Alpharetta, Milton High Schools Nominated For Shuler Awards

The ArtsBridge Foundation recently announced the nominations and honorable mentions for the Georgia High School Music Theater Awards, commonly known as the Shuler Hensley Awards For Excellence In High School Musical Theatre.

The Shuler Awards, which showcase the next generation of Georgia’s musical theater talent, will be presented live on Thursday, April 23 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

The following schools were nominated and recognized with honorable mentions:

• Alpharetta High School (“The Drowsy Chaperone”) nominated for: orchestra, technical execution, supporting actor, and show stopper; honorable mentions for: overall production, direction, music direction and leading actor
• Chattahoochee High School (“Little Shop of Horrors”) nominated for: overall production, musical direction, orchestra, lighting design, and leading actor; honorable mentions for: direction, music direction, choreography, technical execution, ensemble, featured performer, supporting actor and supporting actress
• Johns Creek High School (“Footloose”)nominated for: orchestra, costume design, and show stopper; honorable mention for sound
• Milton High School (“Mary Poppins”) nominated for: overall production, direction, musical direction, scenic design, lighting design, technical execution, ensemble, supporting actress, leading actor, and leading actress; honorable mentions for: orchestra, sound, featured performer, and supporting actor

Twenty four public and private schools from throughout the state were nominated in 17 categories. A team of more than 60 Atlanta-based arts professionals evaluated the productions of the 50 participating high schools.

Awards will be given in the following categories: Overall Production, Ensemble, Show Stopper, Leading Actress and Actor, Supporting Actress and Actor, Featured Performer, Direction, Sound Design, Costume Design, Scenic Design, Lighting Design, Technical Execution, Orchestra, Music Direction and Choreography. The winners of the Leading Actress and Leading Actor categories will travel to New York City in June to compete in the National High School Musical Theater Awards, the Jimmy AwardsTM, held at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway.

The Awards, fashioned after Broadway’s Tony Awards, celebrates excellence in high school music theater.

A Red Carpet event will start at 6:30 p.m. and curtain at 7:30 p.m. The ceremony will include performances from the six schools nominated for best overall production as well as leading actor and actress nominee medleys. The 68-member Shuler Student Ensemble will perform the opening and finale numbers.

The awards are a program of and are produced by ArtsBridge Foundation, which provides quality performing arts education programs designed to engage and motivate the next generation of artists and art supporters. The accounting firm Cherry Bekaert tabulated the results for the 2015 Shuler Awards.

Tickets are now on sale for $22 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com, any Ticketmaster outlet, by calling 800-653-8000, or purchased in-person at the Bank of North Georgia Box Office at the Cobb Energy Centre.

The Box Office’s hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The facility is located at 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway in Atlanta.

Photo: Alpharetta High School’s “The Drowsy Chaperone” production. Credit: Shular Hensley Awards