Spotlight Shines on DMPS Performers at IHSMT Awards
Emma Wellman of Roosevelt performs on stage at the Civic Center at the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards ceremony.
In 2012, Des Moines Performing Arts launched the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards, a year-long education initiative that honors young musical theater artists for their outstanding achievements. Throughout the school year, performing arts professionals and educators served as adjudicators to review musical productions and offer constructive feedback to each of the participating high schools.
Last night the second annual awards showcase was staged at the Des Moines Civic Center and the hometown team made its presence felt. The following DMPS schools and students were recognized for musical productions during the 2013-14 school year:
Roosevelt High School
Pippin
Honors: Outstanding Musical Production, Outstanding Ensemble
Lincoln High School
Footloose
Honors: Outstanding Scene – “Let’s Hear It for the Boy”
Hoover High School
Anything Goes
Honors: Outstanding Scene – “Friendship”
East High School
Disney’s High School Musical
Honors: Outstanding Scene – “We’re All in This Together”
Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role
- Emma Shafer as “Leading Player” in Pippin, Roosevelt High School
- Emily Sherwood as “Gabriella Montez” in Disney’s High School Musical, East High School
- Max Tensen as “Moonface Martin” in Anything Goes, Hoover High School
Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role
- Caleigh O’Donnell as “Bertha” in Pippin, Roosevelt High School
- Jade Peterson in Songs for a New World, Ankeny Centennial High School
- Travis Reinders as “Lewis” in Pippin, Roosevelt High School
- Emma Wellman as “Catherine” in Pippin, Roosevelt High School
Outstanding Performance as a Featured Dancer
- Isabel Allaway and Julian Gruber in Pippin, Roosevelt High School
Outstanding Achievement in a Creative or Technical Role
- Isabel Allaway, Assistant Choreography, Pippin, Roosevelt High School
- Emily Stavneak and Emma Wellman, Costuming, Pippin, Roosevelt High School
- Addison Williamson, Set, Pippin, Roosevelt High School
Special Recognition for Student Orchestra
- Footloose, Lincoln High School
Special Recognition for Performance in a Leading Role
- Roselin Anukam as “Rusty” in Footloose, Lincoln High School
- Connor Bredbeck as “Pippin” in Pippin, Roosevelt High School
- Julian Gruber as “Pippin” in Pippin, Roosevelt High School
- Jacob Her as “Troy Bolton” in Disney’s High School Musical, East High School
- Jennifer Martin as “Reno Sweeny” in Anything Goes, Hoover High School
- Sam Sides as “Reverend Shaw Moore” in Footloose, Lincoln High School
- Emily Wiese as “Ariel Moore” in Footloose, Lincoln High School
Special Recognition for Performance in a Supporting Role
- Justine Auen as “Vi Moore” in Footloose, Lincoln High School
- Giovanni Bahena as “Willard Hewitt” in Footloose, Lincoln High School
- Fatima Fadel as “Taylor McKessie” in Disney’s High School Musical, East High School
Besides taking bows for roles played during the year that officially ends today many of the students got to strut their stuff on the biggest stage in Iowa during one or more of the live performances that were sprinkled throughout the evening. Just like the Tonys or any of the other major awards showcases, the show opened and closed with elaborate ensemble numbers produced with the help of visiting pros from Broadway who worked with the students during crash course rehearsals over the course of the week leading up to the event. In between, each participating school had the stage to themselves to present medleys of excerpts from the shows that earned them last night’s spotlight.
The showcase is the capstone on the burgeoning partnership between Des Moines Performing Arts and area schools. After a year of educational opportunities ranging from theater fieldtrips @ a buck per student to backstage master classes with touring professional troupes to, finally, last night’s gala, DMPA’s report card rates a B+, as in BRAVO (and then some)!
As for the schools and students named above, put them all down for A’s that stand for AWARDS!
