The Best Of Michigan's High School Theatre Students Come Together This Sunday At The Sutton Foster Ovation Awards

The best of Michigan's high school theatre students are coming together Sunday, May 20, at Wharton Center's Cobb Great Hall for the 7th Annual Sutton Foster Ovation Awards. The award is a celebration of outstanding achievement and recognizes individual artistry in vocal, dance and acting performances for both a male and female lead in a high school musical theatre production. It also honors the commitment of Michigan teachers and schools to excellence in performing arts education.

Forty-six high school thespians from across the state will compete on the Wharton Center stage for the coveted Sutton Foster Ovation Award. Of these select performers, one male and one female will be presented an Ovation Award by a prestigious panel including Broadway judges, and will go on to compete in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York City on an all-expenses-paid trip this June. The winners will also each receive a scholarship to Wharton Center's summer Broadway workshop, Take It From The Top, as well as $1,000 in cash.

Last year's male winner, Antonio Cipriano, is making a name for himself in theatre. He was recently cast in the Broadway-bound company of the Alanis Morissette musical Jagged Little Pill. Cipriano has also recorded an album, Never Gonna Be The Same. After the 2017 Ovation Awards, Cipriano said his goal was "to be a performer"; something he continues to accomplish since winning the award.

The May 20 event will include a selection of Broadway tunes and dances performed by the students, culminating in the final awards ceremony. Parking will be free in the ramp adjacent to Wharton Center.

This year's participating schools include:

Armada High School
Big Rapids High School
Brighton High School
Clarkston High School
Coopersville High School
Dewitt High School
Grand Rapids Christian High School
Grosse Pointe South High School
Holt High School
Howell High School
John Glenn High School
Lapeer High School
Marshall High School
Plymouth Christian Academy
Rockford High School
South Lyon East High School
Stevenson High School
Swartz Creek High School
The Roeper School
University Liggett School
Waterford Kettering High School
West Bloomfield High School
Mt. Pleasant High School
Caledonia High School
Troy High School
Crestwood High School

For more information on the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, visit jimmyawards.com.