Broadway has its Tony Awards, but local drama students have their high school equivalency trophies known as the Cappies.

The  sixth annual Critics and Awards Program gala took place Sunday at the elegant Hippodrome Theatre. It opened with a challenge from the singing and dancing chorus to “Sing hallelujah — come on, get Cappies!,” and for the next three hours the only difference between the packed auditorium and a pep rally was the formal wear of the presenters.

To quote the evening’s most oft-repeated word, it was amazing.

Production teams from the 18 participating schools literally took their shows on the road to downtown Baltimore, recreating musical and dramatic highlights in between the handing out of trophies to winning teams and individuals in 32 performance categories and four critics divisions.

With a total of 10 awards, Columbia’s Wilde Lake High School brought home the most honors for its spring staging of “Pippin.” But losers were nowhere to be found  as the Cappies mission is to celebrate achievement, not competition.

That and the unbridled force of high school spirit overwhelmed any momentary disappointments. The only reminders of the relative youth of this new crop of showbiz troopers was the bounce in their steps, the openness of their smiles and the inadvertent revelation in an acceptance speech — as when Centennial High’s Patrick Burr thanked everyone for making his award possible by “giving me rides, because I don’t have my license.”

Winners of the 2009 Cappies Awards were:

Sound — Grace Koplow, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Lighting — Danny Solow, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Sets — Margeaux Malone & Period 5 Production Co. Class, Centennial High, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”

Costumes — Kat Schuster, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Makeup — Talon Zinger, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Props & Effects — Nora Allen, Jayde McWilliams, Madeleine Boyes, Oakland Mills High, “The Mousetrap”

Stage Crew — Jenna Johnson, Centennial High, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”

Orchestra — The Boy Friend Pit Band, Marriotts Ridge HIgh, “The Boy Friend”

Choreography — Jilli Grabau, Rachel Whitcomb, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Ensemble in a Play — The Love Triangle — Mollie, Giles, & Christopher Oakland Mills High, “The Mousetrap”

Ensemble in a Musical — Leading Players, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Cameo Actress — Raven Carpenter, Catonsville High, “The Crucible”

Cameo Actor — Greg Kufera, Hereford High, “Seussical”

Female Dancer — Jilli Grabau, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Male Dancer — Chris Gallant, Atholton High, “Footloose”

Female Vocalist — Aria Guarino, Severna Park, “The Sound of Music”

Male Vocalist — Elijah Williamson, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Comic Actress in a Play — Sarah Bluher, Centennial High, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”

Comic Actor in a Play — Patrick Donovan, Centennial High, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”

Comic Actress in a Musical — Maddie Lawrence, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Comic Actor in a Musical — Thomas Conchie, Marriotts Ridge High, “The Boy Friend”

Featured Actress in a Play — Lisa Rediker, Centennial High, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”

Featured Actor in a Play — Patrick Burr, Centennial High, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”

Featured Actress in a Musical — Maeve Ricaurte, Glenelg Country School, “Into the Woods”

Featured Actor in a Musical — Antonio Beverly, Wilde Lake High, “Pippin”

Lead Actress in a Play — Marci Raymond, Oakland Mills High, “The Mousetrap”

Lead Actor in a Play — Josh Kudisch, Centennial High, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”

Lead Actress in a Musical — Nina Kauffman, Hereford, “Seussical”

Lead Actor in a Musical — Matt Summers, Reservoir High, “Big River”

Song — “Muddy Water,” Reservoir, “Big River”

Play — “The Mousetrap,” Oakland Mills High

Musical — “Man of La Mancha,” Loyola Blakefield

Rising Critic — Anna Bellantoni, Notre Dame High

Junior Critic — Kelsey Schneider, Notre Dame High

Senior Critic — Sarah Goldstein, Glenelg Country School

Critic Team — Glenelg Country School

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user comments (1)

user stephgurwitz says...

THANK YOU for posting this and thank you John for your ongoing support of student theater and arts. It was an amazing evening, wasn't it? And Kudos to Wilde Lake. I did not get a chance to see the show but heard great thingsm can't wait to see the video.

Posted 9:20 AM, 05.19.09 | Permalink