Lyric Stage presented the 16th annual Schmidt & Jones Awards honoring high school musical theatre on May 6 at Moody Performance Hall, with students giving riveting performances.
Scott Guenther, Lyric Stage’s managing and co-artistic director, said, “Developed in 2010, this award is named after renowned composer Harvey Schmidt and lyricist Tom Jones to honor excellence in high school musical theatre across Dallas-Fort Worth. These students are exceptionally talented.”
Schmidt and Jones Awards Panel
A panel of judges, consisting of theatre educators and professional theatre artists, viewed dozens of productions of the accepted applicants from schools in Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties. The panel made nominations and then voted to determine winners. The directors of participating schools also received written production evaluations.
The judging panel, adjudicating and awards are organized and led by Amy Stevenson, director of the Schmidt and Jones Awards. She is well-known and respected in Dallas-Fort Worth as both an artist and educator.
Schmidt and Jones Awards Winners
The winners: Best Actor in a Lead Role- Maxwell Nelson as Sweeney Todd in Grapevine HS “Sweeney Todd.” Best Actress in a Lead Role: Roslyn Ackermann as Mrs. Lovett, Grapevine HS “Sweeney Todd.”
Supporting Actor: Matthew Grand as Fester Adams in Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts “The Addams Family.” Supporting Actress: Sienna Dudding as Medda Larkin in Grapevine Faith Christian School “Newsies.”
Actor in a Minor Role: Brett Martin as Lurch in Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, “The Addams Family.” Actress in a Minor Role: Kimora Caldwell as Grandma Addams in Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts “The Addams Family.”
Male Ensemble Performer: Manny Gonzalez as Multiple Characters in Lakeview Centennial High School, “Little Shop.” Female Ensemble Performer: Avery Graham as Rose Seller, Orphan, Dancer in Liberty Christian School “Oliver.”
Best Stage Manager: Emmerson Biddick, Denton Guyer High School, “Hadestown.” Best Choreography: Presley Anderson and Gigi Plisga, Liberty Christian School “Oliver.” Best Lighting Design: Olivia Assay, Anissa Campos, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, “The Addams Family,” and Cooper Hardeman, Parish Episcopal School, “Chicago.”
Best Scenic Design: Ashritta Sathish, Tsering Sherpa, Coppell High School, Matilda. Best Costume Design: Morgan Akins, Nyilah McDaniel, Jaden Devezin, Cedar Hill High School, Something Rotten.
Best Orchestra: Rockwall Heath High School, Les Miserables; Best Ensemble: Denton Guyer High School – Hadestown; Best Show: Grapevine High School, Sweeney Todd.
Lyric Stage
A Dallas-based 501c3 not-for-profit professional musical theatre company, Lyric Stage was established in 1993 with the mission of the development and preservation of the musical, a unique art form. In its thirty-year history, Lyric Stage has produced over 125 productions, which include 21 world-premiere musicals and 2 Off-Broadway shows. For more information, please visit lyricstage.org.
Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones
Native Texans Harvey Schmidt (composer) and Tom Jones (lyricist) are, perhaps, most known as the creators of the longest running show in the history of the American theatre, The Fantasticks, which ran Off-Broadway for 42 years and 17,162 performances.
In addition to an Obie Award and a special Tony Award for The Fantasticks, Schmidt and Jones were inducted into the Broadway Hall of Fame at the Gershwin Theatre, and their “stars” were added to the Off-Broadway Walk Of Fame outside the Lucille Lortel Theatre. In 2012, they were inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and in December of 2017 they received the Oscar Hammerstein Award.
