Blumenthal Arts Announces the 2024 Blumey Awards Nominees

May 7, 2024 (Charlotte, NC) – Blumenthal Arts is pleased to announce the nominees competing in the 11th Annual High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Blumey Awards, presented by Bank of America, on Sunday, May 26 at the Belk Theater.

 

The Blumey Awards program recognizes and celebrates the best in high school musical theater and fosters even greater achievements in the future. Winners will be announced at The Blumey Awards Ceremony on May 26 at 7 pm in the Belk Theater.

 

Award-winning TV news anchor and reporter, Brigida Mack, will return to host the black-tie event. Last year’s Best Actress and Best Actor winners, Katie Ruttenberg and Lance Toppin, will present this year’s Best Actress and Best Actor awards, in addition to presenters and Blumey Award alumni Amina Faye (SIX national tour), Liam Pearce (Broadway’s How to Dance in Ohio), Eli Dills (University of North Carolina School of the Arts Scenic Design student), and Broadway Dreams’ Nicholas Rodriguez (Broadway’s Company, Tarzan).

 

“The Blumey Awards is among the very best in Blumenthal Arts programming since our doors opened in 1992,” said Blumenthal Arts President and CEO Tom Gabbard. “The program has had a positive impact on thousands of young lives.

 

“When we invest in our students and foster industry connections, the opportunities to achieve extraordinary things are endless.”

 

Like the Tony Awards®, The Blumey Awards Ceremony will feature a performance by each of the six nominated schools in the best musical category, a medley of performances by the six finalists for Best Actor and for Best Actress, and an opening and closing number that features two students from each of the 50 participating schools.

 

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The New York–based creative team will include Broadway composer and Grammy-nominated orchestrator David Dabbon (Broadway’s Beetlejuice, Funny Girl, Disaster!, and others), music director since the inaugural Blumey Awards ceremony in 2012, returning as conductor, music director, and arranger. Reagan Casteel (Broadway’s Once Upon a One More Time, Dancin’) will join the team this year as music director and arranger. Director and choreographer Deirdre Goodwin (Broadway’s A Chorus Line, Chicago) will choreograph the event. 

The two students named Best Actor and Best Actress at The Blumey Awards will receive an all-expenses-paid trip and weeklong stay in New York City where they will train and compete with other regional winners in The National High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards® (named after famed Broadway producer, James M. Nederlander). The national show and ceremony take place on June 24, 2024.

 

The Blumey Awards celebrated 10 years at a fundraising event on January 13, 2024, at which $225k was raised for the Blumey Inspire Fund, a new initiative that will make access to high-quality arts education equitable for high school students in Charlotte. The fund will bolster Blumenthal’s education programs, namely the Blumey Awards. At the event, Blumenthal announced Bank of America as the new title sponsor of the 2024 Blumey Awards.

 

"Bank of America is a longtime partner of Blumenthal Arts and is proud to support the 2024 Blumey Awards. The Arts are pivotal to a thriving city, and we are proud to sponsor an organization bringing musical theater coaching, support, and recognition to students, staff and schools across our community," said Grace Nystrum, Charlotte Market Executive for Bank of America.

 

Nominees for the 2024 Blumey Awards:

 

Best Student Orchestra 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Hickory Ridge High School – Matilda the Musical
Mooresville High School – Oklahoma!
Northwest School of the Arts School – Legally Blonde the Musical
Providence High School – Mean Girls High School Edition
South Mecklenburg High School – Sister Act

 

Best Student Reporter

Central Academy of Technology & Arts – Brody Martin

Jesse C. Carson High School – McKenna Anderson
West Cabarrus High School – Aminah Imran

William A. Hough High School – Reese Peters
 

Best Student Stage Manager

Catawba Ridge High School – Katherine Vidonic – Cinderella (Concord Broadway)

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Sophie DiBella – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Charlotte Country Day School – Abby Wood – Bonnie and Clyde

Hopewell High School – Chloe Carper – Cinderella (Concord Broadway)

Myers Park High School – Ella Thompson – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

North Lincoln High School – Emily Curry – Beauty and the Beast
 

Best Student Set Designer

Ardrey Kell High School – Charlie Peterson – Anastasia

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Gabby Laatz – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Concord Academy – Nate Fisher – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Gaston Day School – Jerry Scola – You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised)

North Lincoln High School – Austin Howell – Beauty and the Beast

Providence Day School – April Liu – Freaky Friday

 

Best Student Costume Designer

Ardrey Kell High School – Maryam Heram – Anastasia

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Madison McLeod – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Concord Academy – Lainey Gaston – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Cuthbertson High School – Julianna Walker – The Addams Family School Edition

Hickory Ridge High School – Jaz Matula – Matilda the Musical
North Lincoln High School – Alaina Binger – Beauty and the Beast

 

Best Choreography Execution 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Central Cabarrus High School – Pippin
Concord Academy –Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Hickory Ridge High School – Matilda the Musical
Northwest School of the Arts School – Legally Blonde the Musical
Weddington High School – Matilda the Musical

 

Best Ensemble/Chorus 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Central Cabarrus High School – Pippin

Charlotte Country Day School – Bonnie and Clyde
Concord Academy – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Northwest School of the Arts School – Legally Blonde the Musical
Weddington High School – Matilda the Musical

 

Best Overall Direction 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Central Cabarrus High School – Pippin
Charlotte Country Day School – Bonnie and Clyde
Concord Academy – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
North Lincoln High School – Beauty and the Beast
Weddington High School – Matilda the Musical

 

Best Featured Performer 

Carmel Christian School – Sasha Mashchenko as Ballet Lead – Anastasia
Concord Academy – Lola Ugale as Mrs. Potiphar – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Hickory Ridge High School – Hannah Pompei as Mrs. Phelps – Matilda the Musical
Piedmont Community Charter – Logan Liles as Chef Louis – Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Weddington High School – Callum Bridgers as Escapologist/Doctor – Matilda the Musical
Westminster Catawba Christian School – Alyssa Robinson as Girl in the Green Dress – Singin’ in the Rain

 

Best Supporting Actor 

Carmel Christian School – Caeden Moore as Vlad – Anastasia
Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Drew Webster as Fedya Dolokhov – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Central Cabarrus High School – Jack Fowler as Charles – Pippin
East Mecklenburg High School – Braeden Gammons as Aaron Samuels – Mean Girls High School Edition
Mooresville High School – Jacob Newman as Jud Fry – Oklahoma!
North Lincoln High School – Harold Garcia as LeFou – Beauty and the Beast

 

Best Supporting Actress 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Haley Ciaramella as Sonya Rostova – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Charlotte Country Day School – Sabrina McGovern as Blanche Barrow – Bonnie and Clyde
East Mecklenburg High School – Madison McNeill as Karen Smith – Mean Girls High School Edition
Indian Land High School – Ariel Roundtree as Audrey II – Little Shop of Horrors
South Mecklenburg High School – Suzie Busby as Sister Mary Lazarus – Sister Act
Weddington High School – Elle Blamy as Mrs. Wormwood – Matilda the Musical

 

Wells Fargo Best Musical – Tier 1 

Central Cabarrus High School – Pippin
East Mecklenburg High School – Mean Girls
Weddington High School – Matilda the Musical

 

Wells Fargo Best Musical – Tier 2 

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Concord Academy – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
North Lincoln High School – Beauty and the Beast

 

Best Actor

A.L. Brown High School – Rylan Lowe as Shakespeare – Something Rotten!

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Cade Helms as Pierre Bezukhov – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Charlotte Country Day School – Jack Cooper as Clyde – Bonnie and Clyde

Concord Academy – Eli Fischer as Joseph – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Fort Mill High School – Liam Escalante as Lumiere – Beauty and the Beast

Weddington High School – Jackson Jedelsky as Mr. Wormwood – Matilda the Musical
 

Best Actress

Central Academy of Technology and Arts – Sophia Davison as Natasha Rostova – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Central Cabarrus High School – Mycah Smith as Leading Player – Pippin

Concord Academy – Lainey Gaston as Narrator – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Gaston Day School – Tilly McDaniel as Lucy – You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised)

North Lincoln High School – Riley Washco as Belle – Beauty and the Beast

Northwest School of the Arts –Gracie Bryant as Paulette – Legally Blonde The Musical

 

The schools competing include:

NAME OF SCHOOL	NAME OF MUSICAL
Charlotte Country Day School	Bonnie and Clyde
East Mecklenburg High School	Mean Girls High School Edition
Gaston Day School	You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised)
Charlotte Christian School	Tarzan
Shelby High School	9 to 5 The Musical
Hickory Ridge High	Matilda the Musical
Charlotte Latin School	Mean Girls High School Edition
Gaston Christian School	Disney's The Little Mermaid
Davidson Day School	Something Rotten!
Kings Mountain High School	The Addams Family
South Mecklenburg High School	Sister Act
East Lincoln High School	The Spongebob Musical
Porter Ridge High School	The Spongebob Musical
Ardrey Kell High School	Anastasia
Cuthbertson High School	The Addams Family School Edition
Weddington High School	Matilda the Musical
Christ the King Catholic High School	Seussical the Musical
Concord Academy	Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Pine Lake Preparatory	Matilda the Musical
Charlotte Catholic High School	Phantom of the Opera
A.L. Brown High School	Something Rotten!
Carmel Christian School	Anastasia
Fort Mill High School	Beauty and the Beast
Hopewell High School	Cinderella (Concord Broadway)
Lake Norman High School	Tuck Everlasting
Northwest Cabarrus High School	Nunsense: The Mega-Musical Version
Northwestern High School	Mamma Mia!
Central Academy of Technology and Arts	Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Cox Mill High School	The Spongebob Musical
North Lincoln High School	Beauty and the Beast
William A Hough	Seussical the Musical
Westminster Catawba Christian School	Singin' in the Rain
Northwest School of the Arts	Legally Blonde The Musical
West Cabarrus High School	The Wizard of Oz
Providence Day School	Freaky Friday
Central Cabarrus High School	Pippin
Jesse C. Carson High School	The Addams Family School Edition
Highland School of Technology	Mamma Mia!
Lincolnton High School	Sister Act
Catawba Ridge High School	Cinderella (Concord Broadway)
Myers Park High School	The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
North Gaston High School	Little Shop of Horrors
David W. Butler High School	Young Frankenstein
Liberty Preparatory Christian Academy	Into The Woods
Mooresville High School	Oklahoma!
Piedmont Community Charter School	Disney's The Little Mermaid
Indian Land High School	Little Shop of Horrors
Parkwood High School	Freaky Friday
Rocky River High School	Once On This Island
Providence High	Mean Girls High School Edition

Blumenthal Arts thanks title sponsor Bank of America, The Doctor Family Foundation, Peg and Jay Adamczyk, and The Leon Levine Foundation for their support, as well as PAGE Power Systems for sponsoring Best Student Set Designer and Wells Fargo for sponsoring Best Ensemble/Chorus.

For more information: BlumenthalArts.org/BlumeyAwards.

ABOUT BLUMENTHAL ARTS
Blumenthal Arts serves the Carolinas as a leading cultural, entertainment, and education not-for-profit. For more information, call (704) 372-1000 or visit BlumenthalArts.org. Blumenthal Arts receives support from the Infusion Fund and the North Carolina Arts Council. Generous support is also provided by PNC Bank, sponsor of the PNC Broadway Lights series, and Equitable, sponsor of the Equitable Bravo Series.

 

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