Oakton Student Wins Critic Cappie Award

Raucous cheering and clapping could be heard in the Kennedy Center while teen critics, cast and crew members were honored at the 12th annual Cappies Gala Sunday night.

Students from 60 metropolitan area public and private schools showed up en masse, dressed to the nines, to celebrate high school theater.

More than 350 high school critics voted for this year’s Cappie nominations and awards.

“I was so excited,” said rising sophomore Julia Meadows, who won Featured Actress for her performance in James Madison High’s production of Dandelion Wine. “It’s such a wonderful way to end the year and start high school.”

Stone Bridge's production of Lord of the Flies took home the Cappie for Best Play. Westfield High School students took home nine awards for their production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which also won best musical. 

“It’s great. It was so much fun coming from last year winning Lead Actor in a Play to Lead Actor in a Musical,” Westfield’s Kevin Clay said. “It shows how great our education is, but I know we don’t need awards to show our love of acting.”

The Cappies program was established in 1999 by FCPS Theatre Arts resource teacher Judy Bowns and Capitol Steps director Bill Strauss. More than 6,000 students were involved in Cappies 2011, either as critics or cast and crew of reviewed shows. About 20,000 volunteer hours have gone into the program.

The following students are 2011 Cappies winners:

• Rising Critic: Jamie Joeyen-Waldorf, Langley
• Returning Critic: Joey Biagini, Westfield
• Graduating Critic: Chris Papas, Oakton
• Female Dancer: Allison Perhach, Heritage High School, Oklahoma!
• Orchestra: Duke Ellington Orchestra
• Male Dancer: Nikko Custodio, South County Secondary School, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
• Make-up: Khulan Batmunkh, Sonya Dagata, Claire Seaton, Michelly Sorge, Washington-Lee High School,  Frankenstein 1930
• Featured Actress: Julia Meadows, James Madison High School, Dandelion Wine
• Props and Effects: Samantha Darr and Karlyn Dunne, Stone Bridge, Lord of the Flies
• Featured Actor: Michael Brown, Georgetown Prep, Of Mice and Men
• Lighting: Coleman Quimby, Walt Whitman High School, Side Show
• Stage Crew: Katie Nguyen, Katie Yoon, Josh Carey, South County Secondary School, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
• Female Vocalist: Abby Coryell, South Lakes High School, The Scarlet Pimpernel
• Male Vocalist: Sam Waters, George Mason High School, Les Miserables
• Sound: Kieran Claffey, Westfield High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Sets: Lauren Phillips, Brad Vitale, Chloe Vasquez, Chantilly High School, Stage Door
• Costumes: Carrie Nye, Katelyn Reimer, Westfield High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Comic Actor in a Play: B.J. Odom, Annandale High School, The Mousetrap
• Choreography: Colby Dezelick and Avery Hobbs, Westfield High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Comic Actor in a Musical: Colby Dezelick, Westfield High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Comic Actress in a Musical: Emily Adler, W.T. Woodson High School, Little Women, the Musical
• Supporting Actress in a Play: Shanna Bess, Manassas Park High School, Acts of God
• Supporting Actor in a Play: Peter Fanone, Georgetown Prep, Of Mice and Men
• Supporting Actress in a Musical: Bridget Morrison, St. Albans and National Cathedral School, Hairspray
• Supporting Actor in a Musical: Anthony Ingargiola, Centreville High School, Working
• Creativity: Damian Leverett, Composer, McLean High School, The Terrible Tragedy of Peter Pan
• Ensemble in a Play: Lenny and George, Georgetown Prep, Of Mice and Men
• Ensemble in a Musical: Brothers, Westfield High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Lead Actress in a Musical: Anitra McKinney, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Dreamgirls
• Lead Actor in a Musical: Kevin Clay, Westfield High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Lead Actor in a Play: Ty Sheedlo, Dominion High School, Harvey
• Lead Actress in a Play: Virginia Tucker, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, Our Town
• Song: “Megamix” Westfield High School, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat