High School Students Honored for Theatre at the South Florida Cappie Awards

Best Critic Team – J.P. Taravella pictured with BCPS Athletic Director Shawn Cerra, former principal.

By: Sharon Aron Baron

Students from 13 Broward and Palm Beach County high schools received awards for excellence in their theater productions at the 17th Annual South Florida Cappie Gala.

Nicole Sugarman, Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. J.P. Taravella.

Taking place at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, awards were handed out in 42 categories including performance, design, production, publicity, and criticism.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland took home nine awards – the most Cappies Awards including Best Play award for its production Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Best Musical went to South Plantation High School’s production of Once On This Island.

The gala began with an energetic opening number which parodied “Another Op’nin, Another Show” from Kiss Me Kate, performed by students from each of the nominated shows. Additional musical performances in this year’s gala included numbers from the six productions nominated for Best Musical and/or Best Song. Audiences also enjoyed scenes from the five Best Play nominees.

Newsworthy Winners

Emiliana Quiceno, who played the 11th Juror in Archbishop McCarthy High School’s production of 12 Angry Jurors, won Best Comic Actress in a Play as the only nominee in her category.

Eva Daskos is a double winner, earning Best Costumes and Best Actress in a Play for the role as Puck in the Sagemont School’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Lori and Kimberly Sessions from J.P. Taravella.

J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs had sibling winners with Emma Sugarman winning Best Freshman Critic and her sister Nicole receiving the award for the Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role as Nickie in Sweet Charity. In another family affair, Kimberly Sessions, daughter of J.P. Taravella High School theater director Lori Sessions, won Best Female Dancer for playing the title role in Sweet Charity.

2018-2019 CAPPIES WINNERS BY SCHOOL

American Heritage School (Chicago)

Best Orchestra

Archbishop McCarthy High School (12 Angry Jurors)

Best Comic Actress in a Play: Emiliana Quiceno

Calvary Christian Academy (The Miracle Worker)

Best Comic Actor in a Play: Luke DiLiddo

Leah Tomas Sophomore Critic. J.P. Taravella.

Best Props: Hannah Sherrod and Annie Sudler

Cardinal Gibbons High School (The Addams Family)

Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Madeline Diamond

Coral Glades High School (Eurydice)

Best Featured Actress in a Play: Julyette Vargas

Best Ensemble in a Play: The Stones

Best Hair and Make-up: Dailyn Robaina

Cypress Bay High School (Mamma Mia!)

Best Comic Actress in a Musical: Cristina Marine

Best Choreography: Valeria Jubes

JP Taravella High School (Sweet Charity)

Julyette Vargas, Featured Actress in a Play. Coral Glades High School.

Best Critics’ Team

Best Sophomore Critic: Leah Tomas

Best Freshman Critic: Emma Sugarman

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Nicole Sugarman

Best Female Dancer: Kimberly Sessions

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time)

Best Senior Critic: Dylan Redshaw

Best Play

Best Lead Actor in a Play: Logan Weber

Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Alex Wind

Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Sawyer Garrity

Daylin Robiana, Hair and Makeup. Coral Glades High School.

Best Creativity (Music Composition): Andrea Pena

Best Sound: Jocelyn Krooks, Adam Alhanti, Ava DiGilio, and Alyssa Marrero

Best Special Effects and/or Technology: Cameron Appel

Best Marketing and Publicity: Melanie Weber, Jared Block, and Genevieve Martin

North Broward Preparatory School (Bring It On)

Best Junior Critic: Madeline Finkelman

Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Evan Laufman

Continued on next page

NSU University School (Curtains)

Best Lead Actor in a Musical: Sebastian Rabassa

Emma Sugarman Best Freshman Critic. J.P. Taravella.

Best Male Vocalist: Jared Cohen

Best Male Dancer: Gabriel Feldenkrais

Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Nicolette Nunziato

Best Lighting: Tal Kochav

Best Stage Management and Stage Crew: Liberty Lapayowker, Jennifer Holz and Erin Miller

South Plantation High School (Once On This Island)

Best Musical

Best Song: “Mama Will Provide”

Best Female Vocalist: Kayla Smith

Best Ensemble in a Musical: The Gods

Ensemble in a Play “The Stones” Coral Glades High School.

Best Sets: Chase Dietrich

The Sagemont School (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Best Lead Actress in a Play: Eva Daskos

Best Featured Actor in a Play: Aaron Cantu

Best Costumes: Eva Daskos

West Boca Raton High School (Hairspray)

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Alec Schwartz

Best Comic Actor in a Musical: Noah Fineman

Author Profile

Sharon Aron Baron

Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs and the rest of South Florida.