By Hannah E. Jones
It was a night full of glitz and glamour for Georgia’s high school musical theater performers.
On Thursday, April 20, students from 39 schools across 17 Georgia districts gathered at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center for the 2023 Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards — also known as the Shuler Awards. A night fashioned after Broadway’s Tony Awards, the young performers were hoping to be named as one of 18 award winners.
This annual competition is hosted by the ArtsBridge Foundation, a nonprofit that serves as the arts education arm of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, and was broadcast live on GPB-TV. The event was hosted by its namesake, Marietta native, actor and singer Shuler Hensley.
Now in its fifteenth year, the night felt like one big celebration — with excitement and anticipation radiating from the young performers.
“Since the beginning, the ArtsBridge Foundation has provided high-quality arts education programs to K-12 students, ensuring that all young people in Georgia have access to valuable arts experiences regardless of their circumstances,” Hensley said while kicking off the program. “Tonight, we honor this important work as we celebrate musical theater and the joy it spreads throughout Georgia and around the globe.”
This year, winners spanned 11 schools across seven counties, including:
- Overall Production: Roswell High School for “Bright Star”
- Direction: Trey Rutherford, Roswell High School for “Bright Star”
- Music Direction: Chloe Roney, Denmark High School for “Newsies”
- Orchestra: Jennie Fabianski, Chattahoochee High School for “Chicago”
- Best Performance by a Leading Actress: Emily Marx, Denmark High School in the role of Katharine Pulitzer ‘Plumber’ in “Newsies”
- Best Performance by a Leading Actor: Trever Arnold, Ringgold High School in the role of Jack Kelly in “Newsies”
- Best Performance by a Supporting Performer: Elena Torres of Decatur High School for “9 to 5” and Peyton Nobrega of Milton High School for “Disaster!”
- Best Performance by a Featured Performer: Garret Bye, King’s Ridge Christian School for “All Shook Up”
- Choreography: Sophia Biel and Katie Williams, Starr’s Mill High School for “Anastasia”
- Ensemble: Greenbrier High School for “The Addams Family”
- Costumes: Debbie Prost, Johns Creek High School for “The Little Mermaid”
- Lighting Design: Saachi Bedi, Decatur High School for “9 to 5”
- Scenic Design: Autumn Goode, Emily Kruckow, Joel Carillo and Skye Boutall, Greenbrier High School for “The Addams Family”
- Sound: Steve Harriton, King’s Ridge Christian School for “All Shook Up”
- Technical Execution: Trey Rutherford and Trey Harding, Roswell High School for “Bright Star”
- Showstopper: Greater Atlanta Christian School performing “Revolting Children” from “Matilda”
- Spotlight Award (production design and execution): Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School for “Pippin Revival”
When accepting their awards, the winners looked proud, stunned and exhilarated, with some holding back tears. The same can be said for the eight students selected for over $17,000 in scholarships from ArtsBridge and its partners, ranging from $500 to $5,000. Scholarship awardees include:
- Alliance Theatre Summer Intensive Scholarship ($799): Emily Trapnell, Greenbrier High School
- The Aurora Theatre Summer Scholarship ($650): Sarah Anne Behunin, Mountain View High School
- Broadway Dreams Foundation Summer Intensive Scholarship ($895): Angelique Pierre, Hiram High School
- Dobbs/Berntson Family Educational Excellence Scholarship ($1,000): Angelique Pierre, Hiram High School
- Georgia Ensemble Theatre Scholarship ($600): Catherine Govignon, Calhoun High School
- The James Carlos Family Musical Theatre Performance Scholarship ($5,000): Madison Le, Providence Christian Academy
- Lockstep Technology Group Jimmy Awards Scholarship ($1,250 each): Trever Arnold, Ringgold High School and Emily Marx, Denmark High School
- The Orbit Arts Academy Broadway University Scholarship ($549): Kaylor Jones, Prince Avenue Christian School
- The Rupa Brooks Scholarship ($1,000): Emily Trapnell, Greenbrier High School
- The Samit and Mita Roy Scholarship ($1,250 each): Catherine Govignon, Calhoun High School and Kaylor Jones, Prince Avenue Christian School
Interest in the awards has skyrocketed over the years. Registration opened in November, and a whopping 52 schools signed up in the first 10 minutes. For the ArtsBridge team, this is a reflection of how crucial it is to provide these spaces and opportunities for young, aspiring creatives.
“It’s a testament to what we know is true — the incredible impact of the arts,” Director of Arts Education Elizabeth Lenhart told SaportaReport in a previous interview about the Shuler Awards. “[Art] matters.”
To watch the broadcast in full, click here.
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