CAPA Announces Nominees in All 13 High School Musical Theatre Categories for the 2023 CAPA Marquee Awards Presented by American Electric Power Foundation

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) today announced the nominees in all 13 categories of the 2023 CAPA Marquee Awards presented by American Electric Power Foundation. Designed to recognize and celebrate the wealth of high-caliber musical theatre talent in central Ohio, this year-long, educational program offers selected high schools the opportunity to participate in professional theatre education activities throughout the school year.

During the 2022-23 school year, each of the 18 participating central Ohio high schools also submitted a musical theatre production for review by the program’s team of professional adjudicators. The team provided educationally focused feedback and evaluated students/productions for a CAPA Marquee Award in the categories of Best Musical Production, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Direction, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Dance Execution, Outstanding Student Orchestra, and Outstanding Technical Execution. Adjudicators separately evaluated hard-copy nominations in the categories of Backstage Excellence, Outstanding Student Designer, and National Student Reporter.

Nominees for the 2023 CAPA Marquee Awards are:

National Student Reporter Sponsored by WBNS-10TV

• Gigi O’Dorisio, Bishop Watterson High School
• Kathyrn Mowery, Westerville South High School

Outstanding Student Orchestra Sponsored by The DiMarco Family Fund of The Columbus Foundation

• Bishop Watterson High School, Damn Yankees
• Grove City High School, Once Upon a Mattress
• New Albany High School, Mamma Mia!
• Olentangy Berlin High School, The Addams Family
• Upper Arlington High School, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Backstage Excellence Sponsored by ImprovEdge

• Directing & Stage Management Crew, Bishop Watterson High School, Damn Yankees
• Stage Crew, Olentangy Berlin High School, The Addams Family
• Set & Props Crew, Olentangy Orange High School, The SpongeBob Musical
• Technical Crew, Thomas Worthington High School, Seussical
• Stage Managers & Crew Leads, Upper Arlington High School, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Outstanding Student Designer Sponsored by The Pam and Jack Beeler Family Fund of The Columbus Foundation

• Benjamin Coughlin, Olentangy Berlin High School, Lighting Design, The Addams Family
• Maddy DeMuzio, Olentangy Liberty High School, Costume Design, Anastasia: The Musical
• Toby Foley, Bishop Watterson High School, Lighting Design, Damn Yankees
• Frances Pavell, Bishop Watterson High School, Costume Design, Damn Yankees
• Hayley Spry, Groveport Madison High School, Lighting Design, Monty Python’s Spamalot (School Edition)

Outstanding Technical Execution Sponsored by Mary Beth and Luke McCormick

• Bishop Watterson High School, Damn Yankees, Stage Managers: Delilah Britain, Amelia Dehl & Jason Thomas
• Olentangy Liberty High School, Anastasia: The Musical, Stage Manager: Vanessa Adams
• Olentangy Orange High School, The SpongeBob Musical, Stage Manager: Bryn Mosure
• Upper Arlington High School, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Stage Manager: Taylor Speas
• Worthington Christian School, A Year with Frog and Toad, Stage Manager: Katelyn Szczygiel-Hicks

Best Actor in a Supporting Role Sponsored by Johnson Investment Counsel

• Ryan Buckley, Thomas Worthington High School, Mr. Mayor in Seussical
• Elliot Hattemer, Upper Arlington High School, Cogsworth in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
• Grey Kuhl, Pickerington High School Central, Lurch in The Addams Family
• Bennett Ladowitz, Pickerington High School North, George in Kinky Boots
• Cody Law, Bishop Watterson High School, Benny Van Buren in Damn Yankees

Best Actress in a Supporting Role Sponsored By Huntington

• Marciya Beasley, Eastmoor Academy High School, Andrea Devereaux in Once on This Island
• Kim’mya Byrd-Green, Eastmoor Academy High School, Mama Euralie in Once on This Island
• Gracie Clark, Upper Arlington High School, Babette in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
• Charlotte Larsen, Thomas Worthington High School, Sour Kangaroo in Seussical
• Ryann Schindler, Licking Heights High School, Cindy/Nurse 1 in Catch Me If You Can

Outstanding Dance Execution Sponsored by Cardinal Health

• Bishop Watterson High School, Damn Yankees
• Eastmoor Academy High School, Once on This Island
• Olentangy Berlin High School, The Addams Family
• Pickerington High School Central, The Addams Family
• Pickerington High School North, Kinky Boots

Outstanding Ensemble Sponsored by Fifth Third Bank

• Bishop Watterson High School, Damn Yankees
• Eastmoor Academy High School, Once on This Island
• Olentangy Berlin High School, The Addams Family
• Pickerington High School North, Kinky Boots
• Westerville South High School, The Addams Family

Best Direction Sponsored by Denison University

• Allen DeCarlo-Boyd, Pickerington High School North, Kinky Boots
• Seth Harms, Eastmoor Academy High School, Once on This Island
• Liz O’Dorisio, Bishop Watterson High School, Damn Yankees
• Daniel Skrovan, Olentangy Liberty High School, Anastasia: The Musical
• Cathy Swain-Abrams, Olentangy Orange High School, The SpongeBob Musical

Best Actor in a Leading Role Sponsored by Danbert, Inc.

• Mekhi Adika, Grove City School, Minstrel in Once Upon a Mattress
• Tylen Gordon, Eastmoor Academy High School, Papa Ge in Once on This Island
• Ayden Kerg, Licking Heights High School, Carl Hanratty in Catch Me If You Can
• Peter Stoycos, Westerville South High School, Gomez Addams in The Addams Family
• Christian Strong, Pickerington High School North, Lola in Kinky Boots

Best Actress in a Leading Role Sponsored by White Castle

• Mekhiah Ellis, Pickerington High School Central, Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family
• Helena Engberg, Olentangy High School, Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
• Lizzie Gill, Dublin Coffman High School, Katherine in Newsies
• Gabrielle Morrison, Olentangy Berlin High School, Morticia Addams in The Addams Family
• KK Murphy, Upper Arlington High School, Mrs. Potts in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Best Musical Production

• Bishop Watterson High School, Damn Yankees
• Licking Heights High School, Catch Me If You Can
• Olentangy Berlin High School, The Addams Family
• Pickerington High School North, Kinky Boots
• Westerville South High School, The Addams Family

The CAPA Marquee Awards will culminate in a live student showcase at the Ohio Theatre on Thursday, May 25, at 7:30 pm. The event will announce the winners of each category and include performances from the nominees for Best Musical Production, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Actress in a Leading Role, as well as opening and closing numbers that incorporate nominated students from participating high schools. A student technical team will also work backstage.

Tickets are $15 for students and $25 for adults and can be purchased in-person at the CBUSArts Ticket Center at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.), online at www.CAPAMarqueeAwards.com or www.CBUSArts.com or by phone at (614) 469-0939.

Students selected as Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Leading Role will be designated as official Jimmy Award® nominees for “Jimmys Week,” a week-long theatre intensive led by Broadway professionals and industry experts, and compete on the national level for the 2023 Jimmy Awards® for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress.

About The Jimmy Awards® /The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®)

The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts more than 140,000 students who participate in 48 regional high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $6 million in educational scholarships. Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, Inc., the NHSMTA invites one Best Actress and one Best Actor nominee from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a week-long theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals.

Nominees will spend one week (June 18-27) in New York City and their efforts throughout the week will lead to one extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on the Broadway stage. The 14th annual Jimmy Awards will take place on Monday, June 26 at the Minskoff Theatre. For more information, please visit www.JimmyAwards.com.