound/Costumes
Raytown
Lucas Mayo, Lighting & Scenic Design
Blue Springs South
Riley Berridge, Choreography
Gardner Edgerton
Ellie Parks, Lighting Design
Liberty
Areeb Lodhi, Scenic Design
Liberty North
Santina Juma, Costume Design
Liberty North
Sophia Kenville, Hair & Makeup Design
Olathe East
Macy Orrick, Costume Design
Raymore-Peculiar
Jillian Griffin, Lighting Design
Smithville
Sierra Quinn, Direction
Truman
Breana Smith for Choreography
Disney’s High School Musical
Blue Springs
Dayana Almeida for Choreography
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Blue Springs
Dayana Almeida for Choreography
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Liberty
Ella Torno for Direction
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Liberty
Ellen Sheeley, Makenna Dohrmann & Molly Brusven for Choreography
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Olathe East
Ellie Eisele for Music Direction
Disney’s Newsies
Olathe North
Eva Smith for Choreography
Anything Goes
Blue Springs
Set Crew
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Blue Valley Southwest
Hair & Makeup Crew
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Central
Costume Crew
Disney’s Mary Poppins
Liberty
Lighting Crew
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Olathe East
Costume Crew
Disney’s Newsies
Platte County
Hair & Makeup Crew
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Raymore-Peculiar
Set Crew
Something Rotten!
Raymore-Peculiar
Costume Crew
Something Rotten!
Blue Springs South
Cole Vest as Ensemble
Mamma Mia!
Olathe East
Eli Hoedl as Specs
Disney’s Newsies
Olathe East
Michael Bell as Finch
Disney’s Newsies
Olathe Northwest
Jacob Aldrich as UGC Employee/Cop
Urinetown
Piper
Jax Cantrell as Larry the Lobster
The SpongeBob Musical
Platte County
Aidan Lindsay as Caveman Ancestor
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Raymore-Peculiar
Nigel Norvell as Peter Quince
Something Rotten!
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Patrick Dors as Student
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Lee’s Summit North
Aubrianna Burriss as Parent/Big Kid
Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
Olathe East
Sydney Schuh as Flushing Ensemble
Disney’s Newsies
Olathe Northwest
Leah Pal as Robby the Stockfish
Urinetown
Platte County
Kenidy Brisco as Cheerleader Ancestor
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Platte County
Namtan Kuernoon as Bride Ancestor
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Ruskin
Alayla Sever as Thing Two
Seussical
Ruskin
Kayanna Ferguson as Thing One
Seussical
Raymore-Peculiar
Avery Monnig as Featured Dancer
Something Rotten!
Truman
Leia Minks
Central
Lilly Carter
Liberty
Maddy Hand
Olathe East
Michael Bell
Oak Park
Olin Spencer
Truman
Olivia Simmons
Raytown
Phenix Watson
Park Hill
Rylee Bornheimer
Park Hill
Sabra Staggs
Truman
Sarah Bumgardner
Raymore-Peculiar
Sav Jordan
Smithville
Sierra Quinn
Bishop Miege
Tess Sollars
Blue Springs
Blue Valley Southwest
Leavenworth
Liberty North
Olathe East
Olathe North
Olathe South
Winnetonka
Central
Disney’s Mary Poppins
Excelsior Springs
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Liberty North
Into the Woods
Oak Grove
Little Shop of Horrors
Olathe Northwest
Urinetown
Olathe West
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Platte County
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Shawnee Mission West
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Blue Springs South
Mamma Mia!
Fort Osage
Once Upon a Mattress
Oak Park
Sister Act
Olathe East
Disney’s Newsies
Olathe South
Peter Pan
Park Hill
Little Shop of Horrors
Raymore-Peculiar
Something Rotten!
Smithville
The SpongeBob Musical
Blue Springs South
Mamma Mia!
Blue Valley
Disney’s Mary Poppins
Olathe East
Disney’s Newsies
Olathe Northwest
Urinetown
Olathe West
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Platte County
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Raymore-Peculiar
Something Rotten!
Rockhurst
Urinetown
Blue Springs
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Blue Valley Northwest
Catch Me If You Can
Liberty
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Olathe South
Peter Pan
Olathe West
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Platte County
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Raymore-Peculiar
Something Rotten!
Raytown
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Belton
Payton Edmonds as Cornelius Hackl
Hello, Dolly!
Bishop Miege
Peter Dessert as Will Parker
Oklahoma!
Heritage Christian Academy
Cole McNellis as Gaston
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Liberty
Andrew Hand as Sebastian
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Park Hill
Jalen Mack as Audrey II
Little Shop of Horrors
Raymore-Peculiar
Andrew Burton as Brother Jeremiah
Something Rotten!
Raymore-Peculiar
Xander Blackmon as Shakespeare
Something Rotten!
Shawnee Mission West
Creighton Smith-Allaire as Bud Frump
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Blue Valley Northwest
Stella Woodall as Brenda Strong
Catch Me If You Can
Free State
Julia Ruddy as Ursula
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Lee’s Summit
Elsa Thompson as Lily
Anastasia: The Musical
Liberty
Grace Fisher as Ursula
Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Oak Park
Jenna Holland as Sister Mary Robert
Sister Act
Olathe East
Ellie Eisele as Medda Larkin
Disney’s Newsies
Raymore-Peculiar
Brooklyn Burk as Bea
Something Rotten!
Shawnee Mission East
Grace Fields as Squidward Q. Tentacles
The SpongeBob Musical
Bishop Miege
Tess Sollars
Heritage Christian Academy
Caroline Kelley
Leavenworth
Adrianne Turner
Lee’s Summit North
Kinsley Ward
Liberty
Ellen Sheeley
Liberty
Raelin Reeve
Park Hill South
Artemis Kusters
Grain Valley
Lilli Gervy
Lee’s Summit North
Emilie Sula-Goff
Lee’s Summit North
Kaci Singleton
Lee’s Summit North
Rory Matthews
Liberty North
Gracie Schwalm
North Kansas City
Lilly Gerend
Oak Park
Katherine Robbins
Shawnee Mission West
Faryn Clevenger
St. James Academy
Grace Puchalla
Lee’s Summit
Bryce Williams
Lee’s Summit West
Addison Foote
Liberty
Sophia Ferguson
Liberty North
Bellamy Brockman
Olathe West
Emily Heflin
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Julia Balino
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Lucy Harrison
Truman
Breana Smith
Blue Valley Northwest
Brett Oplotnik as Frank Abagnale, Jr.
Catch Me If You Can
Central
Skylar Kline as Bert
Disney’s Mary Poppins
Oak Grove
Wyatt Bilbruck as Seymour Krelborn
Little Shop of Horrors
Olathe East
Ben Lodge as Jack Kelly
Disney’s Newsies
Park Hill
Rome Runyan as Seymour Krelborn
Little Shop of Horrors
Raymore-Peculiar
Brandon Cea as Nigel Bottom
Something Rotten!
Raytown
Parker Cobden as Freddy Benson
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
St. James Academy
Aidan Bauer as Don Lockwood
Singin’ in the Rain
Blue Springs South
Jaden Terry as Donna Sheridan
Mamma Mia!
Fort Osage
McKenzie Rice as Princess Winnifred
Once Upon a Mattress
Lee’s Summit
Dylan Dean as Anastasia
Anastasia: The Musical
Lee’s Summit West
Addison Foote as Baker’s Wife
Into the Woods
Olathe East
Layla Abu Saada as Katherine Plumber
Disney’s Newsies
Olathe South
Julianna Bowles as Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Olathe West
Gen Anderson as Katherine
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Olathe West
Kolby Brown as Ellie
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Blue Valley Northwest
Catch Me If You Can
Liberty
Disney's The Little Mermaid
Liberty North
Into the Woods
Olathe East
Disney’s Newsies
Olathe West
Disney’s Freaky Friday
Park Hill
Little Shop of Horrors
Platte County
The Addams Family (High School Edition)
Raymore-Peculiar
Something Rotten!