BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS ANNOUNCES THE 2018 BLUMEY AWARDS NOMINEES

Charlotte, NC (Friday, April 27, 2018) – Blumenthal Performing Arts is pleased to announce the nominees competing in the 7th Annual High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Blumey Awards, presented by Wells Fargo on Sunday, May 20, 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 20, at 7:00 p.m., in Belk Theater.  Tickets for The Blumey Awards ceremony go on sale to the public on Thursday, May 3 at 10 a.m. and will be available at BlumenthalArts.org, 704-372-1000 or from the box office in the Belk Theater lobby, 130 N. Tryon St. 

Maureen O’Boyle, anchor for WBTV, and Amy Burkett of WTVI will be emceeing the black-tie event.  The Blumey Awards will once again also be broadcast on WTVI (date and time to be announced in the coming weeks).

“While competition and awards are part of the process, getting to the Blumey Awards is really about working together to create a musical,” said Blumenthal President Tom Gabbard. “Everyone there that night can feel the collective pride for what these students, teachers and parents have achieved in working hard to put their shows together.  The Blumey Awards is 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-six 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. 

Linda Booth, a Charlottean, and the region’s most sought after choreographer with choreograph the opening and closing numbers as well as the medleys. She was honored to help BPA celebrate its 25th season, staging the gala featuring Leslie Odom, Jr. and to choreograph the tribute to William Ivey Long, featuring Laura Osnes, Andy Karl, Christine Ebersole, and Bebe Winans.  As a teaching artist, Linda has worked with over 20,000 youth, and she has choreographed over 200 productions, in regional, educational, and professional theatre.  

Blumenthal Performing Arts will again participate in the National High School Musical Theater Awards. The national show and ceremony take place in New York on June 25, 2018. 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 a national competition known as The Jimmy Awards (named after famed Broadway producer, James M. Nederlander).

Fourteen student critics are also participating in the Student Critic Program in association with the 7th Annual Blumey Awards presented by Wells Fargo.  The Student Critic Program is part of The Blumey Awards with support from The Charlotte Observer. Of these fourteen Student Critics, one will be awarded “The Charlotte Observer Student Critic Award” at The Blumey Awards, chosen by the editors at The Charlotte Observer.

“Wells Fargo was the inaugural corporate underwriter for this performing arts program in 2012,” said Jay Everette, Community Affairs Manager for Wells Fargo. “The Blumeys are all about showcasing the amazing talent of students in our region. It’s a ‘Glee meets the Tony’s at the intersection of Fame’ kind of evening.  We are thrilled to be part of the presentation again in 2017.”
 

This year's nominees for The Blumey Awards:

Best Set Construction

Ardrey Kell – The Hunchback of Notre Dame

cfa Academy – Into the Woods

Gaston Day School- Shrek The Musical

Hickory Ridge – Hello, My Baby!

Nation Ford – Seussical

Stuart W. Cramer – Cinderella

 

Best Costume Creation

Central Academy of Tech and Arts – On the Town

cfa Academy – Into the Woods

Cuthbertson – Disney’s The Little Mermaid

Piedmont Community Charter – Into the Woods

Pine Lake Prep – The Addams Family

Stuart W. Cramer – Cinderella

 

Best Student Orchestra

Ardrey Kell – The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Butler- The Sound of Music

Central Academy of Tech and Arts – On the Town

East Mecklenberg – Shrek The Musical

Providence High – Cinderella

South Mecklenburg –Hairspray

 

Best Choreography Execution

cfa Academy – Into the Woods

Charlotte Country Day - The Drowsy Chaperone

Charlotte Latin – Into the Woods

Nation Ford – Seussical

Northwest School of the Arts – Big Fish

Providence Day – Pippin

 

Best Ensemble/Chorus

Ardrey Kell – The Hunchback of Notre Dame

cfa Academy – Into the Woods

Charlotte Country Day - The Drowsy Chaperone

Nation Ford – Seussical The Musical

Northwest School of the Arts – Big Fish

Providence Day – Pippin

 

Best Overall Direction

Ardrey Kell – The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Central Academy of Tech and Arts – On the Town

cfa Academy – Into the Woods

Charlotte Country Day - The Drowsy Chaperone

Nation Ford – Seussical

Northwest School of the Arts – Big Fish

 

Best Featured Performer

Ardrey Kell – Parker Demos as Clopin (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Charlotte Latin – Gracie Matthews as The Baker’s Wife (Into the Woods)

Covenant Day – Tori Winsky as Jane Banks (Mary Poppins)

Northwest School of the Arts – Nailyah Gardner as Witch (Big Fish)

Pine Lake Prep – Jacob Messer as Uncle Fester (The Addams Family)

SouthLake Christian – Kevan Coyle as Woodstock (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown)

 

 

Best Supporting Actor

Charlotte Country Day - John Ryan Hecimovich as Man in Chair (The Drowsy Chaperone)

Nation Ford – Seth Younglove as Cat in the Hat (Seussical)

Northwest School of the Arts – Rixey Terry as Will (Big Fish)

Northwestern – Clay Smith as Huck (Big River)

Pine Lake Prep – Chris Hyslop as Lucas Beineke (The Addams Family)

South Mecklenburg – Ryan Faucette as Corny Collins (Hairspray)

 

Best Supporting Actress

cfa Academy – Brittany Schell as Cinderella (Into the Woods)

Covenant Day – Elizabeth Bryan as Winifred Banks (Mary Poppins)

Independence – Isabela Villanueva as Rona Lisa Peretti (The 25th Annual Putnam Co Spelling Bee)

Nation Ford – Lily Averkamp as Gertrude (Seussical)

Northwest School of the Arts – Maya Sistruck as Jenny Hill (Big Fish)

Providence Day – Isabella Patterson as Fastrada (Pippin)

 

Wells Fargo Best Musical – Tier 1

cfa Academy – Into the Woods

Nation Ford – Seussical

Northwestern – Big River

 

Wells Fargo Best Musical – Tier 2

Ardrey Kell – The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Charlotte Country Day - The Drowsy Chaperone

Northwest School of the Arts – Big FishCentral Cabarrus – Perrin Kingaby as Radames (Aida)

cfa Academy – Tim Brausch as The Baker (Into the Woods)

Charlotte Christian – Colin Gallagher as Topher (Cinderella)

Best Actor 
Central Academy of Technology and the Arts- Sayo Oni as Chip (On the Town)
Charlotte Latin- Ethan Holtzman as The Baker (Into the Woods)
Gaston Day- Ben King as Shrek (Shrek the Musical)
Northwestern High School- Herbert White as Jim (Big River)
Northwest School of the Arts- Liam Pearce as Edward (Big Fish)
Providence Day- Chris Melton as Pippin (Pippin)

 

 

Best Actress
Central Cabarrus- Safiatou Souare as Aida (Aida)
cfa Academy- Sarah Ann Burke as The Baker’s Wife (Into the Woods)
Kings Mountain High School- Skylar Smith as Sally Brown (You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown)
Northwest School of the Arts- Renee Rapp as Sandra (Big Fish)
Piedmont Community Charter- Bianca Moten as The Witch (Into the Woods)
Stuart W. Cramer High School- Lauren Pace as The Godmother (Cinderella)

 

 

 

The schools competing include: A. L. Brown High School, Arborbrook Christian Academy, Ardrey Kell High School, Bandys High School, Bunker Hill High School, Butler High School, Carmel Christian School, Central Academy of Technology & Arts, Central Cabarrus High School, Central High School, cfa Academy, Charlotte Christian School, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Latin School, Christ the King Catholic High School, Covenant Day School, Cuthbertson High School, Davidson Day School, East Mecklenburg High School, Gaston Day School, Hickory Ridge High School, Highland School of Technology, Hough High School, Independence High School, Jay M. Robinson High School, Kings Mountain High School, Lake Norman High School, Lincolnton High School, Mountain Island Charter School, Nation Ford High School, Northside Christian Academy, Northwest Cabarrus High School, Northwest School of the Arts, Northwestern High School, Piedmont Community Charter, Pine Lake Preparatory, Providence Day School, Providence High School, Shelby High School, South Mecklenburg High School, South Pointe High School, SouthLake Christian Academy, Stuart W. Cramer High School, theHUB@CBTC, Weddington High School, Westminster Catawba Christian 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 operating support from the Arts & Science Council and North Carolina Arts Council. Blumenthal Performing Arts is also supported by PNC Bank, sponsor of the PNC Broadway Lights.