The Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department presents the 2021-2022 WAVE Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at the Mendel Center Mainstage on the Benton Harbor Campus, 2755 E. Napier Ave.
Loosely designed after Broadway’s famed Tony Awards, the WAVE Awards recognizes, encourages, and promotes high school theater. Individuals and productions from participating schools were nominated in 12 acting and technical categories. Winners will be announced during the ceremony, and all students and production staff will receive written feedback from a panel of arts professionals. Nominees may also receive additional performance and scholarship opportunities.
“We want to inspire collaboration among high school-aged performers and develop an appreciation for the visual and performing arts among youth in our region,” LMC Dean of Arts & Sciences Kristopher Zook said. “The benefits of participating in the arts have been well documented. Our goal is to foster those benefits while building a sense of community in the arts that can transfer to participants’ adult lives.”
Tuesday’s event begins with red carpet arrivals at 6 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony, including musical production numbers from Bridgman, Dowagiac, Paw Paw, and St. Joseph high schools.
The presenters this year are LMC President Dr. Trevor Kubatzke, LMC Theatre Instructor Pat King, Children’s Music Workshop Executive Director Adrienne Glisson, Krasl Art Center Executive Director Julia Gourley, Citadel Dance & Music Center Instructor Paige Mulick, All God’s Children Community Choir Founders Larry and Sandy Feldman, Twin City Players’ John Taylor, WSJM’s Zack East, and Pat Moody, among others.
The 2021-2022 WAVE Award nominees are:
Outstanding Set Design in a Musical
Bridgman High School; “Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition,” Carrie Noll
Dowagiac High School; “Ranked: The Musical,” Lincoln Clark & Tammy Mammel
Paw Paw High School; “Curtains: Student Edition,” Isabella Hameed & Kristofer M. Perkins
St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music,” Ed Brunner
Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical
Bridgman High School; “Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition,” Marty Golob
Dowagiac High School; “Ranked: The Musical,” Lincoln Clark
Paw Paw High School; “Curtains: Student Edition,” Kristofer M. Perkins
St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music,” Scott Bradford
Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical
Bridgman High School; “Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition,” Marsha Pinkowski
Dowagiac High School; “Ranked: The Musical,” Ravan Bakeman
Paw Paw High School; “Curtains: Student Edition,” Claudia Lee
St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music,” Lindsay Gaspari
Outstanding Choreography in a Musical
Bridgman High School; “Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition,” Caitlyn Lustila
Dowagiac High School; “Ranked: The Musical,” Tammy Mammel
Paw Paw High School; “Curtains: Student Edition,” Sofia Marie Louden
St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music,” Cassidy VanGilder
Outstanding Musical Direction in a Musical
Bridgman High School; “Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition,” Caitlyn Lustila
Dowagiac High School; “Ranked: The Musical,” Hunter Schuur
Paw Paw High School; “Curtains: Student Edition,” Maxwell Wagner
St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music,” Beth Gray-Roll
Outstanding Orchestra in a Musical
Paw Paw High School; “Curtains: Student Edition,” Sydney Heasley
St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music,” Burke Lokey
Outstanding Featured Ensemble in a Musical
Bridgman High School; “Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition,” Knights & Ladies in Waiting
Dowagiac High School; “Ranked: The Musical,” The Bad Kids
Paw Paw High School; “Curtains: Student Edition,” Cast of “Robbin’ Hood”
St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music,” The von Trapp Children
St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music,” The Nuns of Nonnberg Abbey
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Jaxon Curry as Christopher Belling; Paw Paw High School
Amelia Gibbs as Bambi Bernet; Paw Paw High School
Mya Dixson as Mother Abbess; St. Joseph High School
Alex Hodges as Daryl Grady; Paw Paw High School
Braden Miesse as Rolf Gruber; St. Joseph High School
Carri Willer as Wizard; Bridgman High School
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Alivia Abram as Sir Harry; Bridgman High School
Abby Berry as Liesl von Trapp; St. Joseph High School
Keelin McCafferty as Georgia Hendricks; Paw Paw High School
Abelardo Muñoz as Aaron Fox; Paw Paw High School
Kat Paloyan as Elsa Schraeder; St. Joseph High School
Ryan Robison as Ryan; Dowagiac High School
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
Summer Fast as Lady Larken; Bridgman High School
Emalie Nelson as Princess Winnifred, the Woebegone; Bridgman High School
Amelia Jones as Jordan; Dowagiac High School
Andrew Brown as Lt. Frank Cioffi; Paw Paw High School
Madison Vogel as Niki Harris; Paw Paw High School
Sierra Loughrin as Carmen Berstein; Paw Paw High School
Hannah Bogner as Maria Rainer von Trapp; St. Joseph High School
Outstanding Direction in a Musical
Jennifer Ammerman, Bridgeman High School; “Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition”
Tammy Mammel, Dowagiac High School; “Ranked: The Musical”
Kristofer M. Perkins, Paw Paw High School; “Curtains: Student Edition”
Cassidy VanGilder, St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music”
Outstanding Musical Production
Bridgman High School; “Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition”
Dowagiac High School; “Ranked: The Musical”
Paw Paw High School; “Curtains: School Edition”
St. Joseph High School; “The Sound of Music”
The event is free and open to the public. Parents, friends, fans, teachers, and school administrators are all encouraged to attend.
