What a night in Denver! Latinos Win DCPA Bobby G. Theatrical Award

Article and Photos by Joe Contreras, Latin Life Denver Media (see photo gallery below)

What a night! The excitement, joy and anticipation was at a fever pitch as hundreds of Colorado high school theatrical students, their parents and teachers packed the Buell Theater at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts for the 4th Annual Bobby G. Awards.

Various parts of the audience roared as their school name and theatrical production were announced. It was like the state championships for a sporting event but yet with the elegance and professionalism of the Tony Awards on Broadway.  Awards were presented in a variety of categories from lighting design to choreography to “outstanding Achievement in Direction” and many others. (see complete list of nominees and winners below)

Bobby G Awards DCPA May 26, 2016 (97)

Who would win for “Outstanding Performance by an Actor and Actress in a leading role” and be awarded the honor to represent Colorado at The National High School Musical Theatre Awards  to be held June 27 at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway in New York City.

Bobby G Awards DCPA May 26, 2016 (112)

The awards would go to Charlotte Movizzo and Curtis SalingerCharlotte Movizzo played Charity Hope Valentine in Ponderosa High School’s production of Sweet Charity. Curtis Salinger played Emmett Forrest in Durango High School’s production of Legally Blonde.

Mountain View High School won the “Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical” for “Anything Goes”

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Latino students also made a strong showing. Corey Baca and Andre Rodriquez from Westminster High School won the Bobby G. Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design” for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”  Lucas Sanchez from Mountain View High School was nominated in the same category for “Anything Goes”  as were Jane Archuleta and Sammy Perez from Brighton High School for their work in “Tarzan”. Lauren Rocha, also from Brighton High School, was nominated for “Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” for her performance as Kala in “Tarzan”.

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The Bobby G Awards, named for Broadway touring pioneer Robert Garner, is both a local high school musical theatre celebration and a participant in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards every spring in New York City.

Private and public high school musical theatre programs in Colorado are invited to have their shows adjudicated by professional theatre experts. Participating schools receive detailed feedback on their musical production and may be nominated for the annual awards show, modeled after the Tony Awards and held in The Buell Theatre.

Bobby G Awards DCPA May 26, 2016 (33)

The awards ceremony includes performances from all shows nominated for Outstanding Overall Production and a medley featuring all nominees for Outstanding Performance by an Actor or Actress in a Leading Role. Students and educators also are honored in the areas of performance, design, direction, choreography, technical production and overall production excellence. And, the male and female winners for Outstanding Performance by an Actor or Actress in a Leading Role will travel to New York to represent Colorado at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Schools will also receive discounted tickets and a Q&A session with cast and crew members at a select performance of an upcoming DCPA Broadway performance at The Buell, and one personal master class session with an Education theatre teacher.

2016 BOBBY G AWARD NOMINEES

AWARD RECIPIENTS IN BOLD

Outstanding  Achievement in Hair and Make-up Design

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Kendall Mesch

Beauty and the Beast

Boulder High School

Austin Sabala

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Marrisa Hadden

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Skylar Arterburn & Owen Nuss

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Averi Davis & Emma Smith

 

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design

Beauty and the Beast

Boulder High School

Harrison Haggas, Chaney McCulloch, Shelly Cox-Robie & Chris Sweeney

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Jimmy Miller & Katya Zabelski

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

MaryV Benoit & Lara Kirksey

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Jen Bleem, Cindy Sipes & Lauryn Starke

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Molly Merewether, Teri Nydegger, Amy Sares & Denise Wood

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Whitney Larson & Kayli Porterfield

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Yasmin Farsad

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Lenora Grant   & Caleb Werkmeister

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Jude Franco & Tanner Friar

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Mallory Hart & Katherine Yates

Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design

Tarzan

Brighton High School

Jane Archuleta, Nick Dibbern, Phil Lollar & Sammy Perez

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Jack Hagen, Yuuki Hashimoto & Caleb Nghe

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Shailyn Clay, Tyler King, Rebecca Reynolds & Lucas Sanchez

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Westminster High School

Corey Baca, Brandon PT Davis & Andre Rodriguez

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Mallory Hart, Riley Hoffman & Rhys Holton

Outstanding Achievement in Choreography

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Angie Dryer

Tarzan

Brighton High School

Leigh Miller & Lindsey Solano

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Ronni Gallup

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Bailey Friar  & Tammy Johnson

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Karen Cassel & Emma Sappey

Outstanding Achievement in Musical Direction

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Chris Maunu & Craig Melhorn

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Michael Bizzaro & Travis Keller

Company

Fort Collins High School

Kaitlin Miles

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Phil Forman, Bryan Kettlewell  & Peter Toews

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Brian Cook, Charles Craig & Vicki Duckworth

 

 Outstanding Performance by a Chorus

Les Misérables

Arvada West  High School

Tarzan

Brighton High School

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Beauty and the Beast

Boulder High School

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Tarzan

Brighton High School

Lauren Rocha

Kala

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Tilly Leeder

Vivienne Kensington

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Senora Robinson

Serena

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway)

Legend High School

Hannah Jones

Gabrielle

Mary Poppins

Valor Christian High School

Elleon Dobias

Miss Andrew

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Beauty and the Beast

Boulder High School

Marcos Ospina

Lumiere

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Jimmy Bruenger

Hanschen

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Jacob Sadow

Harry the Horse

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Brandon Warren

Nicely-Nicely Johnson

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway)

Legend High School

Michael Mathey

Jean-Michel

Rising Star

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Matti Guillette

Margot

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Jenna Szczech

Pilar

Company

Fort Collins High School

Audrey Smith

Sarah

Mary Poppins

Valor Christian High School

Abby Lehrer

Bird Woman

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

John Kibozi

Levi

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Sienna Sewell

Sarah Brown

Anything Goes

Glenwood Springs High School

Abbie Cheney

Reno Sweeney

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

Savannah Wood

Reno Sweeney

Sweet Charity

Ponderosa High School

Charlotte Movizzo

Charity Hope Valentine

Legally Blonde

Steamboat Springs High School

Keala Fraioli

Elle Woods

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Danny Miller

Jean Valjean

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Garrett Charles

Javert

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Michael Kosko

Moritz

Legally Blonde

Durango High School

Curtis Salinger

Emmett Forrest

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Jacob Pearce

Nathan Detroit

Outstanding Achievement in Direction

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

Lindsey Welsh

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Jimmy Miller

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Shawn Hann

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Lanny Boyer & Janice Vlachos

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Wheat Ridge High School

Brian Cook, Annie Dwyer &

Tom Mullin

Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical

Les Misérables

Arvada West High School

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Cherry Creek High School

Spring Awakening

Denver School of the Arts

Guys and Dolls

Fairview High School

Anything Goes

Mountain View High School

 Special Achievement Award Recipients

Outstanding Special Achievement in

Costumes

Young Frankenstein

D’Evelyn High School

Annie Trumble

Outstanding Special Achievement in Student Direction

The Sound of Music

Niwot High School

Shu Lee & Aurora Vadas-Arendt

Outstanding Special Achievement in Orchestra

Beauty and the Beast

Vista PEAK Preparatory

Tristana Whetten

For more information on The Bobby G Awards: BobbyGAwards.org

For more information on The National High School Musical Theatre Awards: nhsmta.com

Photos by Joe Contreras, Latin Life Denver Media – 720-855-8410