{"id":253011,"date":"2026-04-30T21:17:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T21:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/253011\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T21:17:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T21:17:19","slug":"eleven-lee-county-high-schools-participating-in-this-years-high-school-musical-theater-awards-at-bb-mann-wgcu-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/253011\/","title":{"rendered":"Eleven Lee County high schools participating in this year’s High School Musical Theater Awards at BB Mann | WGCU News"},"content":{"rendered":"

The High School Musical Theatre Awards take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 8 at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Patterned after the Tony Awards, the evening features performances by each participating school, along with awards in a number of categories, including Best Overall Production, Best Ensemble and Best Actor and Supporting Actor in both Male-Identifying and Female-Identifying roles.<\/p>\n

\"Bishop<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Bishop Verot High School’s competition show for the 2026 High School Musical Awards is Disney’s ‘Little Mermaid.’ <\/p>\n

Eleven area schools are taking part in the awards this year. Each will perform an excerpt from the \u201ccompetition show\u201d they produced earlier during the school year:<\/p>\n

Bishop Verot High School, \u201cThe Little Mermaid,\u201d directed by Lisa Clark;Bonita Springs, \u201cAddams Family,\u201d directed by Kalie Enzor;Canterbury High School, \u201cLegally Blonde,\u201d directed by Aaron Jackson;Cypress Lake School of the Arts, \u201cNatasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,\u201d directed by Carmen Crussard;Fort Myers High School, \u201cHigh School Musical,\u201d directed by Angelie Agramonte;Gateway, \u201cCinderella,\u201d directed by Emilie Y. Schmidt;Ida S. Baker, \u201cLegally Blonde\u201d directed by Sarah Jones;Island Coast, \u201cThe Little Mermaid,\u201d directed by Rachel Davis;Lehigh Senior High, \u201cChicago,\u201d directed by Miguel Cintron;North Fort Myers, \u201cNewsies,\u201d directed by Janelle Laux; andOasis, \u201cGrease,\u201d directed by Carrie Guffy.<\/p>\n

\"Gabe<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Cypress Lake High’s competition show for this year’s High School Musical Awards is ‘Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.’<\/p>\n

Barbara B. Mann General Manager Scott Saxon started the awards in 2008 to celebrate local high school actors, orchestras, their musical productions and the hard work those students do every year.<\/p>\n

The awards are open to the public and tickets are on sale at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall box office.<\/p>\n

\"Finale<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Lehigh Senior High produced ‘Chicago’ as its competition show for this year’s High School Musical Awards. <\/p>\n

MORE INFORMATION:<\/p>\n

Students spend months working on their productions, rehearsing songs and dance steps, designing and painting sets, sewing costumes and doing everything else it takes to put on a show.<\/p>\n

Most schools start working on their productions in the fall and rehearse all year \u2013 including after school and on weekends – until they present their shows February through April.<\/p>\n

The High School Musical Theatre Awards celebrate their hard work and achievements.
The awards are open to the public. Tickets are just $16.<\/p>\n

\"North<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

North Fort Myers High School’s competition show for this year’s High School Music Awards is ‘Newsies.’ <\/p>\n

The schools<\/p>\n

Under the direction of theater director and teacher Lisa Clark, Bishop Verot Theater performs a variety of straight plays and musicals that feature in excess of 50 students. Past productions have included \u201cCurtains,\u201d \u201cMary Poppins\u201d (which won \u201cOutstanding Ensemble\u201d at the 2024 HSMTA), \u201cThe Addams Family Musical,\u201d \u201cBeauty and the Beast,\u201d \u201cGrease: The School Version\u201d and \u201cHow to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.\u201d Bishop Verot is a member of the SWFL Theatrical Society, and Bishop Verot High School Thespian Troupe 6159 is a part of the International Thespian Society, an organization that recognizes students for their exceptional participation in theater.<\/p>\n

\"Canterbury<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Canterbury High theater students perform mash-up from ‘Shrek’ during 2025 High School Musical Theatre Awards. <\/p>\n

Canterbury School\u2019s theatre program provides a comprehensive education in the art of performing, the history of the stage, and technical aspects of theatre. Under the guidance and direction of Catherine Truesdale, Aaron Jackson and Michael Lynch, Canterbury thespians showcase their abilities at several events throughout the year, which are highly anticipated by students, faculty and members of the Southwest Florida community. \u201cShrek,\u201d \u201cMean Girls\u201d and \u201cElf the Musical\u201d are among the shows that Canterbury has produced in past years. \u201cElf\u201d was named Outstanding Overall Production in 2023, which just goes to show that good things happen when you make it shinyshowycheerykinkle razzledazzleringalingle.<\/p>\n

\"Cypress<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Cypress Lake High School theater students perform ‘It’s Your Wedding Day’ from ‘The Wedding Singer’ at the 2025 High School Musical Theatre Awards. <\/p>\n

The theatre program at Cypress Lake reflects the formidable skills and considerable experience of theatre director and teacher Carmen Crussard, who also directs the Alliance Youth Theatre. Cypress Lake performed a \u201cIt\u2019s Your Wedding Day\u201d from \u201cThe Wedding Singer\u201d last year, a medley from \u201cHoliday Inn\u201d in 2024 and \u201cBig Fish\u201d in 2023. Cypress Lake took best musical honors at the inaugural HSMTAs for their performance of \u201cAll Shook Up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gateway High School is home to a growing theater program, offering a progression of multiple levels in which students learn performance, technical, and production skills. Students in Theater 1 gain confidence in performing on stage in front of an audience with improv, monologues, and partner pieces. Set and costume design are included as an introduction to technical theater. The Eagle Theater Company rehearses after school for competitions, showcases and multiple plays a year. Students in the theater program learn to support each other and enjoy being part of a tight-knit community. Last year, Gateway performed an excerpt from \u201cYou\u2019re A Good Man Charlie Brown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ida<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Ida S. Baker theater students at the 2025 High School Musical Theatre Awards at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. <\/p>\n

The Ida S. Baker High School offers a medley of courses in which students can study and learn various elements of theater, musical theater and technical theater throughout all four years of high school. In 2024, Ida Baker took runner-up honors for Overall Production of a Musical for \u201cBeauty and the Beast.\u201d In 2023, Ida Baker performed a crowd-pleasing medley of songs from their production of \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors,\u201d including an excerpt from \u201cFeed Me (Git It),\u201d featuring the insatiably blood-thirsty plant Audrey and her hapless horticulturalist Seymour. <\/p>\n

\"Last<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Last year, Ida S. Baker performed a mashup of the ensemble numbers ‘What I Was Born to Do’ and ‘Cross the Line’ from ‘Bring It On.’ <\/p>\n

Last year, Ida S. Baker High School performed a mash-up of the ensemble numbers \u201cWhat I Was Born to Do\u201d and \u201cCross the Line\u201d from their production of \u201cBring It On.\u201d Theatre Director Sarah Jones says that her personal goal at each year\u2019s HSMTA is to \u201ckeep as many students on stage as possible in order to give them that show-stopping, professional theatre experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Island<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Island Coast High theater students performed numbers from ‘The Lightning Thief’ at last year’s High School Musical Theatre Awards. <\/p>\n

Under the direction of Rachel Davis, Island Coast High School has steadily built a well-regarded theater program over the past five years. Last year, it performed numbers from \u201cLightning Thief.\u201d In 2024, Island Coast performed a medley from \u201cMean Girls\u201d and numbers from \u201cMatilda\u201d in 2023. \u201cMean Girls\u201d was the largest show that Island Coast Theatre Department had done in several years, with 37 scene changes, dozens of quick changes, and so much more,\u201d theatre director Rachel Davis noted.<\/p>\n

\"At<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

At the 2025 High School Musical Awards, Lehigh Senior’s production of ‘Hadestown’ received the coveted Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical award. <\/p>\n

Lehigh Senior High School had a big night at the 2025 High School Musical Theatre Awards. Its production of \u201cHadestown Teen Edition\u201d received the coveted Best Overall Production of a Musical award, along with top honors for Technical Achievement, Vocal Execution, Outstanding Ensemble and Orchestra, and runner-up in Choreography. Lehigh also took three of the top four Best Actor awards. Taylor Spurr was the Outstanding Performer in a Female Identifying Role, D\u2019Andrean St. Louis was Best Supporting Actor in a Male-Identifying Role and Stephania Ulysse snagged the Best Supporting Actor in a Female-Identifying Role. Victor Galarza was runner-up in the Outstanding Performer in a Male-Identifying Role category.In 2023, Lehigh Senior performed a complexly choreographed, richly harmonic mashup of numbers from \u201cFootloose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"North<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

North Fort Myers’ 2025 production of ‘Pippin’ was runner-up for the Outstanding Production of a Musical award. <\/p>\n

Under the direction of Janelle Laux, North Fort Myers High theater students receive intensive training in acting, directing, design, and technical theatre. The course of study includes opportunities in acting, voice, and diction, mime and movement, improvisation, directing and playwriting, stage makeup, theatre technology, theatre history, vocal techniques, dance, musical theatre, and other classes. North Fort Myers High\u2019s production of \u201cAll Shook Up\u201d was selected as the 2024 Best Overall Production (also winning the award for Technical Achievement and Best Ensemble), and was runner up for Best Orchestra, with its tap-heavy production of \u201cAnything Goes\u201d being named Outstanding Overall Production runner-up at the 2023 High School Musical Theatre Awards. <\/p>\n

\"North<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

North Fort Myers’ 2025 production of ‘Pippin’ was runner-up for the Outstanding Production of a Musical award. <\/p>\n

Last year, North Fort Myers High School performed \u201cCorner of the Sky,\u201d \u201cMagic To Do,\u201d \u201cSimple Joys\u201d and \u201cMorning Glow\u201d from \u201cPippin,\u201d which was runner-up in the Overall Production of a Musical category. North also won for Best Choreography and was runner-up in Vocal Execution and Technical Achievement.<\/p>\n

\"Oasis<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall <\/p>\n

Oasis High School theater students perform mashup of numbers from ‘Addams Family’ at last year’s High School Musical Awards. <\/p>\n

Theatre Director Carrie Guffy launched the theater program at Oasis Charter School seven years ago. While she characterizes her company as a \u201cdiamond in the rough,\u201d Oasis\u2019 theatre arts program is now \u201cworth taking notice of.\u201d The program\u2019s focus is education, and all of its shows are student-run. \u201cMy job is to educate these incredibly talented students, not do it for them, but to guide them towards excellence,\u201d Guffy said. Last year, Oasis Shark Theatre Company performed \u201cWhen You\u2019re an Addams\u201d and \u201cCrazier Than You\u201d from \u201cAddams Family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Logo<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall <\/p>\n

Barbara B. Mann General Manager Scott Saxon started the High School Musical Awards in 2008 to celebrate local high school actors, orchestras and their musical productions.<\/p>\n

The Awards<\/p>\n

The judges choose a Stand Out Performer from each school, along with a student who stands out in the category of technical achievement.
The evening\u2019s main awards include best and runner-up for:<\/p>\n

Supporting performer in a male-identifying role;Supporting performer in a female-identifying role;Performer in a male-identifying role;Performer in a female-identifying role;Technical Achievement;Orchestra;Vocal Execution;Choreography;Ensemble; and Overall Production of a Musical.<\/p>\n

\"Logo<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall <\/p>\n

The High School Musical Awards are open to the public. Tickets are just $16. <\/p>\n

The judges<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s judges are JohnAnthony Klinko (Technical), Julie Kurtz (Orchestra), Anna McCullers (Acting), Megan Leonard (Choreography) and Lynn Martindale (Vocal).<\/p>\n

Support for WGCU\u2019s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The High School Musical Theatre Awards take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 8 at the Barbara…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":253012,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-253011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}