Congratulations to all of the local schools and performers awarded 2020 Jerry Awards!
This year, 88 shows across the state were able to complete their runs and be reviewed. Twenty-five schools had to cancel or cut short their runs of performances due to COVID-19, including local productions like Chequamegon High School’s The Addams Family, Wausau East’s Fiddler on the Roof, Merrill High Schools The Music Man, Marshfield High School’s Hello, Dolly!, and Antigo High School’s Anything Goes (which opened and closed on the same night). Regardless of how many shows schools were able to perform, Jerry Awards organizers feel that it is important to recognize all of the hard work put into educational theater performances this year.
The Jerry Awards is one of Wisconsin’s high school musical awards programs that encourages, recognizes and honors excellence in high school musical theater. The program began in the 2009/10 school year and has since expanded across the state of Wisconsin. Educators and industry professionals review productions high schools/community theater organizations in 30 counties, providing valuable feedback. The program elevates the importance of musical theater within high schools.
The Grand Theater is proud to partner with Overture Center in Madison to expand the program to North Central Wisconsin schools. Our region is well-represented among award recipients this year, with one local schools receiving the Outstanding Musical award, seven students receiving Outstanding Lead Performance awards, seven students receiving Outstanding Supporting Performance awards, and several other awards going to our region’s school productions.
The 2019/20 Jerry Awards program will culminate in a show honoring student and school achievements, including “appearances” by the Outstanding Award recipients, via a virtual Jerry Awards Celebration the Jerry Awards Facebook Page on June 7. The Central Wisconsin Jerry Ensemble, featuring 16 students from 8 area high schools, will also perform in the opening number of broadcast.
For more information on the Jerry Awards, visit the The Grand’s website, contact The Grand’s Director of Education & Community Engagement Katy Lang at klang@grandtheater.org, or call The Grand’s Ticket Office at 715-842-0988.
North Central Wisconsin schools received awards for their outstanding achievements in the following areas:
Outstanding Musical: Elf the Musical – DC Everest Senior High School
Outstanding Ensemble: Anything Goes – Antigo High School
Outstanding Ensemble: Disney’s Newsies – Rhinelander High School
Outstanding Direction: Fiddler on the Roof – Northland Pines High School
Outstanding Musical Direction: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast – Lakeland Union High School
Outstanding Orchestra: Anything Goes – Antigo High School
Outstanding Orchestra: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast – Lakeland Union High School
Outstanding Orchestra: Annie – Wausau West High School
Outstanding Lead Performance: Dane Gleason (Tevye) in Northland Pines’ Fiddler on the Roof, Reagan Kettner (Jovie) in DC Everest’s Elf the Musical, Isabella Kneeland (Reno) in Antigo’s Anything Goes, Roman Matusiewicz (Gaston) in Lakeland Union’s Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Ashlyn Lewis (Kicker) in DC Everest’s Children’s Letters to God, and Shannon O’Donnell (Donna) in SPASH’s Mamma Mia!
Outstanding Supporting Performance: Zander Amershek (Lefou) in Lakeland Union’s Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Ashlyn Lewis (Deb) in DC Everest’s Elf the Musical, Maegan Mansfield (Yente) in Northland Pines’ Fiddler on the Roof, Anna Montgomery (Evangeline) in Antigo’s Anything Goes, Morgan Phillipich (Chava) in Northland Pines’ Fiddler on the Roof, Somerset Seymer (Tzeitel) in Northland Pines’ Fiddler on the Roof, and Zach Tadiello (Cogsworth) in Lakeland Union’s Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Outstanding Overall Design: Fiddler On the Roof – Northland Pines High School
Outstanding Scenic Design: Anything Goes – Antigo High School
Outstanding Costume Design: Anything Goes – Antigo High School
Outstanding Costume Design: Fiddler On the Roof – Northland Pines High School
Outstanding Stage Management: Fiddler On the Roof – Northland Pines High School
Outstanding Stage Management: Disney’s Newsies – Rhinelander High School
Outstanding Stage Management: Mamma Mia! – Stevens Point Area Senior High School
Spirit Award: Riya Bolander (Marshfield’s Hello, Dolly!), Grace Dorsey (Lakeland Union’s Disney’s Beauty and the Beast), Joshua Gardner (Rhinelander’s Disney’s Newsies), Houachoua Her (Wausau West’s Annie), Max Koepke (DC Everest’s Elf the Musical), Nicole Ravanelli (Northland Pines’ Fiddler on the Roof), Mary Thao (DC Everest’s Children’s Letters to God), and Lisa White (Rhinelander’s Disney’s Newsies)
Click for the full list of award recipients: 2020 Jerry Award Recipients
Congratulations to all nominees and recipients!
