Playhouse Square hosted thespians from three dozen high schools over the weekend, honoring excellence in student theater with the Dazzle Awards.
Established in 2016, the awards are affiliated with the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, nicknamed the Jimmy Awards for theater producer James M. Nederlander. In Northeast Ohio, they are open to both public and private schools in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties.
Magnificat in Rocky River took home three trophies Saturday, while Hudson High School won four. Hudson Senior Lindsey Ross won Best Actress for her role as the Baker鈥檚 Wife in 鈥淚nto the Woods.鈥�
鈥淚 was in a complete state of shock,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y sister said I was in shell shock. I can鈥檛 even remember mostly what happened.鈥�
Ross will represent Northeast Ohio .
鈥淚t definitely opens a lot of doors,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he connections I hear you make at the Jimmys are crazy. And the people you meet, it鈥檚 going to be insane.鈥�
Ross will be joined in New York by Kyle McFalls of the Akron School for the Arts at Firestone Community Learning Center, who won Best Actor for playing the lead in The SpongeBob Musical.
Saturday鈥檚 ceremony at the KeyBank State Theatre included performances from the six schools nominated for Best Musical as well as medleys from the Best Actor and Actress nominees. Students selected as apprentices worked backstage or alongside professional musicians during the ceremony.
The 2024 Dazzle Awards recipients are:
Best Student Orchestra: Hudson High School, Into the Woods鈥�
Best Technical Execution: Lutheran High School West, Curtains (school edition)
Best Scenic Design: Hudson High School, Into the Woods鈥�
Best Costume Design: Avon Lake High School, Disney鈥檚 The Little Mermaid鈥�
Best Choreography Execution: Magnificat High School, 鈥淭he Addams Family鈥� (school edition)
Best Ensemble/Chorus: Magnificat High School, 鈥淭he Addams Family鈥� (school edition)
Best Supporting Actor [tie]:
Aidan Moll, University School (Douglas Panch in 鈥淭he 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee鈥�)
Charlie Pinter, Magnificat High School (Lurch in 鈥淭he Addams Family鈥� (school edition))
Best Supporting Actress: Ananya Yadati, Hathaway Brown School (Glinda in 鈥淭he Wiz鈥�)
Best Actor: Kyle McFalls, The Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (SpongeBob SquarePants in 鈥淭he SpongeBob Musical鈥�)
Best Actress: Lindsey Ross, Hudson High School (Baker鈥檚 Wife in 鈥淚nto the Woods鈥�)
Best Musical (Tier 1 鈥� Budget less than $13,000): Lutheran High School West, 鈥淐urtains鈥� (school edition)
Best Musical (Tier 2 鈥� Budget $13,000 or more): Hudson High School, 鈥淚nto the Woods鈥�
The Spirit of the Dazzle Awards: Rylee Horowitz, The Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC
