And the 2018 Blue Star Awards Nominees Are …
On April 26, 2018, high school theatre students and instructors across metropolitan Kansas City and in neighboring communities received the good news that they had received nominations for Starlight Theatre’s Blue Star Awards. Starlight representatives personally delivered 132 nominations to 30 area high schools. On Thursday, May 17, the Blue Star Award winners will be announced at a public ceremony on Starlight Theatre’s Cohen Community Stage. The ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Parking is $5 per vehicle.
Please join us in congratulating the following nominees:
Outstanding Overall Production
Blue Valley – Hello, Dolly!
Liberty North – Seussical
Mill Valley – She Loves Me
Olathe East – Big Fish
Raymore-Peculiar – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Shawnee Mission East – Curtains
Outstanding Artistic Contribution by a Student
Central – Sydney VanDyke, Emily Lower and Lexie Bryson for Choreography – Anything Goes
Liberty – Nathan Moon for Choreography – Little Shop of Horrors
Liberty North – Emmy Caywood for Direction and Choreography – Seussical
Olathe East – Kristi Haas for Choreography – Big Fish
Olathe East – Kristi Haas for Choreography – Hairspray
Raymore-Peculiar – Trevor Diepenbrock for Music Direction – Quilters
Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role
Blue Valley – Ady Shaw as Dolly Gallagher Levi – Hello, Dolly!
Central – Sydney VanDyke as Reno Sweeney – Anything Goes
Lee’s Summit – Anahi Casas Perez as Esmeralda – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Mill Valley – Lauryn Hurley as Amalia Balash – She Loves Me
Olathe East – Mia Valentine as Tracy Turnblad – Hairspray
Shawnee Mission East – Grace Chisholm as Carmen Bernstein – Curtains
Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
Blue Springs – Sam Aubuchon as Seymour Krelborn – Little Shop of Horrors
Blue Springs South – Noah Sweeney as Corey Jr. – Back to the 80’s…The Totally Awesome Musical
Lee’s Summit – Jack Gerding as Dom Claude Frollo – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Lee’s Summit North – Alec Bridges as Frank Abagnale, Jr. – Catch Me If You Can
Olathe East – Jacob Thomas as Edward Bloom – Big Fish
Raytown – Caleb McCarroll as Tevye – Fiddler on the Roof
Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role
Blue Valley North – Faith Kopecky as Sylvia – All Shook Up
Lansing – Brynna Darley as Rona Lisa Peretti/Olive’s Mom – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Lansing – Megan Darley as Olive Ostrovsky – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Mill Valley – McKenna Harvey as Ilona Ritter – She Loves Me
Olathe East – Jennifer Meier as Penny Pingleton – Hairspray
Shawnee Mission East – Savanna Worthington as Georgia Hendricks – Curtains
Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role
Blue Springs South – Isaac Hardin as Feargal McFerrin – Back to the 80’s…The Totally Awesome Musical
Blue Valley – Ryan Jacobs as Barnaby Tucker – Hello, Dolly!
Lansing – Will Snodgrass as Leaf Coneybear/Carl Dad – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Lee’s Summit West – Jake Hilger as Bud Frump – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Liberty – Joe Galetti as Orin Scrivello – Little Shop of Horrors
Olathe East – Noah Wayne as Seaweed J. Stubbs – Hairspray
Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role
Blue Valley North – Ashley Ruckman as Mayor Matilda Hyde – All Shook Up
Olathe East – Zoey Johnson as Jenny Hill – Big Fish
Park Hill – Lauren Szala as Rose Lennox – The Secret Garden
Raymore-Peculiar – Ella Schnake as Eleanor/Sunbonnet Sue/Miss Jesse/Girl One/Aunt Mattie/Woman Three/Child Three/Train Woman/Mrs. Seeley – Quilters
Rockhurst – Isabel Mayer as Young Bonnie – Bonnie & Clyde
Shawnee Mission East – Maggie Mulligan as Bambi Bernet – Curtains
Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role
Blue Valley North – Jaren Muller as Jim Haller – All Shook Up
Lee’s Summit – Riley Pugh as Jehan Frollo – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Liberty North – Gabe Wright as General Gengus Khan Schmitz – Seussical
Rockhurst – Philip Licata as Preacher – Bonnie & Clyde
Shawnee Mission East – Luke Knopke as Christopher Belling – Curtains
Shawnee Mission South – Josiah Schools as Bickel – Footloose
Outstanding Female Ensemble Member
Blue Valley – Averey Shaw as Townsperson/Specialty Dancer – Hello, Dolly!
Central – Alison Ledford as Vivian the Bartender – Anything Goes
Lee’s Summit West – Gracie Heath as Miss Krumholtz – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Raymore-Peculiar – Tayler Bates as Quasimodo’s Friend – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Raymore-Peculiar – Alexandra Green as Gypsy – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Rockhurst – Jane Stevenson as Trish – Bonnie & Clyde
Outstanding Male Ensemble Member
Leavenworth – Brian Bartenslager as Leopard – Disney’s Tarzan
Liberty – Jonathan Edens as Skid Row Ensemble – Little Shop of Horrors
Liberty North – Thadeus Acha as Wickersham Brother – Seussical
Liberty North – Nate Meshau as Wickersham Brother – Seussical
Mill Valley – Parker Johnson as Busboy – She Loves Me
Shawnee Mission East – Reilly Kenney as Dance Company – Curtains
Outstanding Ensemble
Blue Valley – Hello, Dolly!
Lee’s Summit West – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Liberty North – Seussical
Olathe East – Big Fish
Olathe East – Hairspray
Shawnee Mission East – Curtains
Outstanding Orchestra
Blue Springs – Little Shop of Horrors
Blue Valley – Hello, Dolly!
Lee’s Summit – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Lee’s Summit West – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Olathe East – Hairspray
Park Hill – The Secret Garden
Outstanding Scenic Design and Construction, Tier I ($0 – $1,999)
Excelsior Springs – Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka
Fort Osage – A Christmas Carol
Mill Valley – She Loves Me
Platte County – Legally Blonde The Musical
Ruskin – Once On This Island
Winnetonka – Aida
Outstanding Scenic Design and Construction, Tier II ($2,000+)
Central – Anything Goes
Lee’s Summit West – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Liberty – Little Shop of Horrors
Liberty North – Seussical
Olathe East – Hairspray
Raymore-Peculiar – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Outstanding Lighting Design
Excelsior Springs – Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka
Liberty – Little Shop of Horrors
Liberty North – Seussical
Olathe East – Big Fish
Olathe East – Hairspray
Raymore-Peculiar – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Outstanding Technical Crew
Excelsior Springs – Lighting Crew – Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka
Lee’s Summit – Lighting Crew – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Liberty – Costume Crew – Little Shop of Horrors
Liberty North – Lighting Crew – Seussical
Olathe East – Lighting Crew – Big Fish
Raymore-Peculiar – Lighting Crew – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Outstanding Costume Design and Construction, Tier I ($0 – $1,499)
Belton – Sweeney Todd
Leavenworth – Disney’s Tarzan
Mill Valley – She Loves Me
Raymore-Peculiar – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Raytown – Fiddler on the Roof
St. Teresa’s Academy – 9 to 5 The Musical
Outstanding Costume Design and Construction, Tier II ($1,500+)
Central – Anything Goes
Lee’s Summit West – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Liberty North – Seussical
Olathe East – Big Fish
Olathe East – Hairspray
Winnetonka – Aida
Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design
Liberty North – Seussical
Olathe East – Big Fish
Olathe East – Hairspray
Olathe North – Disney The Little Mermaid
Park Hill – The Secret Garden
Raymore-Peculiar – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Technical Achievement Award
Leavenworth – Victoria Sallot for Costume Design – Disney’s Tarzan
Liberty North – Cassie Sisson for Costume Design – Seussical
Mill Valley – Chris Greenfield for Technical Direction – She Loves Me
Olathe East – Amy Schraeder for Stage Management – Big Fish
Olathe East – Emily Lucas for Lighting Design – Big Fish
Ruskin – Michael Ricketts for Stage Management – Cabaret and Once On This Island
Rising Star Scholarship Female Nominees
Benton – Elizabeth Kline
Leavenworth – Victoria Sallot
Mill Valley – Lauryn Hurley
Platte County – Kristina Rivera
Shawnee Mission East – Savanna Worthington
Winnetonka – Danielle Dodd
Rising Star Scholarship Male Nominees
Liberty – Dylan Moran
Liberty North – Nate Meshau
Platte County – Colin Kinnick
Ruskin – Michael Ricketts
Shawnee Mission South – Patrick Sturm
St. James Academy – Michael Moore