SHS Drama Club to participate in Playhouse Square’s inaugural Dazzle Awards

On Nov. 21, Playhouse Square announced the official list of participating schools for its inaugural Dazzle Awards on their Facebook page. Solon High School was among the 18 schools.

The Dazzle Awards, which will take place May 21, 2016 at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace Theater, is the participating awards program for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, which recognize high schools drama clubs across the nation, are held annually in New York City by the Broadway League Foundation.

SHS Drama Club’s April production of  ‘Shrek the Musical’ will be considered for “Dazzlers” in 13 different categories, including: Best Musical, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Student Orchestra, Best Costume Design and Best Scenic Design.

“Three members of the adjudicator’s panel will attend one performance at each participating school and award points based on a set rubric,” said  Playhouse Square Senior Manager of Brand Marketing and Communications Cindi Szymanski. “Following the performance, the three adjudicators will complete a comprehensive written critique. All schools will be sent the adjudicators’ critiques to serve as a learning tool. Up to five nominations will be given for each award category.”

The students who win Best Actor and Best Actress will move on to the national awards program in June.

This chance could possibly open doors to the musical theater industry for students in Northeast Ohio said SHS Drama Club Advisor Kris Ferencie.

“Some of the stuff that Playhouse Square told us in selling us this program was examples of students who have been discovered at this national competition, not even the winners,” Ferencie said. “The kids who were runners up who were taken directly out of that competition and went straight into touring and sit-down productions of shows around the world. I think that it’s a chance for people’s work to be seen and I imaging that there are going to be colleges coming to the awards ceremony to see what’s going on too.”

The Dazzle Awards offer a possibility for regional high school theatre programs to be recognized on a national level.

“Everyone always says ‘you guys are so good, it’s just like Broadway, better than going downtown’ and those are always really nice things to hear,” Ferencie said. “But, here’s an opportunity to really have that validated. I think that’s really cool and I think that’s really important for students to know that all of that work that we put into it is worth more than just the four performances that we have.”

Along with being considered for Dazzle Awards, the 18 schools will also be provided exclusive opportunities for their students.

“Schools participating in the Playhouse Square High School Musical Theater Awards are given the opportunity to participate in master classes with touring Broadway cast members and other performers,”  Szymanski said.  “Additionally, all participating students are invited to attend a free audition workshop in the spring of 2016. Students will work with industry professionals on audition techniques, choreography and more.”

Junior Olivia Chamberlain, along with four other SHS students, attended a dance master class with Kristen Beth Williams, who plays Sibella on the 1st National Tour of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.”

“It was a lot of fun,” Chamberlain said.  “Williams has appeared with and understudied many famous Broadway actors before, such as Sutton Foster. She taught us a dance combination from ‘White Christmas,’ a Broadway show which she’s starred in many times.”

Ferencie is very excited to see how the SHS spring musical compares to others schools in the area.

“I’m always so busy here– I never get out to see other schools to see what we stack up against,” she said. “I only know what our students tell us anecdotally when they come back from having seen shows, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent. I am very curious to see how we stack up.”

Ferencie also stressed that it’s very important to both herself and Drama Club Technical Director Joe Ferencie to maintain the integrity of the Solon tradition despite being on a competitive stage this year.

“My only concerns are making sure that we won’t change what we do just because we’re in a competition, so [Joe and I]  made a pinky swear pact with each other to make sure we didn’t change anything,” she said. “We’re going to continue to put on the best show that we can. What I don’t want to do is do something just because it will look good at a competition. If we win I want us to win because we’re true to who we are and what we do.”