Celebrating Excellence in High School Musical Theatre

Some of the best of Michigan’s high school musical theatre students are performing together on Sunday, May 12, at Wharton Center for the 8th Annual Sutton Foster Ovation Awards. This award show celebrates Michigan schools’ dedication to the arts, as well as young artists’ work and talent in stage and technical performance. Teachers are also honored for their commitment to and excellence in performing arts education. Tickets to see the Sutton Foster Ovation Award competition are available online; at the Auto-Owners Insurance Ticket Office; or by calling 1.800.WHARTON. High school musical theatre performers from across the state have been nominated by theatre practitioner adjudicators to compete for the coveted Sutton Foster Ovation Award.

These nominees will compete on the Cobb Great Hall stage for Michigan’s Best Actor and Best Actress awards.

The winners will fly to New York City this June in an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (the Jimmy Awards), hosted this year by Ben Platt.

In addition, each will receive free tuition to Wharton Center’s summer Broadway performance workshop, Take It From The Top, and a $1,000 prize. Wharton Center Executive Director Mike Brand says, “The Sutton Foster Ovation Awards are a huge stepping stone for students interested in theatre.

Our 2017 winner for Best Actor, Antonio Cipriano, is now part of the Broadway-bound new musical, Jagged Little Pill; and we couldn’t be prouder. We are excited to see what talents are part of this year’s award show.” The evening will include a selection of Broadway tunes and dances performed by the students, culminating in the final awards ceremony.

The 2019 Sutton Foster Ovation Awards participating students and schools 

• Jonathon LaBelle & Payton Miller
  Armada High School, Armada, MI
• Charlie Binder & Debra Moraitis
  Bloomfield Hills High School, Bloomfield Hills, MI
• Connor Hall & Olivia McMullen
  Brighton High School, Brighton, MI
• Benjamin Neideck & Maryn McConnell
  Clarkston High School, Clarkston, MI
• Travis Ebels & Megan Sorenson
  Coopersville High School, Coopersville, MI
• Zachary Burnham & Brooke Pacifico
  Dakota High School, Macomb, MI
• Chase Purdy & Izzie Tower
   Greenville High School, Greenville, MI
• Emilio Garcia & Gabriela Moncivais
  Grosse Pointe South High School, Grosse Point Farms, MI
• Bobby Conlan & Grace Walsh
• Grosse Pointe South High School, Grosse Point Farms, MI
• Ayden Soupal, Adele Colson & Tori Vanwyck
  Holt High School, Holt, MI
• Sam Wilson & Leah Martin
  Home School Performing Arts, Alto, MI
• Benjamin Dean & Elissa Mockbil
  Howell High School, Howell, MI
• Cole Windiate, Ethan Bach & Kendra Lodewyk
  John Glenn High School, Westland, MI
• Miles Morris & Sarah Nelson
  Milford High School, Highland, MI
• Tolby Busch & Abby Merrifield
  Mount Pleasant High School, Mount Pleasant, MI
• Brady Mills & Kathryn Fulton
  Portage Central High School, Portage, MI
• Eric Liu & Sophie Shrauger
  Rockford High School, Rockford, MI
• David Wedding & Sydney Terry 
  Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy, Saginaw, MI
•  Chiara Wilson
  St. Johns High School, St. Johns, MI
•  Brendan Johnson & Alex Cross
  Swartz Creek High School, Swartz Creek, MI
• Sean Hodges & Alexis Gearty
  Troy High School, Troy, MI
•  Joshua Thomas & Christina Oyinkolade
  Walled Lake Central High School, Walled Lake, MI
• Ever Liedel
  Waterford Kettering High School, Waterford Township, MI

For more information on the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, visit jimmyawards.com.

The Sutton Foster Ovation Awards are presented by Wharton Center for Performing Arts in partnership with Broadway Grand Rapids and Broadway in Detroit, with additional support provided by Nancy Passanante.