Halo Award Winners for Wednesday Night

The students who gathered at the Palace Theater on Wednesday night were just as excited as the ones who attended last night's gala. Overall, they were dressed a little less formally than their Tuesday counterparts, but they still looked great as they entered the lobbies. Many of them had to change into their costumes for their performance during the evening and then change back into their finery.

Tom Chute was decked out in his tux to serve as the host for the evening, looking "suave and debonaire" as he likes to mispronounce on the radio, and he was as charming as ever. He complimented the students on how they stood to applaud the performers and recognized each other in such a kind manner.

The large number of distinguished presenters, many of whom returned for the second night to present the awards in the same categories, made sure that the winners stopped and posed for a photo by Gary Rosengrant as soon as they received their award. Teacher, Halo judge and choreographer Ralph Cantito asked the students to keep the noise down so that "your mothers can hear your name." He also explained to the assembled students exactly what "a WAMS" was and made all of them jealous when he told them that the Palace is where WAMS student perform many of their productions.

Semina DeLaurentis, Artistic Director of Seven Angels Theatre, explained to the students during her opening remarks that their ticket to the gala could be brought to Seven Angels and turned into a Halo Pass. All the HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS who had a Halo ticket get a Halo pass for 'Next to Normal' and 5 Mainstage shows for next year. This pass would serve as a season ticket at the theatre for the remainder of this season and for the five mainstage productions next season. This is an excellent way for young performers to see some excellent live theatre at no cost to them. Ms. DeLaurentis also mentioned that if they ever had to cut back on the extras that they do at Seven Angels, the Halos would be last to go.

This evenings featured performances opened with a reprise of last night's curtain raiser by Naugatuck High School's Preston Bogan and Kaylin Spaulding as Brian and Michelle. The audience loved it once again and it never gets old for me. Stonington HS then did "Fancy Dress" from their show The Drowsy Chaperone. Cheshire HS performed "I Was Born the Day Before Yesterday" from The Wiz and Kaynor Tech in Waterbury did "Zipadeedoodah" from the production of Alice in Wonderland. Woodland was asked to do a medley of songs from their Little Shop of Horrors and then WAMS took to the stage to perform "96,000" from their musical In the Heights. Wolcott HS did "Steam Heat' from their show The Pajama Game and St. Paul Catholic HS closed the first act with "Astonishing" and "Five Forever" from Little Women and got a standing ovation.

The second act opened with a performance by Bristol Central HS of "Pray" from Once on this Island with Meric Martin on the piano and drum. Crosby High School did "We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover" from Annie, followed by Salisbury School with "Benjamin Calypso" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Next up was Kennedy HS with "Find Your Grail" from their version of Spamalot and Suffield HS and Newington HS performed to songs from their productions for How to Succeed...

May 29, 2013 Halo Award WINNERS

MUSICALS

Best Musical
• St. Paul Catholic HS – Little Women

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
• Simsbury HS – Joey Martin as Daddy Warbucks in Annie

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical TIE
• Miss Porter’s School – Reagan Henke as John Adams in 1776
• St Paul Catholic HS – Jillian Caillouette as Jo March in Little Women
 
Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical
• WAMS – Wilmer Gonzalez as Sonny in In the Heights

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Musical
• Bristol Central HS – Amanda Greenbacker as Mama Euralie in Once on this Island

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
• Jonathan Law HS – Sean Davis as Tin Man in The Wiz

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
• WAMS – Alexa Campagna as Piragua Gal in In the Heights

Best Comic Male Performance in a Musical
• Manchester HS – Ryan Phelps as Moonface Martin in Anything Goes

Best Comic Female Performance in a Musical
• Newington HS – Emma Bartlett as Smitty in How to Succeed…

Best Performance by a Couple or Duo in a Musical
• Kaynor Tech – Miranda Mansolf and Tom Dowie as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in Alice in Wonderland

Best Orchestra: (75% students or more)
• Newington HS – How to Succeed…

Best Specialty Ensemble in a Musical
• Kennedy HS – Dante Cyr & Kenneth Padilla as the Guards in Spamalot

Best Choreographer
• Bristol Central HS – Jasmine Clemons for Once on this Island

Best Dancing
• Manchester HS – in Anything Goes

Best Featured Dancer(s)
• Cheshire HS – Kendra Zdanowski as Eye of the Tornado in The Wiz

Gypsy of the Year
• WAMS – Eric Beltrami

PLAYS

Best Dramatic Play
• Suffield Academy – August, Osage County

Best Comic Play
• Wolcott HS – The Man Who Came to Dinner

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
• Wolcott HS – Michangelo Mancini as Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
• Bristol Central HS – Lexi Calfe as Alice in Alice in Wonderland

Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Play
• Woodland Regional HS – Charles Bethin as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Play
• Suffield Academy – Piper Holliday as Jean Fordham in August, Osage County

Best Featured Actor in a Play
• Bristol Central HS – Graham Washburn as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland

Best Featured Actress in a Play
• Suffield Academy – Jasmine Brooks as Mattie Fae Aiken in August, Osage County

Best Comic Male Performance in a Play
• Wolcott HS – Michael Rapisarda as Banjo in The Man Who Came to Dinner

Best Comic Female Performance in a Play
• Wolcott HS – Leah Ciccone as Lorraine Sheldon in The Man Who Came to Dinner

Best Acting by an Ensemble Cast (Play) TIE
• Stonington HS – And a Child Shall Lead
• Salisbury School – Twelve Angry Men
 
Best Standout Performance(s) in an Ensemble Play
• Thomaston HS – Caleb Zenobia as Brad Simmons in Hangman

Fearless Award
• Stonington HS – And a Child Shall Lead

TECHNICAL/ADMIN CATEGORIES

Best Lighting Design
Stonington HS – Chris Chevalier and Lindsay Gimple for The Drowsy Chaperone

 Best Scenic Design
• Westover School – Alisa Tiong for Measure For Measure

Best Costume Design
• Naugatuck HS – Hailey Diaz for Alice Through the Internet

Best Hair and Makeup Design
Bristol Central - Mackenzie Martin for Once on This Island

Best Sound Design
• WAMS – Maggie Lee for In The Heights
 
Best Stage Management
• Simsbury HS – Erin Gallagher SM, & Julie McCloskey ASM for Annie

 Best Special Effects
• Newington HS – Adam Serguro & Greg Stamm for the elevator in How to Succeed…

Best Original Program Cover Design or Artwork
• Stonington HS – Sarah Downie for And a Child Shall Lead and The Drowsy Chaperone

Special Recognition Awards

“Above and Beyond” (or “The Mickey Rooney Award”)
• Westover School’s Amelia Bell

Against All Odds (Overcoming all obstacles)
• Kennedy High School

Artistic Director’s Award
• Crosby High School’s Jordan Ward

Stanislavski Award: No Small Players
• Wolcott High School’s Alexandra D’Agostino

Congratulations to all the award winners and to all the angels who provide our students with the chance to perform on stages throughout the state.