Blumenthal Performing Arts Announces 2022 Blumey Awards Nominees

May 10, 2022 (Charlotte, NC) – Blumenthal Performing Arts is pleased to announce the nominees competing in the 9^th Annual High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Blumey Awards, presented by Wells Fargo, on Sunday, May 29 at Belk Theater.

 

The Blumey Awards program recognizes and celebrates the best in high school musical theater and fosters even greater achievements in the future.

 

Winners will be announced at The Blumey Awards Ceremony on May 29 at 7 pm in the Belk Theater. Tickets for The Blumey Awards ceremony went on sale to the public on Friday, May 6 at 10 am and will be available at blumenthalarts.org, 704-372-1000 or from the box office in the Belk Theater lobby, 130 N. Tryon St. 

 

Award-winning TV news anchor and reporter, Brigida Mack, will be emceeing the black-tie event.

 

Blumenthal CEO Tom Gabbard said, “We are elated to bring back The Blumey Awards for the first full, in-person program since 2019. The last two years presented countless challenges to students, and it was especially tough on theater students who were forced to cancel or modify their school productions due to COVID-19. The students, teachers, and parents have waited for this moment for two long years. The emotions in the room will be running high and we can’t wait to see what the students have in store for what will be a memorable night full of talent, pride, and achievement.”

 

Like the Tony Awards®, The Blumey Awards Ceremony will feature a performance by each of the six nominated schools in the best musical category, a medley of performances by the six finalists for Best Actor and for Best Actress, and an opening and closing number that features two students from each of the forty-one participating schools. David Dabbon will be back as music director and orchestrator for The Blumey Awards.  David is a New York based composer and Grammy nominated orchestrator and has served as the music director since the inaugural Blumey Awards ceremony in 2012. 

 

Broadway actor Tyler McKenzie, a graduate of Central Academy of Technology & Arts in Monroe and Western Carolina University, will choreograph the opening and closing numbers as well as the medleys. He is currently a Universal Swing in Hamilton and has performed on Broadway as well as in several national tours. Tyler is also a skilled educator, working across the country, including on the Musical Theatre faculty at Penn State University.

 

The two students named Best Actor and Best Actress at The Blumey Awards will receive an all-expenses-paid trip and weeklong stay in New York City where they will train and compete with other regional winners in The National High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards® (named after famed Broadway producer, James M. Nederlander). The national show and ceremony take place on June 27, 2022.

 

“Wells Fargo was the inaugural corporate underwriter for this performing arts program in 2012,” said Rodrick Banks, Senior Community Relations Consultant for Wells Fargo. “The Blumeys are all about showcasing the amazing talent of students in our region. It’s a ‘Glee meets the Tonys at the intersection of Fame’ kind of evening.  We are thrilled to be part of the presentation again in 2022!”

 

Nominees for the 2022 Blumey Awards:

 

Best Student Orchestra

Ardrey Kell High School – Matilda the Musical

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition
Mooresville High School – Sister Act
Providence High School – Mamma Mia!
South Mecklenburg High School – Damn Yankees
West Cabarrus High School – Little Shop of Horrors

 

Best Student Critic

Central Academy of Technology & Arts – Brody Martin
East Mecklenburg High School – Maeve Merrick
Northwest School of the Arts – Isabella Meltzer
 

Best Student Stage Manager

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Margo Smith - Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition

Charlotte Country Day School – Emma Taylor – Anastasia

Hopewell High School – Bella Howard – Hairspray

North Lincoln High School – Lydia Noble – Into the Woods

Pine Lake Preparatory – Katherine Ryan –  Into the Woods

Providence High School – Vineeth Ramdas – Mamma Mia!
 

Best Student Set Designer

Concord Academy – Hayden Love, Champ Lyerly, Nate Fisher, and Vada Burke – Newsies

Gaston Day School – Eli Dills – Newsies

Kings Mountain High School – Parker Robinette – 9 to 5: The Musical

Lake Norman High School – Savannah Shumaker – Mamma Mia!

North Lincoln High School – Matthew Howard – Into the Woods

Northwestern High School – Jaina Ingram, Taylor Armstrong, Angelo Mutuc, Aamori Gaines – Footloose

 

Best Student Costume Designer

Ardrey Kell High School – Olivia Chiseck - Matilda the Musical

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Josie Roller – Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition

Concord Academy – Grace McTigue – Newsies

North Lincoln High School – Gracie Zazzi - Into the Woods

Piedmont Community Charter School – Aydan Lawler – Beauty and the Beast

Pine Lake Preparatory – Jacqueline Cingolani and Lauren Thomas – Into the Woods
 

Best Choreography Execution

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition
Charlotte Country Day School – Anastasia
Concord Academy – Newsies
Lincolnton High School – The Addams Family
Nation Ford High School – Chicago: Teen Edition

Piedmont Community Charter School – Beauty and the Beast

 

Best Ensemble/Chorus

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition

Charlotte Country Day School – Anastasia
Concord Academy – Newsies
Lincolnton High School – The Addams Family
Northwestern High School – Footloose
Piedmont Community Charter School – Beauty and the Beast

 

Best Overall Direction

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition

Charlotte Country Day School – Anastasia
Concord Academy – Newsies
North Lincoln High School – Into the Woods
Northwestern High School – Footloose
Providence Day School – Xanadu

Best Featured Performer

Ardrey Kell High School – Katie Johnsen as Mrs. Phelps – Matilda the Musical
Charlotte Latin School – Dominic Charles as Daryl – Bright Star
Concord Academy – Lola Ugale as Buttons – Newsies
Gaston Day School – Amry Rivera as Henry – Newsies
North Lincoln High School – Landon Kelly as Milky White – Into the Woods
Northwestern High School – Rylee McCart as Betty Blast – Footloose

 

Best Supporting Actor

Ardrey Kell High School – Christian Johnson as The Escapologist – Matilda the Musical
Concord Academy – Eli Fischer as Crutchie – Newsies

Lake Norman High School – Sawyer Hosea as Bill – Mamma Mia!
Lincolnton High School – Kevin Solera as Gomez – The Addams Family
North Lincoln High School – Bryson Emehel as Rapunzel’s Prince – Into the Woods

Providence Day School – Max Odom as Danny – Xanadu

 

Best Supporting Actress
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Rachel St. Gelais as Heather Chandler – Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition
Charlotte Country Day School – Grace Tingen as Countess Lilly – Anastasia
Gaston Christian School – Allie Guy as Gulch/Wicked Witch – The Wizard of Oz (RSC 1987)

North Lincoln High School – Jillian Joyce as The Baker's Wife – Into the Woods
Northwestern High School – Hannah Tyler as Rusty – Footloose
Piedmont Community Charter School – McKenna Lawler as Grande Bouche – Beauty and the Beast

 

 

Wells Fargo Best Musical – Tier 1

Concord Academy - Newsies
North Lincoln High School – Into the Woods
Northwestern High School – Footloose

 

Wells Fargo Best Musical – Tier 2

Central Academy of Technology and Arts - Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition

Charlotte Country Day School – Anastasia
Providence Day School – Xanadu

 

Best Actor

Charlotte Country Day School – Lance Toppin as Vlad – Anastasia

Concord Academy – Kenan Starnes as Jack Kelly - Newsies

Gaston Day School – Tonito Abello as Crutchie – Newsies

Lake Norman High School – Dylan Gordon as Sky - Mamma Mia!

North Lincoln High School – Jared Garcia as The Baker - Into the Woods

South Mecklenburg High School – Cavan Meade as Joe Hardy - Damn Yankees
 

Best Actress

Ardrey Kell High School – Rachel Rudolph as Miss Honey - Matilda the Musical

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Lana Patel as Heather McNamara - Heathers the Musical: Teen Edition

Charlotte Country Day School – Sophie Davis as Anya/Teenage Anya – Anastasia

Charlotte Latin School – Kate McCracken as Alice Murphy - Bright Star

Nations Ford High School – Sid Willoughby as Velma – Chicago: Teen Edition

Providence High School – Njoki Tiagha as Tanya – Mamma Mia!

 

 

The schools competing include: Ardrey Kell High School, Bandys High School, Butler High School, Carmel Christian School, Central Academy of Technology and Arts, Central Cabarrus High School, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Latin School, Concord Academy, Corvian Community School, Covenant Day School, Cox Mill High School, Cuthbertson High School, Davidson Day School, East Lincoln High School, Gaston Christian School, Gaston Day School, Hickory Ridge High School, Hopewell High School, Kings Mountain High School, Lake Norman High School, Lincolnton High School, Mooresville High School, Myers Park High School, Nation Ford High School, North Gaston High School, North Lincoln High School, Northwest Cabarrus High School, Northwest School of the Arts, Northwestern High School, Piedmont Community Charter School, Pine Lake Preparatory, Providence Day School, Providence High School, Shelby High School, South Mecklenburg High School, South Pointe High School, Weddington High School, West Cabarrus High School, Westminster Catawba Christian School, and William A. Hough High School.

 

For more information: BlumenthalArts.org/BlumeyAwards.

 

ABOUT BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS
Blumenthal Performing Arts serves the Carolinas as a leading cultural, entertainment and education provider. For more information, call (704) 372-1000 or visit BlumenthalArts.org. Blumenthal Performing Arts receives support from the Infusion Fund and the North Carolina Arts Council. Generous support is also provided by PNC Bank, sponsor of the PNC Broadway Lights series, and Equitable, sponsor of the Equitable Bravo Series