BROADWAY BOUND

from Applause -- Aladdin, June 13-18, 2023

SIGHTLINE

BY EMMA HUNT

The energy, excitement and positivity that fills the Ellie Caulkins Opera House each May is unparalleled. More than a thousand educators, students, and their friends and family gathered to celebrate high school musical theatre at the Bobby G Awards on May 18.

The awards ceremony serves as an opportunity for the DCPA to honor Colorado musical theatre programs and for students to support each other. Thunderous applause fills the theatre as each award winner accepts the honor, bringing some recipients to tears. The sense of joy and community among the students is ineffable.

For this year’s Bobby G Awards, adjudicators evaluated 50 participating productions in 20 different counties in Colorado. Over 4,000 students were adjudicated, 750 of which participated in workshops held by DCPA Teaching Artists. Out of those 50 participating schools, 31 received nominations.

During the evening, all five Outstanding Overall Production nominees get a chance to perform a portion of their musical. This year’s nominees were Central High School (Newsies), Fossil Ridge High School (Bright Star), Lakewood High School (Something Rotten), Overland High School (Urinetown), and ThunderRidge High School (The Addams Family), with Lakewood High School winning top honors.

A highlight of the Bobby G Awards includes a traditional passing of the torch before the 2023 Lead Performer winners are announced. Thomas Beeker and Madison Manning, the 2022 Lead Performer winners, joined this years’ nominees in an original medley. Camille Nugent (Alice Murphy in Bright Star, Fossil Ridge High School) and Connor O’Brian (Shakespeare in Something Rotten, Lakewood High School) went home with the honor, and the knowledge that they will soon be performing on Broadway, literally. Camille and Connor will head to New York City for a week of workshops with industry professionals before the highly anticipated Jimmy Awards on June 26.