And the 2020 Blue Star Awards Nominees Are …
In its first-ever virtual announcement, Starlight revealed the nominations for the 18th annual Blue Star Awards in a live broadcast on Facebook Thursday, May 21. Fifty-three of 54 schools were able to stage their 2019-20 Blue Star Awards musicals throughout the past school year, leading to 179 nominations in 23 categories. Hundreds of Blue Star Awards students celebrated the much-anticipated nominations at a safe social distance.
Please join us in congratulating the following nominees:
Outstanding Overall Production
Lansing – Chicago (High School Edition)
Lee’s Summit West – Elf The Musical
Liberty – Into the Woods
Liberty North – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Olathe East – All Shook Up
Olathe North – Bright Star
Olathe West – Xanadu
Raymore-Peculiar – Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Artistic Contribution by a Student
Blue Valley North – Mckenna Lewis for Choreography – Honk!
Leavenworth – Sam Wise for Choreography – Disney's Descendants
Liberty – Kendall McMullen and Paige Saluri for Direction – Into the Woods
Liberty North – Hannah Samson for Direction – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Olathe East – Olivia Hollan for Music Direction – All Shook Up
Olathe North – Jenna Barnes for Music Direction – Bright Star
Piper – Jennifer Obiesie for Choreography – Hairspray
Raymore-Peculiar – Abby Ball for Choreography – Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role
Blue Springs South – Madelyn Padget as Elle Woods – Legally Blonde The Musical
Lee’s Summit North – Elaine Watson as Deloris Van Cartier– Sister Act
Liberty – Grace Fisher as Baker’s Wife – Into the Woods
Olathe North – Hannah Guzman as Alice Murphy – Bright Star
Olathe West – Kalista Brown as Kira – Xanadu
Raymore-Peculiar – Ella Schnake as Miss Adelaide – Guys and Dolls
Ruskin – Nikéla Reed as Celie – The Color Purple
St. Teresa’s Academy – Liv Collet as Winnifred the Woebegone – Once Upon a Mattress
Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role
Blue Springs – Aidan Henry as Gomez –The Addams Family
Blue Valley – Jacob Jackson as Nathan Detroit – Guys and Dolls
Blue Valley North – Will Hancock as Ugly – Honk!
Lee’s Summit West – Cooper Carr as Buddy – Elf The Musical
Olathe North – Tim Hampton as Jimmy Ray Dobbs – Bright Star
Park Hill – Maddox Bane as Bert – Disney’s Mary Poppins
Raymore-Peculiar – Seth Kelley as Sky Masterson – Guys and Dolls
Shawnee Mission East – Fritz Sullivan as Bobby Child – Crazy For You
Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role
Blue Springs – Zoe Edgar as Wednesday – The Addams Family
Free State – Emily Bial as Val – A Chorus Line (High School Edition)
Free State – Gabriela Carttar as Diana – A Chorus Line (High School Edition)
Lansing – Alyssa Wiegers as Matron “Mama” Morton – Chicago (High School Edition)
Lee’s Summit West – Kyler Gher as Michael Hobbs – Elf The Musical
Olathe East – Brillian Kina as Sylvia – All Shook Up
Olathe East – Willa Walberg as Sandra – All Shook Up
Olathe Northwest – Emma Whitney as Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn – The Music Man
Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role
Belton – Eric Nunn as Pharaoh – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Blue Springs – Francis Gatdula as Fester – The Addams Family
Olathe East – Justin Cooley as Dennis – All Shook Up
Raymore-Peculiar – Denton Meehan as Nicely-Nicely Johnson – Guys and Dolls
Shawnee Mission East – Aidan C. Connelly as Lank Hawkins – Crazy For You
Shawnee Mission West – Gavin Tanner as Jack – Into the Woods
Shawnee Mission West – Will Edeal as Cinderella’s Prince – Into the Woods
St. Teresa’s Academy – Toby Rodriguez as Sir Harry – Once Upon a Mattress
Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role
Blue Springs – Tyler Clayton as Grandma Addams –The Addams Family
Lee’s Summit North – Sarah Keary as Sister Mary Patrick – Sister Act
Liberty North – Ava Wolesky as Charlotte – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Park Hill – Ella Sedlock as Mrs. Corry – Disney’s Mary Poppins
Piper – Jennifer Obiesie as Little Inez – Hairspray
Ruskin – Arkiah Collins as Jarene – The Color Purple
Saint Thomas Aquinas – Sarah Phillips as Ursula Merkle – Bye Bye Birdie
Shawnee Mission East – Lily Utt as Patsy – Crazy For You
Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role
Belton – Nathan Garner as Simeon – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Blue Valley – John Oldroyd as Benny Southstreet – Guys and Dolls
Lee’s Summit North – CJ Gilbert as TJ – Sister Act
Olathe East – Jeremiah Valenzuela as Jim Haller – All Shook Up
Olathe East – Zach Billings as Dean Hyde – All Shook Up
Olathe West – John Paul Gee as Terpsicore – Xanadu
Raymore-Peculiar – Dylan de Leon as Harry the Horse – Guys and Dolls
Raymore-Peculiar – Robbie Keays as Benny Southstreet – Guys and Dolls
Outstanding Actress in an Ensemble Role
Blue Valley – Olivia Wells as Havana Dancer/Hot Box Dancer – Guys and Dolls
Olathe East – Jade Belden as Sarah/Barfly Trio – All Shook Up
Olathe East – Jessie Fish as Townsperson/Bus Passenger – All Shook Up
Raymore-Peculiar – Kaijah Simmons as Member of the Salvation Army – Guys and Dolls
Raymore-Peculiar – Makiya Leslie-Hardison as Hot Box Girl – Guys and Dolls
Saint Thomas Aquinas – Katie Dors as Deborah Sue – Bye Bye Birdie
St. Teresa’s Academy – Ally Fox as Lady Merrill – Once Upon a Mattress
Summit Christian Academy – M’racle Bryant-Morgan as Ensemble – Disney’s Mary Poppins
Outstanding Actor in an Ensemble Role
Blue Valley – Jonah Kahn as Gambler – Guys and Dolls
Blue Valley Northwest – Sam Stubenhofer as Citizen of Cloisterham – The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Grandview – Rowell Yniguez as Fender – Hairspray
Lee’s Summit West – Sean Sinow as Macy’s Elf/Fake Santa – Elf The Musical
Liberty North – Garrett Lampert as Dancer – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Raymore-Peculiar – Xander Blackmon as Crapshooter – Guys and Dolls
Raytown – Jesse Best as Caveman – The Addams Family
Ruskin – DaVante Hudson as African Chief/Prison Guard/Older Adam/Ensemble – The Color Purple
Outstanding Ensemble
Blue Valley – Guys and Dolls
Lansing – Chicago (High School Edition)
Lee’s Summit West – Elf The Musical
Liberty North – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Olathe East – All Shook Up
Olathe West – Xanadu
Raymore-Peculiar – Guys and Dolls
Shawnee Mission East – Crazy For You
Technical Achievement Award
Liberty – Leah Rainwater for Technical Direction – Into the Woods
Liberty North – Ayriana Haney, Margaret Reams and Elizabeth Reams for Costume Design and Construction – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Leavenworth – Dillon White and Christian Lake for Lighting Design – Disney’s Descendants
Leavenworth – Hope Lopez, Nola Goodman and Briana Morgan for Scenic Design and Construction – Disney’s Descendants
Leavenworth – Michelle Denney and Dillon White for Scenic Design and Construction –Disney’s Descendants
Oak Park – Elaina Shalabi for Stage Management – Mamma Mia!
Olathe East – Grant Martin for Costume Design, Construction and Crew – All Shook Up
Olathe West – Summer Sperke for Stage Management – Xanadu
Outstanding Orchestra
Blue Valley North – Honk!
Lee’s Summit West – Elf The Musical
Liberty North – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Olathe Northwest – The Music Man
Park Hill South – Annie
Platte County – Footloose
Ruskin – The Color Purple
Shawnee Mission West – Into the Woods
Outstanding Scenic Design and Construction, Tier I ($0 - $1,999)
Excelsior Springs – The Wizard of Oz
Lansing – Chicago (High School Edition)
Leavenworth – Disney’s Descendants
Oak Grove – Mamma Mia!
Odessa – Mamma Mia!
Olathe North – Bright Star
Saint Thomas Aquinas – Bye Bye Birdie
Summit Christian Academy – Disney’s Mary Poppins
Outstanding Scenic Design and Construction, Tier II ($2,000+)
Blue Springs – The Addams Family
Blue Springs South – Legally Blonde The Musical
Central – Bye Bye Birdie
Liberty – Into the Woods
Liberty North – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Oak Park – Mamma Mia!
Olathe East – All Shook Up
Park Hill – Disney’s Mary Poppins
Outstanding Lighting Design
Excelsior Springs – The Wizard of Oz
Lansing – Chicago (High School Edition)
Leavenworth – Disney’s Descendants
Liberty North – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Olathe East – All Shook Up
Olathe West – Xanadu
Shawnee Mission East – Crazy For You
Shawnee Mission West – Into the Woods
Outstanding Technical Crew
Belton – Costume Crew – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Blue Valley – Deck/Set Crew – Guys and Dolls
Lee’s Summit – Costume Crew – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Liberty North – Deck/Set Crew – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Liberty North – Hair and Makeup Crew – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Liberty North – Lighting Crew – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Liberty North – Sound Crew – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Olathe West – Lighting Crew – Xanadu
Outstanding Costume Design and Construction, Tier I ($0 - $1,199)
Blue Springs – The Addams Family
Excelsior Springs – The Wizard of Oz
Lansing – Chicago (High School Edition)
Olathe West – Xanadu
Raytown – The Addams Family
Ruskin – The Color Purple
St. Teresa’s Academy – Once Upon a Mattress
Summit Christian Academy – Disney’s Mary Poppins
Outstanding Costume Design and Construction, Tier II ($1,200+)
Belton – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Leavenworth – Disney’s Descendants
Liberty – Into the Woods
Liberty North – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Olathe East – All Shook Up
Park Hill – Disney’s Mary Poppins
Spring Hill – Crazy For You
Winnetonka – Shrek The Musical
Outstanding Hair and Makeup Design
Blue Springs – The Addams Family
Excelsior Springs – The Wizard of Oz
Leavenworth – Disney’s Descendants
Liberty North – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Oak Grove – Mamma Mia!
Olathe East – All Shook Up
Raytown – The Addams Family
Spring Hill – Crazy For You
Rising Star Scholarship Female Nominees
Basehor-Linwood – Clarissa Kiefer
Leavenworth – Haley Bell
Liberty North – Hannah Samson
Lincoln College Preparatory Academy – Auryona Webb
Oak Park – Elaina Shalabi
Olathe South – Anna Hastings
Ruskin – Nikéla Reed
Shawnee Mission East – Janie Carr
Rising Star Scholarship Male Nominees
Basehor-Linwood – Lane Barrette
Blue Springs – Aidan Henry
Blue Valley – Jacob Jackson
Central – Carlos Gomez
Leavenworth – Thomas Yambo-Rios
Lee’s Summit North – Reily Harker
Liberty North – Joe Lord
Platte County – Henry Lange
Community Impact Award
Leavenworth – Disney’s Descendants
Liberty North – Cinderella (Broadway Version)
Notre Dame de Sion – Little Shop of Horrors