Local High Schools Nominated for Theater Awards

“Annie” performed by Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Drama which had 19 nominations.

By: Sharon Aron Baron

The Critics’ Awards Program, or Cappies for short, will celebrate outstanding achievement in high school theater when students from 25 public and private schools throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties, including Coral Springs and Parkland, will vie for top honors at the 15th Annual Cappies Awards Gala.

Top nominees are Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with 24 nominations, including 19 for its musical production of Annie and The Sagemont School in the play category with ten nominations for Frankenstein.

Held Tuesday, May 16, at 7 p.m. in the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the Cappies are modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards, and will feature songs and scenes from the top-nominated shows and recognize the best in high school theatre in 42 categories encompassing awards for performers, designers, technicians and critics.

“We will be bringing back past winners as presenters as part of this special anniversary show,” said South Florida Cappies Program Director Lori Sessions. “It is such a great way to celebrate the year’s best on the stage of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts which has been our home since the beginning.”

Cappie Award winners are determined by votes from students through a weighted peer-review voting process. Nominations are made by student critics from participating schools who attend productions at rival schools and write reviews, which then are edited by theater educators and published on FloridaTheaterOnStage.com.

Tickets are $20 and $15 for students. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center, Parker Playhouse and affiliated venues. Buy tickets online at BrowardCenter.org or Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954-462-0222; in person at Ticketmaster outlets or the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.

2016-2017 Cappies Nominees by School

American Heritage School
(10 nominations; seven for Godspell and three for criticism)
Critics’ Team
Junior Critic: Sydnie Rathe
Sophomore Critic: Gabriela Coutinho
Musical: Godspell
Song: “Bless the Lord”
Lead Actor in a Musical: Jacob Greene
Comic Actress in a Musical: Fiona Baquerizo
Featured Actress in a Musical: Hannah Ellowitz
Featured Actor in a Musical: Elliot Mahon
Ensemble in a Musical: Disciples

Archbishop McCarthy High School
(10 nominations; eight for The Game’s Afoot and two for criticism)
Critics’ Team
Junior Critic: Shea Simpson
Play: The Game’s Afoot
Lead Actress in a Play: Alexandria Palazzo
Lead Actor in a Play: Liam Mihoulides
Supporting Actress in a Play: Brianna Eljaua
Supporting Actor in a Play: Pablo Uribasterra
Featured Actress in a Play: Glenn Muston
Comic Actress in a Play: Bella Miulescu
Stage Management & Stage Crew: Amanda Alvarez

Boca Raton Community High School
(13 nominations for In The Heights)
Lead Actor in a Musical: Alec Taylor
Supporting Actor in a Musical: Benjamin Tharrington
Comic Actor in a Musical: Karlo Buxo
Comic Actress in a Musical: Bianca Mota
Female Vocalist: Valeria Castano
Female Dancer: Allegra Mannarino
Featured Actor in a Musical: Sven Ballarte
Ensemble in a Musical: The Salon Girls
Sets: Jacob Kachur, Allie Posner, Jacob Smith, Moyra Stewart
Lighting: Matthew Chapman, Emily Lubin, Liana Progor, and Company
Props: Ben Bruen, Sam Perez, Alex Talbott and Company
Special Effects and or Technology: Allegra Mannarino, Jacob Smith, and Company
Marketing & Publicity: Sven Ballarte, Delaney Hill, Jordyn Matez, Ana Michele Morejon

Cardinal Gibbons High School
(Five nominations; four for In Little Women and one for criticism)
Freshman Critic: Charlotee Bacharach
Male Vocalist: Dallas Erwin
Female Vocalist: Emily Tallman
Costumes: Alexandra Cassis, Anais Mamery, Hannah Eicholtz
Stage Management and Stage Crew: Laurence Christopher, Laura Chiarello, Jenna Gaulthier, Olivia Betzler

Cooper City High School
(One nominations for Picasso at the Lapin Agile)
Comic Actor in a Play: David Lyn

Coral Glades High School
(Six nominations; three for Into the Woods and three for criticism)
Critics’ Team
Senior Critic: Gabi Simon
Senior Critic: Sophia Young
Lead Actor in a Musical: Eli Flynn
Lead Actress in a Musical: Sophia Young
Ensemble in a Musical: The Magic Beansemble Orchestra

Cypress Bay High School
(Seven nominations for Hair)
Supporting Actor in a Musical: Gianni Palermo
Comic Actor in a Musical: Nathaniel Stoughton
Male Vocalist: Gabriel Hernandez
Female Vocalist: Samantha Burns
Featured Actress in a Musical: Daniela Machado
Choreography: Adrian Machado, Amanda Ribnick
Sets: Leandro Biarrieta, Danielle Gonzalez, Diego Ramirez, Michael Valladares

Deerfield Beach High School
(Seven nominations; six for The Laramine Project and one for criticism)
Senior Critic: Maya Quinones
Play: The Laramie Project
Supporting Actor in a Play: Daniel Silberberg
Supporting Actor in a Play: Daniel Silberberg
Comic Actress in a Play: Domonique Bethel
Featured Actress in a Play: Sarah Mellinger
Featured Actor in a Play: Marcel Elkouri

Dillard Center for the Arts
(Seven nominations for Ain’t Misbehavin’)
Supporting Actress in a Musical: Mikayla Queely
Comic Actor in a Musical: Davion Jones
Female Vocalist: Brianna Garcon
Male Dancer: Mikal Singletary
Female Dancer: Joi McCoy
Orchestra: The Jazz Band
Costumes: Caroline Campos, Bella Conway, Amanda Doty, Grace Sindaco

JP Taravella High School
(14 nominations; 10 for Cinderella and four for criticism)
Critics’ Team
Junior Critic: Daniel Agmon
Freshman Critic: Nicole Sugarman
Freshman Critic: Dani Wolfe
Musical: Cinderella
Lead Actress in a Musical: Carmen Bulthuis
Comic Actress in a Musical: Kimberly Sessions
Featured Actor in a Musical: Boaz Levy
Orchestra: Cinderella Orchestra
Sets: JPT Tech Theatre Class, Cast & Crew
Lighting: Michael Squier, Christian Johnston, Simone Kelly
Props: Cortney Jaeger & Crew
Sound: Alex Rodriguez, Maxwell Boxx, Jason Wright & Crew
Marketing and Publicity: Kimberly Sessions & Claire Lefort

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
(24 nominations; 17 for Annie and seven for criticism)
Critics’ Team
Senior Critic: Taylor Fish
Senior Critic: Sheridan Lasher
Junior Critic: Sofie Whitney
Sophomore Critic: Alex Wind
Sophomore Critic: Dylan Redshaw
Freshman Critic: Eve Cohen
Song: “Fully Dressed”
Supporting Actress in a Musical: Taylor Fish
Comic Actor in a Musical: Michelle Malove
Comic Actress in a Musical: John Barnitt
Male Vocalist: Alex Wind
Female Dancer: Theresa Prayther
Male Dancer: Logan Weber
Featured Actress in a Musical: Melanie Weber
Ensemble in a Musical: Orphans
Stage Management and Crew: Chris Grady, Sydney Kleinsasser, Molly Reichard
Creativity: Dylan Baierlein (Directing)
Choreography: Theresa Prayther
Costumes: Olivia Sands, Company
Lighting: Euan Beith, Company
Props: Kayla Salzberg, Keri Copping
Sound: Jocelyn Krooks, Company
Marketing and Publicity: Dylan Redshaw, Sofie Whitney
University School of NSU
(18 nominations; 17 for Fiddler On The Roof and one for criticism)
Sophomore Critic: Aysha Zackria
Musical: Fiddler On The Roof
Song: “Tradition”
Lead Actor in a Musical: Andrew Singer
Lead Actress in a Musical: Ayla Maulding
Supporting Actress in a Musical: Yuval Benit
Female Dancer: Sivan Ben David
Featured Actor in a Musical: Ben Crawford
Ensemble in a Musical: Villagers
Stage Management and Stage Crew: Lowitz, Duecker, Gonzalez and Company
Choreography: Yuval Benit
Costumes: Maia Cole, Kaitlin Feinberg, Sydney Juda
Sets: Kenny Duecker
Lighting: Tal Kochav
Props: Madeleine Smith and Company
Sound: Matthew Goldberg and Company
Hair and Makeup: Sierra Callwood, Ainsley Kohler, Amelia Reeve, Megan Sirvent
Marketing and Publicity: Andrew Singer

North Broward Preparatory School
(Nine nominations; eight for Cabaret and one for criticism)
Freshman Critic: Madeline Finkelman
Musical: Cabaret
Song: “Willkommen”
Lead Actress in a Musical: Quinn DeVita
Lead Actor in a Musical: Evan Laufman
Supporting Actress in a Musical: Danielle Ganz
Male Vocalist: Samuel Kelly-Cohen
Marketing and Publicity: Carmen Horn, Nya Goberville, Mohammad Khalil, and Company
Hair and Make-up: Julia Hopper, Amanda McCabe, Juliana McCabe

Palm Beach Central
(Five nominations for Shrek)
Supporting Actor in a Musical: Stephen Coley
Male Dancer: Ben Shaevitz
Featured Actress in a Musical: Chava Hadar
Props: Lindsay Nichols
Hair and Make-up: Sarah Ingram and Ben Shaevitz
Pine Crest School
(Two nominations for All Shook Up)
Supporting Actor in a Musical: Ryan Fiedler
Supporting Actress in a Musical: Deanna Hennelly

Piper High School
(Six nominations for Antigone)
Lead Actress in a Play: Melissa Kean
Supporting Actress in a Play: Karen Valencia
Comic Actor in a Play: Lowrence Toussaint
Featured Actress in a Play: Abigail Downie
Ensemble in a Play: The Greek Chorus
Creativity: Maya Xirinachs, Director

Pompano Beach High School
(Two nominations for Harvey)
Lead Actor in a Play: Daniel Llorens
Lead Actress in a Play: Catherine Hollows

Saint John Paul II Academy
(Two nominations for Flowers for Algenon)
Lead Actor in a Play: Coleton Santacroce
Featured Actor in a Play: Blake Earl

St. Thomas Aquinas High School
(Four nominations for Everyman)
Featured Actor in a Play: Samara Chahine
Featured Actress in a Play: Matthew Jahnes
Ensemble in a Play: Death’s Minions
Choreography: Alexa Hui

The Sagemont School
(11 nominations; 10 for Frankenstein and one for criticism)
Junior Critic: Andres Hernandez
Play: Frankenstein
Lead Actor in a Play: Paxton Terris
Supporting Actor in a Play: Andres Hernandez
Featured Actor in a Play: Alan Corvaia
Ensemble in a Play: The Machine
Choreography: Kayla Smith, Paxton Terris
Lighting: Ivette Serrano, Jourdan Press and Crew
Sound: Redheart Billie, Brandon Nunez, and Crew
Hair and Make-up: Sierra Callwood, Ainsley Kohler, Amelia Reeve, Megan Sirvent
Special Effects and or Technology: Sofia Grajales and Crew
Somerset Academy
(Eight nominations; seven for The Forerglades and one for criticism)
Sophomore Critic: Susanna Ninomiya
Play: The Foreverglades
Supporting Actress in a Play: Gianna Milici
Comic Actor in a Play: Gabriel Celik
Featured Actress in a Play: Jessica Gomez
Ensemble in a Play: Soldiers of Act 2
Creativity: Baldaccini & Co, Directing/Composing
Sets: Emmanuel Naranjo, Valeria Vila, Megan Ysme

South Plantation High School
(Eight nominations for The Crucible)
Play: The Crucible
Sound: Sarai Posadas
Lead Actor in a Play: Kelly Walsh
Lead Actress in a Play: Edwin Garcon
Featured Actor in a Play: Dwayne Reed
Ensemble in a Play: Voices of the Unheard
Costumes: Curtis Dodgen and Crew
Hair and Make-Up: Dominique Mitchell, Paige Slowinksi, Eliana Feldman

West Boca High School
(10 nominations for Crazy For You)
Musical: Crazy For You
Song: “I Got Rhythm”
Lead Actress in a Musical: Alexia Assuncao
Supporting Actor in a Musical: Aaron Avidon
Comic Actress in a Musical: Samantha LeClaire
Male Dancer: Sam Cadieux
Featured Actor in a Musical: Matthew Madden
Featured Actress in a Musical: Tessa Burkhart
Ensemble in a Musical: The Follies
Stage Management and Stage Crew: Ryan Hartman

West Broward High School
(Five nominations for Thoroughly Modern Millie)
Comic Actor in a Musical: Noah Levin
Male Vocalist: Jorge Amador
Female Vocalist: Mina Marcelino
Male Dancer: Geszer Santana de Jesus
Female Dancer: Catherine Bendyk

Western High School
(Two nomination for The Shadow Box)
Lead Actress in a Play: Caitlyn Castiglione
Supporting Actress in a Play: Isabella Cring

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.