
2016 WINNERS & NOMINEES
2023 METROPOLITAN HIGH SCHOOL THEATER AWARDS NOMINATIONS
PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES:
Overall Production of a Musical
WINNER :
Rye Neck High School - Anastasia
Archbishop Stepinac High School - Jersey Boys
Blind Brook High School - Something Rotten!
Immaculate Heart Academy - Xanadu
Nyack High School - Little Shop of Horrors
Pleasantville High School - Bye, Bye Birdie
Outstanding Performance in Leading Female-Identified Role
WINNER :
Nyack High School - Tatum Hopkins (Audrey : Little Shop of Horrors)
Immaculate Heart Academy - Kate Ryan (Kira/Clio : Xanadu)
North Salem High School - Gigi LeClair (Velma Kelly : Chicago: Teen Edition)
Pleasantville High School - Alice Cabral (Rosie Alvarez : Bye, Bye Birdie)
Rye Neck High School - Lulu Tagger (Anya : Anastasia)
St. Joseph’s Regional High School - Hannah Shinder (The Baker’s Wife : Into the Woods)
Outstanding Performance in a Leading Male-Identified Role
WINNER :
Rye Neck High School - Nathaniel Findlay (Dmitry : Anastasia)
Archbishop Stepinac High School - Ryan Diaz (Tommy DeVito : Jersey Boys)
Northern Valley High School Old Tappan - Roman Gatti (Freddie Benson : Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)
Nyack High School - Angus McLary (Seymour Krelborn : Little Shop of Horrors)
Ossining High School - Frank Carl Marrero (J. Pierrepont Finch : How to Succeed….)
Ramapo High School (NJ) - Bryan Fortunato (Bobby Strong - Urinetown)
Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Female-Identified Role
WINNERS :
Blind Brook High School - Chloe Beal (Portia : Something Rotten!)
Lyndhurst High School - Cecelia Valdez (Ursula : Disney’s The Little Mermaid)
Harrison High School - Jadyn Schwartz (Little Red : Into the Woods)
Mamaroneck High School - Sofia Martinez (Vi Moore : Footloose)
Putnam Valley High School - Hayley Craane (Portia : Something Rotten!)
Rye Neck High School - Talia Martelli (Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch : Anastasia)
Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Male-Identified Role
WINNER :
Pleasantville High School - Alejandro Martinez (Conrad Birdie : Bye, Bye Birdie)
Academy of the Holy Angels - Thomas Snyder (Sir Toby Belch : Twelfth Night)
Clarkstown South High School - Patrick O'Shea (Kenickie : Grease)
Hastings High School - Sander Sheehy Markley (William Shakespeare : Something Rotten!)
Ossining High School - Derek Rudley (Bud Frump :: How to Succeed….)
Pascack Hills High School - Jacob Levin (Harry Bright : Mamma Mia)
Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role
WINNER :
Rye Neck High School - Carolina Doherty (Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna : Anastasia)
Archbishop Stepinac High School - Ava Pursel (Mary : Jersey Boys)
Blind Brook High School - Abby Meron (The Minstrel : Something Rotten!)
Eastchester High School - Caitlyn Kops (Patsy : Spamalot)
Kennedy Catholic High School - Penelope Parker (Pearl Crabs : Spongebob: The Musical)
Tuckahoe High School - Olivia Nealis (Cogsworth : Disney’s Beauty and the Beast)
Outstanding Performance in a Cameo Role
WINNER :
Ramapo High School (NJ) - Alexis Ulmer (Little Becky Two Shoes : Urinetown)
Archbishop Stepinac High School - Jonathan Guzman (Bob Crewe : Jersey Boys)
New Rochelle High School - Andrew Cohen (Moth : Love’s Labours Lost)
North Rockland High School - Vincent Verzi (Piragua Guy : In the Heights)
Putnam Valley High School - Reece Emery (Lady Clapham : Something Rotten!)
Westlake High School - Alejandro Gomez (Lurch : The Addams Family)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Group
WINNER :
Brewster High School - Tessa Boissonnault, Autumn Takacs
(Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge : James and the Giant Peach)
Fair Lawn High School
Jacey Angerson, Katie Bazela, Allison Castillo, Madison Haug, Giana Ingrati, Amber Mouzone, Rebecca Rosen
(The Urchins : Little Shop of Horrors)
Immaculate Heart Academy
Kate Ryan, Maddie Heinimann, Maeve Murray, Tara McCarthy, Kara Ignacio, Mary Hahn, Isabella Falletta
(The Muses : Xanadu)
Nyack High School
Molly Brown, Tela Kopacz, Lyra Fontanilla
(The Urchins : Little Shop of Horrors)
Pascack Valley High School
Olivia Carpenter, Kayla Klas, Wendy Muska, Maya Teckwani, Alexandra Wells
(The Merry Murderesses : Chicago: Teen Edition)
Rye High School
Sydnee Brown, Karis Repetto, Zoe Loizeaux
(Rusty, Wendy Jo, Urleen : Footloose)
Outstanding Performance by a Chorus
WINNER :
Bergen County Academies - Fiddler on the Roof
Academy of the Holy Angels - Twelfth Night
Blind Brook High School - Something Rotten!
Northern Valley High School Old Tappan - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
North Rockland High School - In the Heights
Rye Neck High School - Anastasia
Outstanding Performance by a Student Orchestra
WINNERS :
Lakeland High School - Into the Woods
White Plains High School - Mamma Mia
Bergen County Academies - Fiddler on the Roof
Mamaroneck High School - Footloose
North Rockland High School - In the Heights
Tuckahoe High School - Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Outstanding Performance by a Student Pit Musician
WINNER :
New Rochelle High School - Leah Shefferman (Love’s Labours Lost)
Bergen County Academies - Chloe Cho (Fiddler on the Roof)
Don Bosco Prep - Liam Nye (Shrek)
The Leffell School - Ethan Stein (Legally Blonde)
Mahwah High School - Mia Salzman (Shrek)
White Plains High School - Kei Wantanabe (Mamma Mia)
Outstanding Achievement in Direction
WINNER :
Blind Brook High School - Christina Colangelo (Something Rotten!)
Archbishop Stepinac High School - Frank Portanova (Jersey Boys)
Fair Lawn High School - John Giresi (Little Shop of Horrors)
Immaculate Heart Academy - Jodi Capeless (Xanadu)
Nyack High School - August Abatecola (Little Shop of Horrors)
Rye Neck High School - Cyndi Feinman - (Anastasia)
Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction
WINNER :
Fair Lawn High School - Charles Santoro (Little Shop of Horrors)
Academy of the Holy Angels - George Croom (Twelfth Night)
Blind Brook High School - Jessica Cerasoli and Stephen Ferri (Something Rotten!)
New Rochelle High School - Regina Talbot, Sarah Mae Lagasca, Kirk Ehrenrich
(Love’s Labours Lost)
Pleasantville High School - Jon Vercesi and Nadia Rizzo (Bye, Bye Birdie)
Rye Neck High School - Kathryn Krull (Anastasia)
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography
WINNER :
Northern Valley High School Old Tappan - Caitlin Ort (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)
Blind Brook High School - Lauren Guivas (Something Rotten!)
Eastchester High School - Mara Davi (Spamalot)
Mamaroneck High School - Allison Parsley (Footloose)
New Rochelle High School - Julie McGough (Love’s Labours Lost)
Ramapo High School (NY) - Natalie Nova (Footloose)
Outstanding Achievement in Scenic Design
WINNER :
Blind Brook High School - Zach Dore (Something Rotten!)
Briarcliff High School - Jim Britt (The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical)
Fair Lawn High School - John Giresi (Little Shop of Horrors)
Nyack High School - Kevin Gleeson (Little Shop of Horrors)
Ossining High School - Steve Loftus (How to Succeed….)
Rye Country Day School - Jac-que Robinson, Steve Loftus (The Addams Family)
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design
WINNER :
Immaculate Heart Academy - Nikki Belenski (Xanadu)
Blind Brook High School - Zach Dore (Something Rotten!)
Nyack High School - Andrew Gmoser (Little Shop of Horrors)
Ramapo High School (NJ) - Adam Nemeth (Urinetown)
Rye Country Day School - Jac-que Robinson (The Addams Family)
Tuckahoe High School - Andrew Gmoser (Disney’s Beauty and the Beast)
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design
WINNER :
Westlake High School -Evelyn Varga (The Addams Family)
Brewster High School - Rose Bisogno (James and the Giant Peach)
Glen Rock High School - Anna Lilikas, Olivia Childs, Sage Collopy, and Lila Storey (Little Shop of Horrors)
Kennedy Catholic High School - Annette DiGrandi (Spongebob: The Musical)
Pascack Valley High School - Merielle Lupfer (Chicago: Teen Edition)
Pleasantville High School - Eileen Cerrati (Bye, Bye Birdie)
Outstanding Achievement in Hair and Makeup Design
WINNER :
Pascack Valley High School - Merielle Lupfer (Chicago: Teen Edition)
Bergen County Academies -James Huelbig (Fiddler on the Roof)
Immaculate Heart Academy - Katelyn Coughlan (Xanadu)
Pleasantville High School - Fiona Brennan, Jane Murphy (Bye, Bye Birdie)
Rye Country Day School - Casey Hallen (The Addams Family)
Westlake High School - Sabrina Galletti (The Addams Family)
Outstanding Performance by a Stage Crew
WINNER :
Pleasantville High School - Bye, Bye Birdie
Briarcliff High School - The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
Putnam Valley High School - Something Rotten!
Rye High School - Footloose
Valhalla High School - Roald Dahl’s Matilda
Westwood High School - Into the Woods
Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design
WINNER :
Hastings High School - Emma Gelman (Something Rotten!)
Bergen County Academies - Daniel Lukatsky (Fiddler on the Roof)
Glen Rock High School - Anthony Zapotosky (Little Shop of Horrors)
Mahwah High School - Mia Salzman, Melissa Ficarro, Eddie Shortway (Shrek)
Saddle Brook Middle/High School - Anna Heireth (Oliver!)
Tappan Zee High School - Ava Bourne, Maryn McCracken (Spamalot)
Outstanding Achievement in Lobby Display
WINNER :
Carmel High School - Raegan Sedlarcik (Disney’s High School Musical)
Clarkstown South High School - Payton Horan, Julia Halpert, and Ella Bonvissuto (Grease)
Dobbs Ferry High School - Lauren Baird (Chicago: Teen Edition)
Don Bosco Prep - Sheri Dennehy (Shrek)
Northern Highlands Regional High School - Jen Winkler, Krista Carpino, Sarah Franchi, Lana Hoffert (Bright Star)
Sleepy Hollow High School - Ann Neilsen, Christina Papadopoulos (Bye, Bye Birdie)
St. Joseph’s Regional High School - Kim Buscher (Into the Woods)
Outstanding Performance of a Duet
WINNER :
Tappan Zee High School
Daniel Lipari as "Sir Galahad" and Kiki Zervoudis as "The Lady of the Lake"
“The Song That Goes Like This”
Spamalot
Academy of the Holy Angels
Eva Zazzali as "Viola" and Valentina Gonzalez as "Olivia"
“I Am She”
Twelfth Night
Archbishop Stepinac High School
Calvin Lindo as "Frankie Valli" and Ava Pursel as "Mary Delgado"
“My Eyes Adored You”
Jersey Boys
Carmel High School
Maureen Henshaw as “Gabriella” and Sam Corry as “Troy”
“When There Was Me and You”
Disney’s High School Musical
Ramapo High School (NJ)
Marissa Colangelo as "Hope Cladwell" and Bryan Fortunato as "Bobby Strong”
“Follow Your Heart”
Urinetown
Rye Neck High School
Lulu Tagger as "Anya/Anastasia" and Nathaniel Findlay as "Dmitry"
“Crowd of Thousands”
Anastasia
Outstanding Performance of a Small Group Number
WINNER :
Kennedy Catholic High School
“I’m Not A Loser”
Spongebob: The Musical
Brewster High School
“Everywhere That You Are”
James and the Giant Peach
Clarkstown South High School
“Greased Lightning”
Grease
Glen Rock High School
“Git It”
Little Shop of Horrors
Hackensack High School
“Cell Block Tango”
Chicago: Teen Edition
Harrison High School
“Hello, Little Girl”
Into the Woods
Pleasantville High School
“Hymn for a Sunday Evening”
Bye, Bye Birdie
Outstanding Performance of a Production Number
WINNER :
Rye Country Day School
“When You’re an Addams”
The Addams Family
Hastings High School
“We See the Light”
Something Rotten!
Midland Park High School
“Land of Yesterday”
Anastasia
Northern Valley High School Old Tappan
“The More We Dance”
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Putnam Valley High School
“Will Power”
Something Rotten!
Ramsey High School
“I’ve Got Rhythm”
Crazy for You
Outstanding Vocal Performance by a Female-Identifying Performer
WINNER :
Academy of the Holy Angels - Nora Giannantonio (Feste : Twelfth Night)
Dobbs Ferry High School - Mika Wurf (Velma Kelly :Chicago: Teen Edition)
Fair Lawn High School - Ariel Alania (Audrey : Little Shop of Horrors)
Ramsey High School - Madison Sovak (Polly Baker : Crazy for You)
Tappan Zee High School - Kiki Zervoudis (Lady of the Lake :Spamalot)
White Plains High School - Zoe Gopoian (Sophie Sheridan : Mamma Mia)
Outstanding Vocal Performance by a Male-Identifying Performer
WINNER :
Carmel High School - Sam Corry (Troy Bolton : Disney’s High School Musical)
Archbishop Stepinac High School - Calvin Lindo (Franki Valli : Jersey Boys)
Briarcliff High School -Zach Hoyer (Percy Jackson :The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical)
akeland High School - Philip Santini (The Baker : Into the Woods)
Mamaroneck High School - Domenick Bierman (Ren McCormack : Footloose)
Westwood High School - Matthew Ryan (The Baker : Into the Woods)
Outstanding Acting Performance by a Female-Identifying Performer
WINNER :
Rutherford High School - Amelia Perlmutter (Cady Heron : Mean Girls: High School Edition)
Academy of the Holy Angels - Eva Zazzali (Viola : Twelfth Night)
Brewster High School - Ivelisse Arocho (Ladhalord : James and the Giant Peach)
Fair Lawn High School - Juliana Foster (Mr. Mushnik : Little Shop of Horrors)
New Milford High School - McKenzie Forte (Pugsley Addams : The Addams Family)
Northern Highlands Regional High School - Stephanie Contreras (Alice Murphy : Bright Star)
Outstanding Acting Performance by a Male-Identifying Performer
WINNER :
Harrison High School - Jack Eiff (The Baker : Into the Woods)
Academy of the Holy Angels - Jack Laux (Malvolio : Twelfth Night)
Immaculate Heart Academy - Liam Fahey (Sonny Malone : Xanadu)
North Rockland High School - Jordan Baez (Usnavi : In The Heights)
Rye Country Day School - Adé Larsen (Gomez Addams : The Addams Family)
Rye Neck High School - Riley Taylor (Gleb Vaganov : Anastasia)
Outstanding Dance Performance by a Female-Identifying Performer
WINNER :
Saddle River Day School - Nicolette Riera (The Moon : The Addams Family)
Bergen County Academies - Emily Levitis (Fiddler : Fiddler on the Roof)
Blind Brook High School - Cassidy Wohl (Snug : Something Rotten!)
Mahwah High School - Riley Coplin (Ensemble : Shrek)
Northern Valley High School Old Tappan - Kyra Baily (Ensemble : Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)
Tappan Zee High School - Meline Kalishian (Not-Dead-Fred : Spamalot)
Outstanding Dance Performance by a Male-Identifying Performer
WINNER :
Ramsey High School - Nate Algor (Bobby Child : Crazy for You)
Immaculate Heart Academy - Hayden Bernstein (Young Danny : Xanadu)
Lyndhurst High School - Joseph Brennan (Scuttle : Disney’s The Little Mermaid)
Port Chester High School - Demetrius Haddock (Troy Bolton : Disney’s High School Musical)
Ramapo High School (NY) - Benjamin Mejia (Ren McCormack : Footloose)
White Plains High School - Lance Anthony (Sky : Mamma Mia)
Outstanding Comedic Performance by a Female-Identifying Performer
WINNER :
Hastings High School - Elianna Carvalho (Portia : Something Rotten!)
Edgemont High School - Elena Korman (Karen : Mean Girls: High School Edition)
The Leffell School - Abby Farca (Paulette : Legally Blonde)
Pleasantville High School - Elsie Sabol (Ursula Merkle : Bye, Bye Birdie)
Ramapo High School (NY) - Destiny Schoenleber (Rusty : Footloose)
Westwood High School - Samantha Arturo (Little Red : Into the Woods)
Outstanding Comedic Performance by a Male-Identifying Performer
WINNER :
Mamaroneck High School - Ian Morris (Willard Hewitt : Footloose)
Lakeland High School - Lionis Mani (The Mysterious Man : Into the Woods)
Lodi High School - Michael Schirrmacher (Lord Farquaad :Shrek)
Nyack High School - Matt Petricone (Audrey II : Little Shop of Horrors)
Putnam Valley High School - Jonah Shields (Thomas Nostradamus : Something Rotten!)
Tuckahoe High School - Justin DiFucci (LeFou : Disney’s Beauty and the Beast)
Outstanding Performance by a Child Performer
WINNER :
Pleasantville High School - Julian Dundie (Randolph MacAfee : Bye, Bye Birdie)
Don Bosco Prep - Lyla Sosa (Young Fiona : Shrek)
Glen Rock High School - Pemma Krumholtz (Little Audrey : Little Shop of Horrors)
Lodi High School - Jalani Clark (Young Fiona/Angel : Shrek)
Saddle Brook Middle/High School - Christopher Cantarella (Oliver : Oliver!)
Sleepy Hollow High School - Kieran Raghavan (Harvey Johnson : Bye, Bye Birdie)
Tuckahoe High School - Gabriella Berkman (Chip : Disney’s Beauty and the Beast)
Outstanding Performance by a Student Critic
WINNER :
Dobbs Ferry High School - Maeve Gorham
Blind Brook High School - Thomas Wemm
Harrison High School - Simona Forgione
North Salem High School - Kara Paulsen
Westlake High School - Henry Sliss
Outstanding Student Technical Achievement
WINNERS :
Blind Brook High School
Julian Silva
Assistant Technical Director and Sound Console Operator
Something Rotten!
Pascack Valley High School
Kayden Caleca, Abby DiSalvo, and Evelyn Jansen
Stage Management Team
Chicago: Teen Edition
Ramapo High School (NY)
Joel Joseph
Head of Publicity
Footloose
Westwood High School
Christian Vincenty
Stage Manager and Set Construction Chief
Into the Woods
Bergen County Academies
Sisley Carretas, Daniel Lukatsky, Hannah Shinder, and Daniel Simpson
Marketing Team
Fiddler on the Roof
Don Bosco Prep
Lauren Gray and Bruno Snyder
Costume Design Assistants
Shrek
Harrison High School
Alondra Nolasco Rojas
Sound Designer
Into the Woods
Hastings High School
Vivian Smith
Costume Head
Something Rotten!
Lakeland High School
Jack Curran
Sound Designer
Into the Woods
Northern Valley High School Old Tappan
Sophia Ashbahian and Ella Perez
Student Music Directors
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Nyack High School
Daniel Anton
Production Stage Manager
Little Shop of Horrors
Pleasantville High School
Elizabeth Hoadley
Technical Director
Bye, Bye Birdie
Rye High School
Cameron Slocumb
Production Stage Manager
Footloose
Rye Country Day School
Olivia Craig, Tati Leonard, and Sydney Merrill
Stage Management Team
The Addams Family
Rye Neck High School
Mia Cooper
Production Stage Manager
Anastasia
Saddle Brook Middle/High School
Natalia Chahine
Student Director
Oliver!
Westlake High School
Sean Gray
Student Technical Director
The Addams Family