Area High Schools Take Top Honors at Stephen Sondheim Awards

New Haven - Broadway Method Academy (BMA), in association with the Shubert Theatre of New Haven and Sacred Heart University’s Theater Arts Department announced the winners at the fifth annual Stephen Sondheim Awards. The black-tie gala was held on June 6 at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven. The event included a red carpet, nominee performances, and awards presented by Broadway actors.

The program’s mission is to recognize excellence in high school musical theater. Over the past eight months, a panel of judges from the industry attended performances by twenty-five high schools in Connecticut and Rhode Island. The panel of judges was comprised of performing arts educators, entertainment professionals and Broadway performers and designers. On May 21, these judges met for a final discussion and a review of highlights from each high school performance to subsequently create nominations.

Executive Producer Connor Deane was thrilled to return to the Shubert Theatre for the in-person ceremony. The gala included some of Broadway’s brightest talents to share this special night with the next generation of musical theater performers. Former Sondheim winner Nicole Kolitsas of Woodbury was asked to present one of the awards.

Broadway actor Jason Gotay served as the host of the evening. Gotay is an actor and teaching artist born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and was most recently seen as one of the stars of “Gossip Girl” on HBO Max.

Participating schools that had also taken part in this year’s Halo Awards sponsored by Seven Angels Theatre included Berlin High School, Bethel High School, Conard High School, Darien High School, East Lyme High School, Hopkins School, Immaculate High School, Sacred Heart Academy, St. Luke’s School, Stonington High School, Suffield Academy, Wilbur Cross High School, William H. Hall High School and Wilton High School. The Sondheim Awards also recognize adults that were part of the school’s production team as directors and choreographers.

Student representatives from all of the schools were part of the opening and closing numbers, and the students nominated as Best Actor and Best Actress had their chance in the spotlight during two medley performances performed with the live orchestra under the direction of Jordon Cunningham. These 18 “triple threats” had participated in a BMA “Boot Camp'' in order to prepare the singing and dancing in their medley.

Each of the schools nominated in the Best Musical category performed a number from their show. Darien High School presented a number from “The Addams Family,” Conard High School performed “Footloose,” Valley Regional High School showed off a number from “The Little Mermaid,” West Warwick High School performed the opening number from “The Spongebob Musical,” Suffield Academy showed off “Young Frankenstein,” and Amity Regional performed a number from “Mamma Mia!”

Best Actor winner Riley Finn, who played Robert Martin in “The Drowsy Chaperone” at Bethel High School, and Best Actress winner Rachel Kearse, who was Deloris Van Cartier in “Sister Act” at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, will now go on to compete at the Jimmy Awards in New York City on June 27.

Shelton High School Drama Club was awarded Best Costume Design for Kayla Gzyms, Megan Loiacano, Kylee Taylor, Best Choreography for Katherine Sedlock, and the coveted Best Musical Award for their production of “Seussical.”

Other winners included:

Scenic Design: Kaylee Zawadowski- Freaky Friday - Wilbur Cross High School

Lighting Design: Tyler Chamberland - Into the Woods - Berlin High School

Best Supporting Actor: Trent Hieber - The Monster - Young Frankenstein - Suffield Academy

Best Supporting Actress: Brooke DellaRoca & Chase Conrad - Flotsam & Jetsam - The Little Mermaid - Valley Regional High School

Best Direction: Hunter Parker - Footloose - Conard High School

The Awards evening also included the presentation of special achievement awards. The gala was music directed by Jesse Kissel and featured choreography by Julie Kavanagh and direction by Julie Kavanagh and Kimberly Jenna Simon.