Blumenthal Performing Arts Announces 2023 Blumey Awards Nominees

May 1, 2023 (Charlotte, NC) – Blumenthal Performing Arts is pleased to announce the nominees competing in the 10th Annual High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Blumey Awards, presented by Wells Fargo, on Sunday, May 21 at the 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 21 at 7 pm in the Belk Theater. Tickets for The Blumey Awards ceremony went on sale to the public on Friday, April 28 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 return to host the black-tie event. Last year’s Best Actress and Best Actor winners, Kate McCracken and Jared Garcia, will present this year’s Best Actress and Best Actor awards.

 

Blumenthal CEO Tom Gabbard said, “This year we celebrate ten amazing years of the Blumey Awards! The show culminates a year of hard work by students, teachers, and families to produce a musical at their school. It’s wonderful to see these students grow personally and creatively through the teamwork, discipline, and perseverance required to create a Broadway show at their school. The Blumey Awards is definitely one of the best nights in Charlotte each year!”

 

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-seven participating schools. New York–based composer and Grammy nominated orchestrator David Dabbon will return as music director and orchestrator. He has served as the music director since the inaugural Blumey Awards ceremony in 2012. New York–based dancer and filmmaker Maxx Reed (Broadway’s Spiderman: Turn off the Dark; Beyonce’s “Who Run the World (Girls)” music video) will choreograph the event.

 

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 26, 2023, hosted by Corbin Bleu.

 

“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 tenth anniversary!”

 

Nominees for the 2023 Blumey Awards:

 

Best Student Orchestra 

Ardrey Kell High School – Into the Woods 
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Jesus Christ Superstar 
Hickory Ridge High School – Spongebob the Musical 
Providence High School – Sweeney Todd 
South Mecklenburg High School – 9 to 5 
William A. Hough High School – Mamma Mia!

Best Student Critic
Central Academy of Technology & Arts – Brody Martin
North Mecklenburg High School – Camille Satterwhite-Rambert
Northwest School of the Arts – Mia O'Brien
West Cabarrus High School – Aminah Imran

Best Student Stage Manager
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Margo Smith – Jesus Christ Superstar
Charlotte Country Day School – Graham McPhail – Something Rotten
Charlotte Latin School – Lila Rhee – Shrek the Musical
Hopewell High School – Chloe Carper – Sister Act
North Lincoln High School – Emily Curry – Anastasia
Weddington High School – Avery Edwards – Seussical

Best Student Set Designer
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Hannah Cook – Jesus Christ Superstar
Concord Academy – Champ Lyerly – Beauty and the Beast
Cuthbertson High School – Mya Beard – Spongebob the Musical
Hickory Ridge High School – Milo Johnson – Spongebob the Musical
North Lincoln High School – Matthew Howard – Anastasia
Providence Day School – Caroline Grubbs – Once Upon a Mattress

Best Student Costume Designer
Ardrey Kell High School – Grace Maples – Into the Woods
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Mallory Caballero – Jesus Christ Superstar
Concord Academy – Lainey Gaston – Beauty and the Beast
Lake Norman High School – Christina Sawicki – The Addams Family
North Lincoln High School – Alaina Binger – Anastasia
South Pointe High School – Lorien Greenlee – Curtains School Edition

Best Choreography Execution 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Jesus Christ Superstar  
Central Cabarrus High School – Matilda the Musical 
Charlotte Country Day School – Something Rotten 
Concord Academy – Beauty and the Beast 
North Lincoln High School - Anastasia 
Weddington High School - Seussical 

Best Ensemble/Chorus 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Jesus Christ Superstar  
Charlotte Country Day School – Something Rotten 
Concord Academy – Beauty and the Beast 
Davidson Day School – Mean Girls 
North Lincoln High School - Anastasia 
Northwest School of the Arts - Cabaret 

Best Overall Direction 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Jesus Christ Superstar  
Charlotte Country Day School – Something Rotten 
Davidson Day School – Mean Girls 
North Lincoln High School – Anastasia 
Northwest School of the Arts - Cabaret 
Weddington High School - Seussical 

Best Featured Performer 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Lana Patel as King Herod – Jesus Christ Superstar 
Central Cabarrus High School - Cameron Shackelford as Doctor/Rudolpho - Matilda the Musical 
Cuthbertson High School – Kade Robinson as Foley Artist - Spongebob the Musical 
Davidson Day School – Ada Brown as Mrs. George - Mean Girls 
Fort Mill High School – Jackson Wright as Mr. Duvall - Mean Girls 
William A. Hough – Trey Purvis as Eddie - Mamma Mia! 

Best Supporting Actor 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Cade Helms as Peter – Jesus Christ Superstar  
Central Cabarrus High School – Major George as Bruce – Matilda the Musical 
Charlotte Country Day School – Jack Cooper as Shakespeare – Something Rotten 
Christ the King Catholic High School - Omari Benel as Donkey - Shrek the Musical 
Mooresville High School – Logan Pelchat as Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince - Into the Woods 
Weddington High School – Josh Moraja as Wickersham/Schmitz/Yertle - Seussical 

Best Supporting Actress 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Natalie Hough as Pontius Pilate – Jesus Christ Superstar  
Christ the King Catholic High School – Eva Homic as Dragon - Shrek the Musical 
North Lincoln High School – Emily Laramie as Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch – Anastasia 
Northwest School of the Arts – Izzy Meltzer as Fraulein Schneider – Cabaret 
South Pointe High School - Kyia Jones as Carmen Bernstein – Curtains School Edition 
Weddington High School – Bella Efird as Gertrude - Seussical 

Wells Fargo Best Musical – Tier 1 

Lincolnton High School – The Drowsy Chaperone 
North Lincoln High School – Anastasia 
Weddington High School – Seussical

Wells Fargo Best Musical – Tier 2 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Jesus Christ Superstar  
Charlotte Country Day School – Something Rotten 
Davidson Day School – Mean Girls 

 

Best Actor 
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Omari Cupid as Jesus of Nazareth – Jesus Christ Superstar
Charlotte Country Day School – Lance Toppin as Nick Bottom – Something Rotten
Christ the King Catholic High School – Miguel Villalobos as Shrek – Shrek the Musical
Concord Academy – Eli Fischer as Lumiere – Beauty and the Beast
Cuthbertson High School – Lucas Mechelli as Spongebob Squarepants – The Spongebob Musical
Northwestern High School – Parker Syler as Lumiere – Beauty and the Beast

Best Actress 
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Katie Ruttenberg as Mary Magdalene – Jesus Christ Superstar
Davidson Day School – Kathleen Moore as Regina George – Mean Girls
North Lincoln High School – Riley Washco as Anya – Anastasia
Northwest School of the Arts – Gracie Bryant as Sally – Cabaret
Providence High School – Njoki Tiagha as Mrs. Lovett – Sweeney Todd
South Mecklenburg High School – Shantal Tavarez as Judy Bernly – 9 to 5

 

The schools competing include: A.L. Brown High School, Ardrey Kell High School, Bandys High School, Cannon School, Carmel Christian School, Central Academy of Technology and Arts, Central Cabarrus High School, Charlotte Christian School, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Latin School, Christ the King Catholic High School, Concord Academy, Cox Mill High School, Cuthbertson High School, David W. Butler High School, Davidson Day School, East Lincoln High School, East Mecklenburg High School, Fort Mill High School, Gaston Christian School, Hickory Ridge High School, Hopewell High School, Independence High School, Kings Mountain High School, Lake Norman High School, Lincolnton High School, Mooresville High School, Mountain Island Charter School, North Gaston High School, North Lincoln High School, North Mecklenburg High School, Northwest Cabarrus High School, Northwest School of the Arts, Northwestern High School, Piedmont Community Charter School, Porter Ridge High School, Providence Day School, Providence High School, Shelby High School, South Iredell High School, South Mecklenburg High School, South Pointe High School, Stuart W. Cramer 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.

 

For photos and graphics, click here.

 

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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