The 2024 Cappies Awards Celebrate High School Theater  

The Curious Savage produced by Archbishop McCarthy High School was awarded Best Play; credit Ian Ibbetson

By Oline H. Cogdill and Cappie Reports

We love the Cappies, the wonderful program that celebrates high school theater.

And we are proud to continue to publish the Cappie reviews on www.floridatheateronstage.com.

The Cappies make us remember our high school (and college) years and what an impact being involved with theater made on our lives, then, and continues to impact our lives.

Looking out at the size of the crowd who attend the Cappie Awards gala always gives us a lump in our throat. Thank you for supporting theater. This is the first year we had to miss the Cappies gala and we were indeed sorry to miss this event and the chance to cheer on the students.

We are pleased and honored to publish the winners of the 2024 Cappies Awards. And we will continue to publish the Cappie reviews when the season returns in the fall.

Students from 29 local high schools in Broward and Palm Beach Counties were honored Tuesday, May 21, 2024, with commendations, performances and awards during the 22nd Annual Cappies Awards celebrating outstanding achievement in high school theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and South Florida Cappies Inc.

West Boca Raton High School’s production of Mamma Mia was awarded Best Musical credit Ian Ibbetson

NSU University School took home the most honors with eight awards, including those for criticism, and tied with American Heritage in Broward for the most honored musicals with NSU University School’s production of Amélie Teen Edition and American Heritage’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat winning six awards.

West Boca Raton High School received the Best Musical award for its production of Mamma Mia.

Archbishop McCarthy High School’s production of The Curious Savage was the most honored play with six awards including Best Play.

“It is so rewarding to see the depth and breadth of theater education opportunities in high schools across South Florida and the outstanding array of talent both on the stage and behind the scenes,” said Broward Center President and CEO Ty Sutton in a press release.

“I am delighted to see that so many of our schools are invested in the creative arts and developing the next generation in all aspects of theater performance and production. Congratulations to all the winners and to all the nominees,” he added.

The Cappie Awards recognized performers, orchestras, designers, technicians, publicists and critics in 48 categories. Nominations were made by student critics from participating schools who attended productions at rival schools and wrote reviews. Winners were determined by votes from students through a weighted peer-review voting process.

Critics’ Team Tyler Grimes with the Cooper City High School Team credit Ian Ibbetson

“We are so thrilled that our 22nd year saw an increase of eight schools and over 300 reviews submitted making this the largest season in South Florida Cappies history,” said South Florida Cappies Founder and Chair Lori Sessions in a press release.

“South Florida Cappies fosters respect between schools, encourages careful analysis of productions while continuing to celebrate and  improve the quality of high school theatre.  I’m so thankful as we celebrate high school theatre in South Florida that Cappies is still thriving and contributing to the education of our students,” she added.

We couldn’t agree more.

Congratulations to all the winners as well as to all who were involved with their high school theater. Being involved makes you an automatic winner.

2023-2024 CAPPIES WINNERS BY SCHOOL

American Heritage Broward
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Musical: Jack Ryan
Dancer in a Male Role:        Gabriel Salazar Pacheco
Ensemble in a Musical: Brothers
Lighting in a Musical: Hayley Schachter
Hair and Make-up in a Musical: Damien Ellowitz, Emma Kolb
Props in a Musical: Tara Peart, Daniella Bieber

American Heritage  Palm Beach Campus
The Fantasticks
Vocalist in a Male Role: Jack Pawlowski
Creativity: Samuel Artel, Musicianship

Archbishop McCarthy High School
The Curious Savage
Play
Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Bella Nanavichit
Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Play:       Isabella Ruiz
Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Caroline Greco
Ensemble in a Play: The Guests
Sound in a Play: Erin Whitaker

Stage Management and Crew in a Play
Camden Stankus, Cappies Alumnus, Caroline Tarantolo, with Aniston Jennings, Nikolai Gerrard and Co. , AW Dreyfoos School of the Arts , Twelfth Night
credit Ian Ibbetson

AW Dreyfoos School of the Arts
Twelfth Night
Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Play: Shaine Rainsburg
Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Play: Connor Hullender
Costumes in a Play: Kaitlyn Bradwell, Sarah Owosina, Elizabeth Kronhaus
Lighting in a Play: Ryan Brown and Co.
Stage Management and Crew in a Play: Aniston Jennings, Nikolai Gerrard and Co.

Calvary Christian Academy
Pygmalion
Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Play: Emma Bruce
Hair and Make-up in a Play: Alexandra Denison, Avery Rivas & Co.

Cardinal Gibbons High School
Little Shop of Horrors
Lead Actor in a Female Role in a Musical: Sophia Hazleton
Special Effects and or Technology: Micah Boyce, Dalton Riley

Cooper City High School
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
Lead Actor in a Male Role in a Play: Payton Varga
Critic Teams: Giovanna Dellaria, Lead Critic
Sophomore Critic: Kenny Gervais
Freshman Critic: Gavin MacArthur

Coral Springs High School
Shrek The Musical
Supporting Actor in a Male Role in a Musical: Sean Jenkins

Cypress Bay High School
Chicago
Dancer in a Female Role: Julia Poms
Choreography: Gabbi Bongiovi, Miguel Cabrera
Sets in a Musical: Julia Amigorena, Samantha Garcia, Alex Gomez

Dr. Joaquin Garcia High School
Puffs
Props in a Play: Evan Paggi, Juliet Cintro

J.P. Taravella High School
Babes in Arms
Vocalist in a Female Role: Yasmeen Smith

 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Mean Girls, HS Edition
Supporting Actor in a Female Role in a Musical: Sydney Lotz
Comic Actor in a Female Role in a Musical: Myla Shapiro

 North Broward Preparatory School
Mean Girls: High School Version
Featured Actor in a Female Role in a Musical: Olivia Espinoza

Junior Critic: Tiffany Lutz, Cappies Program Manager with Sam Dyer, NSU University School and Sydney Lotz, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. credit Ian Ibbetson

NSU University School
Amélie Teen Edition
Orchestra: Two Windmills Band
Comic Actor in a Male Role in a Musical : Sam Dyer
Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Musical: Zachary Kopelman
Sound in a Musical: Cora Rodriguez
Stage Management and Crew in a Musical: David Taylor and Crew
Marketing and Publicity: Zachary Kopelman, Emma Rodriguez, Jack Steinman
Senior Critic: Avery Redlich
Junior Critic: Sam Dyer

Piper High School
Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass
Sets in a Play: Angelie Gomez and Co.

South Plantation High School
A Night Under the Stars
Featured Actor in a Male Role in a Play: Jaxon Reid

West Boca Raton High School
Mamma Mia
Musical
Song: “Voulez-Vous”
Costumes in a Musical: Kelsey Bonner, Maia Stein