The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts buzzed with excitement on Monday evening, June 10, 2024, as hundreds of young people from throughout the National Capital Area gathered to celebrate the achievements of high school theater.
The annual Cappies Gala is the culmination of hundreds of hours for thousands of students, teachers, parents, and community leaders, all gathering to celebrate the contributions of high school theater programs. The 2024 Cappies Gala was hosted by Dr. Tara Taylor of Fairfax County Public Schools and Jack Hopewell, Cappies alumni and star of the National Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. The ceremony also featured a Cappies orchestra, dancers, singers, and spotlight performers from participating schools.
The big winners of the night included West Springfield High School’s Sweeney Todd School Edition and Lake Braddock Secondary School’s Romeo and Juliet. The atmosphere was electric. Every drumroll from the student orchestra was accompanied by hundreds of students in the audience drumming on their laps. The winners leapt to their feet at the sound of their names, then hurried to the microphone to thank their families, friends, teachers, and loved ones.
The most moving acceptance speech of the night came from Female Vocalist Winner Itsuko Scoville from South Lakes High School’s production of Big Fish School Edition. Scoville thanked her mom, teachers, and her beautiful cast mates before concluding with, “..and I would like to say thank you to my father up in heaven because I know that if he were here right now he would have the biggest smile on his face.”
The highlight of every Cappies Gala is the inclusion of songs and scenes from nominated productions. For many attendees, this is the only opportunity to see each other’s work live on stage. Many pieces feature graduating seniors in what will be the final performance of their high school careers, resulting in bittersweet backstage moments. Colgan High School’s performance of “Seasons of Love” from their Cappie-nominated production of Rent School Edition filled the Concert Hall and backstage area with warmth and awe.
West Springfield’s Christopher Seeger earned two Cappies – one for Lead Actor in a Musical and a shared win for Special Effects with Peyton Morales. Seeger’s joy backstage was a stark contrast to his earlier performance as the titular Sweeney Todd when he and his castmates performed the Cappie winning song, “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.” I had the opportunity to speak with Seeger about his wins and the challenge to create the violent depictions of the story – without the use of stage blood. “We tried a lot of things, but we ended up using long red fabric with Velcro at the end so it could go down the back of the costumes, then when I cut their throats I would pull out the piece.” The effect looked even more gruesome than stage blood when paired with the Cappie Award-winning lighting design from Zachary Kearny, and Rakeb Yihunie. He went on to describe the trial and error in finding the perfect fog with the ideal movement and weight to heighten the ominous exposition of the opening number. “We added fog to the casket right before it came on stage, and it would get cold, then when the lid opened it flowed over the side and into the audience.” Seeger will attend Shenandoah University next year to pursue Theater.
Cappies alumni return each year to the star studded Gala including Alani Kravitz, Theatre Teacher at Yorktown High School with an impressive production of Les Miserables School Edition. “It’s Yorktown’s first year in the Cappies, and I am thrilled to be back to High School Theater Prom! I was a Cappies Critic and Singer and it absolutely made my high school experience. It’s incredible to see how the talent and commitment has grown over the years, and to see all the students be so kind and supportive to each other. Long live the Cappies!”
The Cappies was founded by Bill Strauss and Judy Bowns in 1999 as a Critics Awards Program recognizing High School Theater. The program provides training and writing opportunities to critic teams at participating high schools, equipping them with the critical skills to write reviews about theatrical productions. Those critics then vote for the top nominees in selected categories with the winners announced in a spectacular gala at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The organization grew from its inception in the National Capital Area to include programs throughout the United States and Canada.
The 2024 Cappies Nominees are as follows, with Cappie Award winners in bold.
Andy Mays Rising Critic
Julie Kessel | Albert Einstein High School
Madelyn Regan | Centreville High School
Alden Walcott | Langley High School
Kira Gilligan | Robinson Secondary School
Dylan Truncellito | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Maryland Theater Guide Returning Critic
Ellen Lawton | Herndon High School
Allie Vargo | McLean High School
Audrey Link | McLean High School
Clare Shacochis | Oakton High School
Nataline Phillips | West Springfield High School
Bill Strauss Graduating Critic
Alexander Perry | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Lazar Bozic | Quince Orchard High School
McKenzie Phelan | Quince Orchard High School
Ella Greene | Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Justin Pokrant | Westfield High School
Marketing and Publicity
Jessica Awad, Marcus Contreras, Kat Pascual, Kaylee Williams | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Morgan Butle, Hailey Klein, Cece Meza, Mateo Pinover | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Ava Turley | Chicago: Teen Edition | Quince Orchard High School
Vinita Adhira, Neveah Hampton, Anusha Krishnan, Eden Teni | Miss Holmes | Westfield High School
Ian Conner, Lauren O’Dell, Maddie Cho, and the 1776 Publicity Team | 1776 | Woodson High School
Special Effects and/or Technology
Cherri Hansford, Anna Wisneski | Into the Woods | Bishop Ireton High School
Bella Molino and Special Effects Crew | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Scott Fulkerson, Ethan Jones, Andrew Von Elm, Megan Wright | Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play | McLean High School
Millie Beaudry, Sean Cunniffe, Naomi Lewis, Carlos Ortiz | Frankenstein | Meridian High School
Peyton Morales, Christopher Seeger | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Hair and Make-up
Olivia Prout, Lanieyra Hunter | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Nour Abbas, Makayla Freeman, Angel Standfield | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Justice High School
Emery Graninger, Grace MacCracken, Maia Le, Valentina Sedan | Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play | McLean High School
Charlie Conforti, Katie Dheming, Diana Lainez Gochez, and Crew | The Addams Family | Mount Vernon High School
Brianna Turner, Anabelle Volpe, Alina Yang, and The Sweeney Hair & Makeup Team | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Sound
Lynn Milkiewicz, Dani Ramsey | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Leah Dutcher, and Sound Crew | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Jocelynn Johnson, Tyler Jones, Carlos Ortiz, Ashe Stoner | Frankenstein | Meridian High School
AJ Brandt, Mat Hemmer, and The Sweeney Sound Team | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
TJ Schultz, and the Yorktown Sound Crew | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Props
Amelie Aubouin, Maddie Allen | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Jasper Geer, and the Props Team | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Justice High School
Riley Kozal, and the Props Crew | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Annabelle Bozarth, Charlotte Gould, Alina He-Cheng, Gauri Pillai | Alice in Wonderland | Langley High School
Katherine Misero | The SpongeBob Musical| Osbourn Park High School
Lighting
Marley Peterson, Megan Rigsbee, and the Dramahawks Lighting Team | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Isabella Ramsey, Liam Nowak | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Ella Gontkovic, Alyssa Hodor, and the Whitman Lighting Team | Cabaret | Walt Whitman High School
Zachary Kearny, Rakeb Yihunie, and The Sweeney Lighting Team | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Keya Sikotra, and the Yorktown Lighting Crew | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Costumes
Catherine Carow, Claire Gibbons, Iona McCluskey, the Bishop Ireton Costume Class | Into the Woods | Bishop Ireton High School
Gaby Adumua, Caitlin Grycewicz, Lilly Kyle | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Livie Godfrey, Maggie Growney | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School |
Logan Lin, Anna Schoenborn, and the Big Fish Costume Assistants | Big Fish School Edition | South Lakes High School
Anya Allensworth, Amalia Manow, Katy Nguyen, and the 1776 Costume Team | 1776 | Woodson High School
Sets
Joseph Murray, Charlotte Rayder, Sarah Petz, Caroline Reams, and the BI Set Design Team | Into the Woods | Bishop Ireton High School
Madison Beisner, Sam Rutledge, and the Dramahawks Set Team | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Charly Olsen, Carson Brownlee | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Kinsey Lin, and the Set Crew | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Sophie Coudert, Maeve Sawyer | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Orchestra
Orchestasia | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Fiddler Orchestra | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Whitman Pit Orchestra | Cabaret | Walt Whitman High School
The Sweeney Pit | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Yorktown High School Pit Orchestra | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Choreography
Mary Clare Pelczynski, Sam Wolff | Anything Goes | Chantilly High School
Emily Bastidas, Sierra Flowers | Mean Girls High School Version | Clarksburg High School
Naomi Bautista, Libby Hansen, Nate Smith | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Noah Kennedy, Anna Leo, August Rivers | Big Fish School Edition | South Lakes High School
Leo Myers, Anneliese Odegard, Lyla Price, Angie Sukhee | The Prom School Edition | Wakefield High School
Creativity
Ray Jewell, Gavin Johannson, Composing and Musicianship | Lavender | Albert Einstein High School
Morgan Butler, Assistant Director | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Mariajose Fernandez-Vargas, Jasper Geer, Zainab Zia, Assistant Directors | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Justice High School
Noah Chlan, Jackie House, Music Composition/Director | Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play | McLean High School
Carlos Ortiz, composer | Frankenstein | Meridian High School
Stage Management
Gabe Acquavella, Riley Vandell, Raymond Walker | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Charly Olsen | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Eleanor Heinbaugh, Zoe Zackius-Shittu, and The Sweeney Management Team | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Diya Mohanty | Miss Holmes | Westfield High School
Payton Cooper, Sam Mund, Maggie O’Kieffe | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Stage Crew
The Dramahawks Stage Crew | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Amelie Aubouin, Hailey Klein | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Tomas Bocock, Grayson Quigley, and the Big Fish Run Crew & Cast | Big Fish School Edition | South Lakes High School
The Sweeney Stage Crew | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Yorktown Stage Crew | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Ensemble in a Play
Stage Managers, Ruby Kodis, Ariel Russel, Willow Singleton | Our Town | Duke Ellington School of the Arts
The Ghosts | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Justice High School
Citizens of Verona | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
The Shades of Springfield | Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play | McLean High School
The Bennet Sisters | Pride and Prejudice | Robinson Secondary School
Ensemble in a Musical
Homeless | Rent School Edition | Colgan High School
Students at the ABC Café | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
The Alabama Lambs | Big Fish School Edition | South Lakes High School
Small Ensemble | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Students of the ABC Café | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Play
Nyla Mickel | Our Town | Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Fortune Picker | Deadwood Dick, or A Game of Gold | James Madison High School
Micah Chlan | Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play | McLean High School
Alexis West | Frankenstein | Meridian High School
Bella Ragona | Pride and Prejudice | Robinson Secondary School
Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Play
Habib Kamara | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Justice High School
Aidan Chomicki | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Colt Craddock | The Doctor in Wonderland | Oakton High School
Jackson Foerster | Pride and Prejudice | Robinson Secondary School
Yishak Kefyalew Kelkay | Miss Holmes | Westfield High School
Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Musical
Jayden Benitez | Bring It On | Alexandria City High School
Grace Drost | Anything Goes | Chantilly High School
Jessie Brooks | Rent School Edition | Colgan High School
Jordyn Sooley | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Cordelia Clayton | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Musical
Mauro Manganello | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Carter Elliff | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Tommy Maxson | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Aaron MacWatters | The Addams Family | Mount Vernon High School
Liam Kalchbrenner | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Dancer in a Female Role
Ariana Singleton | Bring It On | Alexandria City High School
Naomi Bautista | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Carter Smith | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Angie Sukhee | The Prom School Edition | Wakefield High School
Kathryn Edmonds | Cabaret | Walt Whitman High School
Dancer in a Male Role
Sam Wolff | Anything Goes | Chantilly High School
Sadan Lasker | Mean Girls High School Version | Clarksburg High School
Nikolai Crowl | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Nathaniel Howard | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Andrew Shea | Chicago: Teen Edition | Quince Orchard High School
Vocalist in a Female Role
Madelyn Regan | Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Enchanted Edition) | Centreville High School
Emily Bastidas | Mean Girls High School Version | Clarksburg High School
Itsuko Scoville | Big Fish School Edition | South Lakes High School
Lara Alarapon | Into the Woods | St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
Alannah Hjelm | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Vocalist in a Male Role
Taylor Reiter | Rent School Edition | Colgan High School
Colt Armstrong | Annie | Falls Church High School
Aaron Guerrero | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Ethan Hardy | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Haley Kim | 1776 | Woodson High School
Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Play
Anjali Shah | Lavender | Albert Einstein High School
Claire Copes | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Sophia Christiano | Alice in Wonderland | Langley High School
Ana Jankovic | The Doctor in Wonderland | Oakton High School
Kira Gilligan | Pride and Prejudice | Robinson Secondary School
Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Play
Eitan Amster | Lavender | Albert Einstein High School
Erik Bilawski | Deadwood Dick, or A Game of Gold | James Madison High School
Daniel Qiu | Alice in Wonderland | Langley High School
Benjamin Fredericks | Pride and Prejudice | Robinson Secondary School
Zach Smith | Much Ado About Nothing | South County High School
Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Musical
Haru Hernandez | Mean Girls High School Version | Annandale High School
Gabriela Viana | Into the Woods | Bishop Ireton High School
Tiffanie Kim | Mean Girls High School Version | Clarksburg High School
Quinn Lopez | Annie | Falls Church High School
Gaby Bradley | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Maren Lewis | Chicago: Teen Edition | Quince Orchard High School
Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Musical
Tristan Farmer | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Gary Valdivieso | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Porter Bertman | The Addams Family School Edition | Thomas A Edison High School
Ethan Heinrich | The Prom School Edition | Wakefield High School
Ryan Schimenti | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Play
Princess Louden | Our Town | Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Lori Collins | Deadwood Dick, or A Game of Gold | James Madison High School
Holland Hasle | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Scarlett Spano | Alice in Wonderland | Langley High School
Audrey Iglesia | A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School
Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Play
Bailey Pavitt-Graff | Deadwood Dick, or A Game of Gold | James Madison High School
Sofia Hemmens | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Justice High School
Jonathan Barnard | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Andrew Parker | A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School
Noah Plfugrath | Much Ado About Nothing | South County High School
Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Musical
Danielle Serrano-Bremer | Rent School Edition | Colgan High School
Mary Copeland | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Maren Lewis | Chicago: Teen Edition | Quince Orchard High School
Caroline Heyerdahl | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Bella Houston | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Musical
David Garcia | Anything Goes | Chantilly High School
Nate Wheeler Smith | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Sunya Supanklang | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Jordan Richard | Chicago: Teen Edition | Quince Orchard High School
Max Gerstenberg | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Play
Ruby Garritano | Our Town | Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Murphy Finnegan | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Abby Berg | Frankenstein | Meridian High School
Ella Brown | Pride and Prejudice | Robinson Secondary School
Zoe Brennan | Miss Holmes | Westfield High School
Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Play
Jonah Uffelman | Deadwood Dick, or A Game of Gold | James Madison High School
Elijah Kassa | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Justice High School
Alex Perry | Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Nathan Bass | Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play | McLean High School
Parker Bryant | Much Ado About Nothing | South County High School
Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Musical
Elina Viana | Into the Woods | Bishop Ireton High School
Isabella McDonald | Rent School Edition | Colgan High School
Kaylee Williams | Anastasia: The Musical | Fairfax High School
Samantha Sanders | Cabaret | Walt Whitman High School
Kaylee Wisner | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Musical
Josh Starzyk | Rent School Edition | Colgan High School
Will Johnson | Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
August Rivers | Big Fish School Edition | South Lakes High School
Ryan Robbins | Cabaret | Walt Whitman High School
Christopher Seeger | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
Song
“Last Midnight” | Into the Woods | Bishop Ireton High School
“Seasons of Love” | Rent School Edition | Colgan High School
“Tradition” | Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
“The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” | Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
“Master of the House” | Les Misérables School Edition | Yorktown High School
Critic Team
Herndon High School
Langley High School
McLean High School
Quince Orchard High School
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Play
Our Town | Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Deadwood Dick, or A Game of Gold | James Madison High School
The Picture of Dorian Gray | Justice High School
Romeo and Juliet | Lake Braddock Secondary School
Frankenstein | Meridian High School
Pride and Prejudice | Robinson Secondary School
Musical
Rent School Edition | Colgan High School
Les Misérables School Edition | Hayfield Secondary School
Fiddler on the Roof | Herndon High School
Big Fish School Edition | South Lakes High School
Sweeney Todd School Edition | West Springfield High School
