17th South Florida Cappies Nominations Announced

Hey Big Spender from Taravella’s Sweet Charity / Photo by Bachi Frost

The Critics’ Awards Program, or Cappies for short, will celebrate outstanding achievement in high school theater when students from 22 public and private schools throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties vie for top honors in the 17th Annual South Florida Cappies Awards Gala on Tuesday, May 14 at 7 p.m. in the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

The complete list of nominees is at the bottom of this story.

Modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards, the Cappies Awards gala will feature songs and scenes from the top-nominated shows and recognize the best in high school theater with 42 categories recognizing performers, designers, technicians, publicists and critics.

NSU University School holds the most nominations with 22 including 19 for its production of Curtains, which is the most-nominated musical. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School leads in the play category with 16 nominations for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Emiliana Quiceno, who played the 11th Juror in Archbishop McCarthy High School’s production of 12 Angry Jurors, is already a winner having nabbed the only nomination as Best Comic Actress in a Play.

Two sets of siblings are among the nomination pool with Cypress Bay High School students Ashley and Kathleen Valent and J.P. Taravella High School students Emma and Nicole Sugarman. In another family affair, Kimberly Sessions, daughter of J.P, Taravella High School theatre director Lori Sessions, is nominated for Best Female Dancer for her role in Sweet Charity.

North Broward Preparatory School junior Madeline Finkelman is the only student with three nominations having been recognized for criticism, marketing and publicity and Best Female Vocalist in the school’s production of Bring It On.

More than a dozen students have been nominated in more than one category: Annie Sudler (Calvary Christian Academy); Reese Abrahamoff (Cooper City High School); Kevaughn Reid (Dillard Center for the Arts); Jamie Happel and Nicole Sugerman (J.P. Taravella High School); Caroline Eaton (Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School); Eve Cohen and Natalie Langnas (North Broward Preparatory School); Jared Cohen and Julia Musso (NSU University School); Dwayne Reed (South Plantation High School); and Eva Daskos, Marc Plaskett and Ariel Seligman-Delgado (The Sagemont School).

Cappie Award winners are determined by votes from students through a weighted peer-review voting process. Nominations are made by student critics from participating schools who attend productions at rival schools and write reviews, which then are edited by theater educators and published on FloridaTheaterOnStage.com.

Tickets are $20 online at BrowardCenter.org or Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954.462.0222 or the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale.

2018-2019 CAPPIES NOMINEES BY SCHOOL

**Double Nominee
***Triple Nominee

American Heritage School
(11 nominations; 10 nominations for Chicago and one nomination for criticism)
Best Musical
Best Senior Critic: Gabriela Coutinho
Best Song: “We Both Reached for the Gun”
Best Lead Actor in a Musical: Frederick Bredemeyer
Supporting Actor in a Musical: Jonah Warhaft
Best Female Vocalist: Alexa Lopez
Best Male Dancer: Israel Del Rosario
Best Female Dancer: Madison Flanagan
Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Michael Guarasci
Best Ensemble in a Musical: Chicago Dancers
Best Orchestra

Archbishop McCarthy High School
(Eight nominations for 12 Angry Jurors)
Best Play
Best Lead Actor in a Play: Justin Cook
Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Bennett Sommer
Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Megan Whitaker
Best Comic Actor in a Play: William Goehmann
Best Comic Actress in a Play: Emiliana Quiceno
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Sophie Vega
Best Ensemble in a Play: Jurors

Calvary Christian Academy
(Eight nominations; seven nominations for The Miracle Worker and one nomination for criticism)
Best Play
Best Freshman Critic: Annie Sudler**
Best Lead Actress in a Play: Zoey Boyette
Best Comic Actor in a Play: Luke DiLiddo
Best Featured Actor in a Play: Maxim Rose
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Rachel Sparks
Best Sets: Samuel Hernandez
Best Props: Hannah Sherod and Annie Sudler**

Cardinal Gibbons High School
(Five Nominations; four nominations for The Addams Family and one nomination for criticism)
Best Senior Critic: Charlotte Bacharach
Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Madeline Diamond
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: William Eichholtz
Best Costumes: Alyssa Chiarello, Elisa Saldias-Leon, Isabella Sweeney and Noalani Valle
Best Props: M Lee, Madison Mishkin, Megan Price, and Julia Zanatta

Cooper City High School
(Four nominations; two nominations for The Frogs and two nominations for criticism)
Best Critics’ Team
Best Junior Critic: Reese Abrahamoff**
Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Reese Abrahamoff**
Best Creativity (Music Composition): Dustin Symonette
Coral Glades High School
(14 nominations for Eurydice)
Best Play
Best Lead Actor in a Play: Joshua Flynn
Best Lead Actress in a Play: Jerwayne Graham
Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Derek Sands
Best Comic Actor in a Play: Felipe Gonzalez
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Julyette Vargas
Best Ensemble in a Play: The Stones
Best Sets: Set Crew
Best Costumes: Jamie Metoyer
Best Sound: Juliette Bejune
Best Hair and Make-up: Dailyn Robaina
Best Special Effects and/or Technology: Vasnessa West
Best Stage Management and Stage Crew: Emma Summers and Crew
Best Marketing and Publicity: Hayley Hunt, Zoe Johnson and Mariel Pardo

Cypress Bay High School
(12 nominations; 11 nominations for Mamma Mia! and one for criticism)
Best Musical
Best Sophomore Critic: Ashley Valent
Best Song: “Does Your Mother Know?”
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Jason Rosenberg
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Kyleigh Jehlicka
Best Comic Actress in a Musical: Cristina Marine
Best Male Dancer: Ricardo Morales
Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Kathleen Valent
Best Ensemble in a Musical: Dancers/Greek Islanders
Best Choreography: Valeria Jubes
Best Sets: Jonas Perkins, Robbie Goldstein, Abby Gill and Roy DeOliveira
Best Lighting: Alexandra Tawid, Caitlin Nicholson and Jenna Pick

David Posnack Jewish Day School
(Three nominations for Les Misérables)
Best Lead Actor in a Musical: Matan Dalal
Best Comic Actress in a Musical: Ariel Fischer
Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Margalit Maleh

Deerfield Beach High School
(Two nominations for The Diary of Anne Frank)
Best Lead Actor in a Play: Alan Halalay
Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Sarah Mellinger

Dillard Center for the Arts
(Eight nominations for The Color Purple)
Best Lead Actor in a Musical: Mondrae Johnson
Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Abigail Magnus
Best Comic Actor in a Musical: Kevaughn Reid**
Best Comic Actress in a Musical: Mikala Phillips
Best Female Dancer: Dominique Shivers
Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Jermaine Jenkins
Best Creativity (Musical Direction): Jarvis Neal
Best Choreography: Kevaughn Reid**

JP Taravella High School
(16 nominations; 10 nominations for Sweet Charity and six nominations for criticism)
Best Critics’ Team
Best Sophomore Critic: Leah Tomas
Best Sophomore Critic: Nicolas Vela
Best Junior Critic: Jaime Happel**
Best Junior Critic: Nicole Sugarman**
Best Freshman Critic: Emma Sugarman
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Nicole Sugarman**
Best Comic Actor in a Musical: Hunter Quinn
Best Male Dancer in a Musical: Nicholas Ismailoff
Best Female Dancer: Kimberly Sessions
Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Boaz Levy
Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Jaime Happel**
Best Ensemble in a Musical: Fandango Girls
Best Lighting: Christian McKenna, Alex Rodriguez and Izzy Toledo
Best Sound: Logan Carolan, Christina Daley, Amanda Gonzalez and Logan Herrera
Best Hair and Make-up: Jasmin Victoria and Crew

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
(21 nominations; 16 nominations for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and five nominations for criticism)
Best Play
Best Critics’ Team
Best Senior Critic: Dylan Redshaw
Best Sophomore Critic: Avery Anger
Best Sophomore Critic: Peri Harris
Best Freshman Critic: Caroline Eaton**
Best Lead Actor in a Play: Logan Weber
Best Lead Actress in a Play: Dylan Redshaw
Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Alex Wind
Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Sawyer Garrity
Best Featured Actor in a Play: Alex Moscou
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Caroline Eaton**
Best Ensemble in a Play: Voices
Best Creativity (Music Composition): Andrea Pena
Best Choreography: Isabela Barry and John Barnitt
Best Lighting: Euan Beith, Ally Reichard and Dylan Cox
Best Sound: Jocelyn Krooks, Adam Alhanti and Ava DiGilio
Best Special Effects and/or Technology: Cameron Appel
Best Props: Brian Martinez, Lexi Schwartzberg and Company
Best Stage Management and Stage Crew: Alex Duffy, Caroline Haight and Lorenzo Prado
Best Marketing and Publicity: Melanie Weber, Jared Block and Genevieve Martin

Monarch High School
(Two nominations for Once Upon a Mattress)
Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Mia Prokop
Best Sets: Technical Design and Production Students

North Broward Preparatory School
(12 nominations; nine nominations for Bring It On, three nominations for criticism)
Best Critics’ Team
Best Junior Critic: Madeline Finkelman***
Best Junior Critic: Dylan Jost
Best Song: “What I Was Born To Do”
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Eve Cohen**
Best Comic Actress in a Musical: Natalie Langnas**
Best Male Vocalist: Daniel Haubner
Best Female Vocalist: Madeline Finkelman***
Best Female Dancer: Katie Hale
Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Evan Laufman
Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Samantha Hallenberg
Best Marketing and Publicity: Eve Cohen**, Madeline Finkelman*** and Natalie Langnas**

NSU University School
(22 nominations; 19 nominations for Curtains and three for criticism)
Best Musical
Best Critics’ Team
Senior Critic: Julia Musso**
Best Senior Critic: Aysha Zackria
Best Song: “Show People”
Best Lead Actor in a Musical: Sebastian Rabassa
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Julia Musso**
Best Comic Actor in a Musical: Anthony Langone
Best Comic Actress in a Musical: Sophie Amador
Best Male Vocalist: Jared Cohen**
Best Male Dancer: Gabriel Feldenkrais
Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Nicolas Barron
Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Nicolette Nunziato
Best Ensemble in a Musical: The Cast and Crew of Robbin’ Hood
Best Creativity (Vocal Music Direction): Jared Cohen**
Best Choreography: Bailey Busher
Best Lighting: Tal Kochav
Best Props: Jacqui Russell
Best Hair and Make-up: Ainsley Kohler and Company
Best Special Effects and/or Technology: Special Effects Team
Best Stage Management and Stage Crew: Liberty Lapayowker, Jennifer Holz and Erin Miller
Best Marketing and Publicity: Foster Hirsch and Camden Stankus

Somerset Academy
(Five nominations; four for The Three Musketeers and one for criticism)
Best Freshman Critic: Jade Russian
Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Daniel Calderon
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Nina Alonso
Best Comic Actor in a Play: Nicolas Baquero
Best Ensemble in a Play: The Three Musketeers

South Plantation High School
(15 nominations for Once On This Island)
Best Musical
Best Song: “Mama Will Provide”
Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Sierra Nicon
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Dwayne Reed**
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Hannah Prezant
Best Male Vocalist: Wayde Boswell
Best Female Vocalist: Kayla Smith
Best Female Dancer: Jordan Rawls
Best Ensemble in a Musical: The Gods
Best Orchestra
Best Sets: Chase Dietrich
Best Costumes: Abriella Richards
Best Hair and Makeup: Paige Slowinski and Isabel Bello
Best Stage Management and Stage Crew: Gabriella Suarez
Best Marketing and Publicity: Dwayne Reed**

St. Thomas Aquinas High School
(Three nominations for Honk!)
Best Lead Actor in a Musical: Michael Ryder
Best Comic Actor in a Musical: Vincente Tóme
Best Sound: Isabelle Christoff, Andrew Malone and Isabella Klar

The Sagemont School
(13 nominations for A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Best Play
Best Lead Actor in a Play: Marc Plaskett**
Best Lead Actress in a Play: Eva Daskos**
Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Ariel Seligman-Delgado**
Best Comic Actor in a Play: Leonardo Do Prado
Best Featured Actor in a Play: Aaron Cantu
Best Ensemble in a Play: Fairies
Best Choreography: Marc Plaskett**
Best Costumes: Eva Daskos**
Best Lighting: Madyson Gold
Best Sound: Owen Alonso and Victor Paes-Leme
Best Hair and Make-up: Ariel Seligman-Delgado**
Best Special Effects and/or Technology: Ariana Richiez, Sophie Goldfarb, Natalia Cardenas and Leila Dupont

West Boca Raton High School
(10 nominations for Hairspray)
Best Musical
Best Lead Actress in a Musical: Samara Shavrick
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Alec Schwartz
Best Comic Actor in a Musical: Noah Fineman
Best Male Vocalist: Laumaur Lindsay
Best Female Vocalist: Maya Petrie
Best Orchestra
Best Costumes: Jesalyn Trinkovsky
Best Stage Management and Stage Crew: Lindsay Levine and Crew
Best Props: Madison Brito, Shelby Jacob and Angelina Buck

West Broward High School
(Three nominations for My Fair Lady)
Best Male Vocalist: Kaleb Hobson-Garcia
Best Female Vocalist: Francesca Pinilla
Best Male Dancer: Noah Levin

Western High School
(Three nominations; two for Twelve Angry Women and one for criticism)
Best Freshman Critic: Franklin Ferrer
Best Lead Actress in a Play: Ishani Kamalani
Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Nicole Ehrlich