Saturday, Broadway Dallas will present its 12th annual high school musical theater awards in Fair Park. Seventy-two Texas schools have been nominated this year, and will be performing musical numbers live from their shows.
And yes, it is a big deal.
The original creators of Broadway musicals — the famous writers, composers, lyricists — adapt their shows to be licensed by high schools, via Music Theatre International. The artists want their shows to work as best they can — this is many teenagers' first introduction to a live musical performance — so the creative teams work on adapting the shows to fit theater programs like these.
That doesn't mean these are pocket-sized productions. J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson will present a medley from Mean Girls — it's the first program ever to offer this high school version of the show. And the production has 41 teenage performers and crew.
Actually — says Heather Biddle, the theater program director — that means it's a small show for them. She was overseeing a rehearsal in Richardson High School's auditorium.
"We usually have shows with 70 or 80 students," she said. The low rumble of rehearsal chaos was starting up behind her.
"What do you do to calm down?" I asked.
"I don't," she said.
In addition to the public recognition tomorrow, the Broadway Dallas awards will present $65,000 in scholarships.
The Broadway Dallas High School Musical Theatre Awards are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Musical Hall at Fair Park.
The complete list of the 2023 BROADWAY DALLAS HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE AWARDS NOMINATIONS
OUTSTANDING MUSICAL
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts — The Wiz
Guyer High School — Anastasia
JJ Pearce High School — Mean Girls High School Edition
Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Lebanon Trail High School — Little Women
Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Melissa High School — Matilda
The Oakridge School — The Drowsy Chaperone
Waxahachie High School — Crazy for You
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION
Frenship High School — Big Fish
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy — Chicago: Teen Edition
Guyer High School — Anastasia
Lebanon Trail High School — Little Women
Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Melissa High School — Matilda
North Texas Performing Arts Academy Conservatory — Bonnie & Clyde
Plano West Senior High School — Big Fish
Rockwall High School — Chicago: Teen Edition
Southwest Christian School — 42nd Street
OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION
Byron Nelson High School — Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts — Oklahoma!
Frenship High School — Sweeney Todd School Edition
Guyer High School — Anastasia
Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Lebanon Trail High School — Little Women
Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Midlothian Heritage High School — Fiddler on the Roof
Southwest Christian School — 42nd Street
Timber Creek High School — Pippin
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts — Oklahoma!
Frenship High School — Big Fish
Grapevine High School — Catch Me If You Can
Guyer High School — Anastasia
JJ Pearce High School — Mean Girls High School Edition
Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Melissa High School — Matilda
North Texas Performing Arts Academy Conservatory — Bonnie & Clyde
Timber Creek High School — Pippin
Weatherford High School — The Wizard of Oz
OUTSTANDING ORCHESTRA
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts — The Wiz
Carroll Senior High School — Footloose
Cedar Hill High School — Beauty and the Beast
Independence High School — The Addams Family School Edition
Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Lebanon Trail High School — Little Women
Mabank High School — Peter Pan
Naaman Forest High School — Annie
Rockwall Heath High School — Beauty and the Beast
OUTSTANDING SCENIC DESIGN
Carroll Senior High School — Footloose
Frisco High School — Frozen
Grapevine Faith Christian School — Annie Get Your Gun
Independence High School — The Addams Family School Edition
Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Lebanon Trail High School — Little Women
Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Nolan Catholic High School — Fiddler on the Roof
North Texas Performing Arts Academy Conservatory — Bonnie & Clyde
Southwest Christian School — 42nd Street
OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts — Oklahoma!
Frisco High School — Frozen
Guyer High School — Anastasia
Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Lakeview Centennial High School — Once On This Island
Lebanon Trail High School — Little Women
Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Melissa High School — Matilda
North Texas Performing Arts Academy Conservatory — Bonnie & Clyde
Southwest Christian High School — 42nd Street
Waxahachie High School — Crazy for You
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Cedar Hill High School — Beauty and the Beast
Centennial High School — How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts — Oklahoma!
Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy — Chicago: Teen Edition
Guyer High School — Anastasia
Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Rockwall High School — Chicago: Teen Edition
Southwest Christian High School — 42nd Street
Wylie East High School — The Little Mermaid
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CREW & EXECUTION
Coppell High School — Mamma Mia
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts — Oklahoma!
Grapevine Faith Christian School — Annie Get Your Gun
Guyer High School — Anastasia
Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Lebanon Trail High School — Little Women
Plano Senior High School — Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella
Plano West Senior High School — Big Fish
Southwest Christian School — 42nd Street
Timber Creek High School — Pippin
Waxahachie High School — Crazy for You
Wakeland High School — Shrek
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts — The Wiz
Cedar Hill High School — Beauty and the Beast
Frenship High School — Sweeney Todd School Edition
Guyer High School — Anastasia
Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Longview High School — Guys & Dolls
Plano West Senior High School — Big Fish
Timber Creek High School — Pippin
Waxahachie High School — Crazy for You
Weatherford High School — The Wizard of Oz
OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMER
Aaron Williams — Dr. Ralph H. Poteet High School — Spongebob the Musical
Abby Lee — Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Aiden Valentine — Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts — The Wiz
Alexa Bishop — Lakeview Centennial High School — Once On This Island
Alexis Muturi — Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts — The Wiz
Allison Crowe — Lebanon Trail High School — Little Women
Alyssa Menckhoff — Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Andrew Kitchen — Lebanon Trail High School — Little Women
Bella Denissen — JJ Pearce High School — Mean Girls High School Edition
Corbin Ross — Guyer High School — Anastasia
Dax Laber — Melissa High School — Matilda
Emma Grace Freeman — Guyer High School — Anastasia
Evan Jennings — North Texas Performing Arts Academy Conservatory — Bonnie & Clyde
Fabiola Caraballo — Quijada — Tyler Legacy High School — Hairspray
Hannah Baker — Weatherford High School — The Wizard of Oz
Isaac George — Midlothian Heritage High School — Fiddler on the Roof
Jacob Merschel — JJ Pearce High School — Mean Girls High School Edition
Jerard Mosely — Tyler Legacy High School — Hairspray
Josiah Gamino — Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts — The Wiz
Katelyn Quintanilla — Frenship High School — Sweeney Todd School Edition
Kirryn Parson — Timber Creek High School — Pippin
Lindi Brasfield — Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy — Chicago: Teen Edition
Pierson Jones — Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy — Chicago: Teen Edition
Semi Akindebe — Rock Hill High School — The Little Mermaid
Tilly Hillje — Grapevine Faith Christian School — Annie Get Your Gun
Walker DeBord — Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMER
Allie Spitler — Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Audrey Shin — Hebron High School — The Sound of Music
Ben Arledge — The Oakridge School — The Drowsy Chaperone
Bennett Cooper — Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts — Oklahoma!
Brayden Lawrence — McKinney High School — The Music Man
Emma Alexander — Independence High School — The Addams Family
Ethan Hill — Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Evan Bowman — Longview High School — Guys & Dolls
Jaxon Ryan — Hebron High School — The Sound of Music
Lola Mason — Southwest Christian School — 42nd Street
Lyric Pativo — Rock Hill High School — The Little Mermaid
Maclaine Smith — Southwest Christian School — 42nd Street
Madelyn Goodwin — Rock Hill High School — The Little Mermaid
Mia Jacobs — Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts — Oklahoma!
MJ Hengstenberg — Centennial High School — How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Morgan Skinner — North Texas Performing Arts Academy Conservatory — Bonnie & Clyde
Nash Dean — Keller Central High School — The Music Man
Noelle Even — Liberty Christian School — Fiddler on the Roof
Rohan Singh — Centennial High School — How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Sanjina Kolli — Plano West Senior High School — Big Fish
Stella Rose — Melissa High School — Matilda
Will Hobbs — Frisco High School — Frozen
OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMER
Alessia Cordray — Highland Park High School — Beauty and the Beast
Aniah Vincent — Frisco High School — Frozen
Ashleah Edwards — Frenship High School — Sweeney Todd
Francine Parero — Rowlett High School — Chaplin
Gannon Johnson — McKinney North High School — Little Shop of Horrors
Janna Enriquez — Naaman Forest High School — Annie
Lorenzo Perez — All Saints' Episcopal School — Big Fish
Ray Aguia — North Forney High School — Sister Act
Savannah Jackson — Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts — Oklahoma!
Shalom Oyawe — Cedar Hill High School — Beauty and the Beast
Whitney Wagstaff — Emerson High School — The Addams Family
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