The Bay Area s Award-Winning Off-Broadway Theatre Contact: Jill Arnone/The Arnone Group Spencer Williams, Education Director jilla@thearnonegroup.com swilliams@thestage.org (408) 315 5121 (215) 421 1626 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: San Jose Stage Company Announces Nominations for the 2012 Stage Top Honor Awards ; Celebrates Excellence in High School Musical Theatre San Jose, CA Monday, May 14, 2012: San Jose Stage Company is proud to announce the nominations for the 2012 Bay Area High School Musical Theatre Stage Top Honor Awards. Under the direction of Spencer Williams, this awards program encourages and rewards exceptional accomplishments in the production of high school musical theatre across the Bay Area. Sixteen private and public high school musical theatre programs competed in the 2012 Stage Top Honor Awards, modeled after Broadway s Tony Awards featuring shows such as Titanic, Hairspray, Guys & Dolls, Dames at Sea, Spring Awakening and The Phantom of the Opera. The adjudicators (comprised of theatre professionals, performing artists, designers, and theatre arts educators) evaluated the musical theatre productions over the last seven months and have made their nominations in eighteen different performance and production categories. Recognition of outstanding achievement by students and educators will be made in the areas of performance (best lead and supporting actress/actor), design, direction, musical direction, choreography, technical production, and overall production excellence. Broadway San Jose has partnered with San Jose Stage Company and they will be sending the Best Actress & Actor to the National Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmy Awards) in New York City. The winners of The Jimmy Awards will be awarded a scholarship to NYU s Tisch School for the Arts upon acceptance. The 4 th Annual NHS Musical Theatre Awards will take place at the Minskoff Theatre in New York on June 25 th, 2012. Winners of the 2012 Stage Top Honor Awards will be announced at the Gala Ceremony on Monday, June 4 th, 2012 at 7:00pm at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose. For more information and tickets to the 2012 Top Honor Awards Gala please see http://www.thestage.org.
(Listed in alphabetical order by school name) BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN: Mr. Troy River American High School I Love You Because Mr. Luie Lopez & Mr. Mason Kimont Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Shayda Abadi Menlo-Atherton High School Once Upon a Mattress Mr. Jared Leake Pinewood School Dames at Sea Mr. Charlie Royce San Mateo High School Guys and Dolls Mr. Matthew DeMeritt Valley Christian High School Titanic BEST HAIR/MAKE-UP DESIGN: Ms. Susan Herrold & Tiani Hernandez Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Ms. Hillary Pedrott, Abbey Straus, & Paige Velasco Heritage High School Hairspray Mr. G. Scott Lacy Pinewood School Dames at Sea Amanda Camillo & Ms. Cynthia Rose Presentation High School The Phantom of the Opera Mr. Ted Curry St. Ignatius College Preparatory Damn Yankees Mrs. Robin Mendolia & Mrs. Lisa Kester Valley Christian High School Titanic BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Ms. Tammy Vance Heritage High School - Hairspray Ms. Kim Klingelhofer Menlo School Spring Awakening Mr. Aaron Juni Presentation High School The Phantom of the Opera Ms. Carolyn Leonard & Ms. Barbara Rosenberg San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls Ms. Sara Ritchey St. Ignatius College Preparatory Damn Yankees Mrs. Cindy Trupski Valley Christian High School Titanic LIGHTING DESIGN: Ms. Natti Pierce-Thomson Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Mr. Tripp Robbins Menlo School Spring Awakening Mr. Doug Eivers Pinewood School Dames at Sea Ms. Heather Kenyon Presentation High School The Phantom of the Opera Mr. Dave Dunning Valley Christian High School Titanic Mr. Matthew Roth Woodside Priory High School Beauty and the Beast SOUND DESIGN: Mr. Robert Nishiyama American High School I Love You Because Mr. Brian Larsen The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Mr. Chris Graham & Veronica Boyce Pinewood School Dames at Sea Mr. Bob Nelson Presentation High School The Phantom of the Opera Mr. Mark Metzler San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls
SCENIC DESIGN: Mr. Patrick Klein Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Ms. Hillary Pedrotti Heritage High School - Hairspray Mr. Doug Eivers Pinewood School Dames at Sea Mr. Jim Houle Presentation High School The Phantom of the Opera Mr. Tony Gschwend San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls Mr. Chad Harris Valley Christian High School Titanic DIRECTION: Mr. Mason Kimont Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Ms. Laura DeKraker The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Mr. Chris Fallows Heritage High School Hairspray Ms. Elizabeth Orr Menlo School Spring Awakening Mr. Brad Friedman San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls Mr. Matthew DeMeritt Valley Christian High School Titanic CHOREOGRAPHY: Ms. Whitney Janssen Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Ms. Katie O Bryon The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Ms. Stacey Dempsey Heritage High School Hairspray Ms. Jan Chandler Menlo School Spring Awakening Ms. Robyn Tribuzi San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls Mr. Ted Curry St. Ignatius College Preparatory Damn Yankees MUSICAL DIRECTION: Mr. Richard Wong American High School I Love You Because Ms. Catherine Snider The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Ms. Sue Smart Heritage High School - Hairspray Mr. G. Scott Lacy Pinewood School Dames at Sea Mr. Attilio Tribuzi San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls Mr. Dave Gregoric Valley Christian High School - Titanic STUDENT ORCHESTRA: Mr. Richard Wong American High School I Love You Because Ms. Amie Jan Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Mr. Steve Ernest Heritage High School - Hairspray Mr. Kent Kurrus Menlo-Atherton High School Once Upon a Mattress Mr. Attilio Tribuzi San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls Dr. Dave Gregoric Valley Christian High School Titanic
CHORUS: Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Heritage High School - Hairspray Menlo School Spring Awakening San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls Valley Christian High School Titanic BEST FEATURED ACTRESS/ACTOR: Ryan Ballard (Cinderella s Prince) Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Cristina Jerney (Trix the Aviatrix) The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Laurel Jones (Prudy Pingleton, Gym Teacher & Prison Matron) Heritage High School Hairspray Kaeomakana Tiwanak (Lefou) Irvington High School Beauty and the Beast Morgan Locke (Meg Giry) Presentation High School The Phantom of the Opera Shelby Miguel (Gloria) St. Ignatius College Preparatory Damn Yankees BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mandy McDonell (Cinderella) Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Lauren Pinzás (The Drowsy Chaperone) The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Cassie Demsher (Penny Pingleton) Heritage High School Hairspray Chelsea Meacham (Miss Adelaide) San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls Alexis Garrett (Kate McGowen) Valley Christian High School Titanic Melina Rapazzini (Alice Beane) Valley Christian High School Titanic BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Govinda Dasu (Adolpho) The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Jacob Reuben Rosenberg (Moonface Martin) Jewish Community High School Anything Goes Zachary W. Abt (King Sextimus the Silent) Menlo-Atherton High School Once Upon a Mattress Brett Caplan (Moritz) Menlo School Spring Awakening Talmage Wise (The Captain) Pinewood School Dames at Sea Aaron Fore (Benny Southstreet) San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls BEST LEADING ACTOR: Trent Brunngraber (The Baker) Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Tristan Killeen (Man in Chair) The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Marcus Lance (Link Larkin) Heritage High School Hairspray Andrew Klingelhofer (Melchior) Menlo School Spring Awakening Michael Louladakis (Phantom) Presentation High School The Phantom of the Opera Nicholas Wetherbee (Sky Masterson) San Mateo High School Guys and Dolls Tyler Reynolds (Thomas Andrews) Valley Christian High School - Titanic
BEST LEADING ACTRESS: Jenni Chapman (The Baker s Wife) Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Aurora Real De Asua (Audrey) Castilleja School Little Shop of Horrors Noel Witcosky (Janet Van De Graff) The Harker School The Drowsy Chaperone Zinah Abraha (Tracy Turnblad) Heritage High School Hairspray Hanna Berggren (Princess Winnifred) Menlo-Atherton High School Once Upon a Mattress Andie Huebsch (Ruby) Pinewood School Dames at Sea Mary Anderson (Christine) Presentation High School The Phantom of the Opera STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNICAL THEATRE: Julianna Roy (Stage Manager) Archbishop Mitty High School Into the Woods Abbey Strauss (Hair Design) Heritage High School Hairspray Tina Huynh (Stage Manager) Irvington High School Beauty and the Beast Helen Jarnagin (Stage Manager) Pinewood School Dames at Sea Rachel Whelan (Stage Manager) Presentation High School The Phantom of the Opera Kathrin Neyzberg (Stage Manager) San Mateo High School Guys & Dolls Nick Lawrie (Stage Manager) St. Ignatius College Preparatory Damn Yankees Jack Griffin (Set Builder & Designer) Valley Christian High School Titanic Chris Gregory (Student Tech Director) Woodside Priory High School Beauty and the Beast BEST OVERALL PRODUCTION: Into the Woods Archbishop Mitty High School The Drowsy Chaperone The Harker School Hairspray Heritage High School Dames at Sea Pinewood School The Phantom of the Opera Presentation High School Guys & Dolls San Mateo High School Titanic Valley Christian High School TOP HONOR NOMINATIONS BY PRODUCTION: (14) Heritage High School (14) Archbishop Mitty High School (14) San Mateo High School (14) Valley Christian High School (11) The Harker School (10) Presentation High School (10) Pinewood School (7) Menlo School (5) St. Ignatius College Preparatory (4) American High School (4) Menlo-Atherton High School (2) Irvington High School (2) Woodside Priory High School (1) Castilleja School (1) Jewish Community High School