Totem Pole Playhouse has announced nominations in twelve categories for the Fourth Annual Totem Pole Playhouse Awards to be presented Sunday, May 21, at 5pm on stage at Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theater.
In addition to trophies, beginning this year, Totem Pole will also award thousands of dollars in college scholarship money. The William M. Moore, Jr. Scholarships of one thousand dollars each will be awarded to the recipients of the Outstanding Performance by an Actor and Actress in a Leading Role, and five hundred dollars each to the winners of the Outstanding Performance by an Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role.
According to Producing Artistic Director, Rowan Joseph, Mr. Moore appeared in Totem Pole’s 1983 production of the play, The Petrified Forest starring Jean Stapleton. Moore and his parents were subscribers for many seasons, and he went on to become a teacher at Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland for forty-three years. In addition to his teaching duties, he directed many student productions of plays and musicals at Linganore High School. Moore was also an actor, director, and founding member of The Fredericktown Players, Inc. “Bill was the last surviving member of his immediate family and upon his passing he bequeathed money to the Playhouse which allowed us to establish these ongoing scholarships in his memory,” Joseph said.
Gettysburg Area High School and Shippensburg Area Senior High School both received the maximum number of nominations, twelve, for their respective productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Fiddler on the Roof followed by Waynesboro Area Senior High School’s production of The Wizard of Oz with eleven nominations. Biglerville High School, Mercersburg Academy, McConnellsburg High School received eight nominations each, and Fulton County’s Forbes Road Senior/Junior High School received a single nomination.
This year’s nominees (in alphabetical order by school) are:
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
- Hailey Brownley: Cinderella / Cinderella / Biglerville High School
- Carley Haskins: Audrey / Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Senior High School
- Katherine Reber: Golde / Fiddler on the Roof / Mercersburg Academy
- Kaitlin Bigham: Golde / Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- Maggie Dennis: Dorothy Gale / The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Senior High School
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- Patrick Cogliano: Baker / Into the Woods / Biglerville High School
- Nick Wallace: Seymour Krelbourne / Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Zach McDonald: Tevye / Fiddler on the Roof / Mercersburg Academy
- Logan Conner: Joseph / Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat / McConnellsburg High School
- Luke Hershey: Tevye / Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
- Julianna Hazlett: Audrey II (Voice) / Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Grace Bennett: Hodel / Fiddler on the Roof / Mercersburg Academy
- Olivia Alexander: Narrator / Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat / McConnellsburg High School
- Alyssa Haskell: Hodel / Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior Area High School
- Tatyana Valentin: Cowardly Lion / The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Senior Area High School
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
- Holden Lupey: Sheriff / Robin Hood / Forbes Road Jr./Sr. High School
- Kwaku Baryeh: Mr. Mushnik / Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Brice Feagley: Pharaoh / Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat / McConnellsburg High School
- David Hewitt: Perchik / Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- Lyle Schlegel: Tin Man / The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Area Senior High School
Outstanding Performance by a Featured Female Ensemble Member
- Victoria Heffner: Stepmother / Into the Woods / Biglerville High School
- Cing Lun: Chang, an Old Chinese Woman / Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Selina Xue: the Fiddler / Fiddler on the Roof / Mercersburg Academy
- Steph Jones: Yente / Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- Katy Benedict: Aunt Em / The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Area Senior High School
Outstanding Performance by a Featured Male Ensemble Member
- Ricardo Aguilar: Rapunzel’s Prince / Into the Woods / Biglerville High School
- Logan Kanne: First Customer / Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Jonah Peck: Butler / Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat / McConnellsburg High School
- Titus Manetta: Lazar Wolf / Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- Ben Smith: Wizard & Professor / The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Area Senior High School
Outstanding Female Solo Vocal Performance
- Hailey Brownley: “On the Steps of the Palace” / Cinderella / Biglerville High School
- Carley Haskins: “Somewhere That’s Green / Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Grace Bennett: “Far from the Home I Love” / Fiddler on the Roof / Mercersburg Academy
- Alyssa Haskell: “Far from the Home I Love” / Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- Maggie Dennis: “Over the Rainbow” / The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Area Senior High School
Outstanding Male Solo Vocal Performance
- Nick Wallace: “Grow for Me” / Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Logan Connor: “Close Every Door” / Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat / McConnellsburg High School
- Zach McDonald: “If I Were a Rich Man” / Fiddler on the Roof / Mercersburg Academy
- Luke Hershey: “If I Were a Rich Man” / Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- Andy Barkdoll: “If I Only Had a Brain” / The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Area Senior High School
Outstanding Vocal Duet
- Emilee Ryan & Patrick Cogliano: “It Takes Two” / Into the Woods / Biglerville High School
- Nick Wallace & Kwaku Baryeh: “Mushnik & Son” / Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Katherine Reber & Zach McDonald: “Do You Love Me?” / Fiddler on the Roof / Mercersburg Academy
- Kaitlin Bigham & Luke Hershey: “Do You Love Me?” / Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- Maggie Dennis & Andy Barkdoll: “We’re Off to See the Wizard” / The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Senior High School
Outstanding Musical Chorus
- Into the Woods / Biglerville High School
- Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat / McConnellsburg High School
- Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Area Senior High School
Outstanding Musical Production Number
- Little Shop of Horrors: “Skid Row” / Gettysburg Area High School
- Fiddler on the Roof: “Sabbath Prayer” / Mercersburg Academy
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: “Joseph’s Coat” / McConnellsburg High School
- Fiddler on the Roof: “Tradition” / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- The Wizard of Oz: “Merry Old Land of Oz” / Waynesboro Area Senior High School
Outstanding Stage Crew
- Into the Woods / Biglerville High School
- Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat / McConnellsburg High School
- Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Area Senior High School
The Carl Schurr Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical
- Into the Woods / Biglerville High School
- Robin Hood / Forbes Road Jr/Sr High School
- Little Shop of Horrors / Gettysburg Area High School
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat / McConnellsburg High School
- Fiddler on the Roof / Mercersburg Academy
- Fiddler on the Roof / Shippensburg Area Senior High School
- The Wizard of Oz / Waynesboro Area Senior High School
Totem Pole adds that, for the first time, a past Totem Pole Playhouse Award winner has been hired by the venerable Playhouse as a professional actor. Gettysburg native, Grant Sanders, currently a rising Sophomore at Ithaca College (NY) studying Musical Theater, has been cast in the chorus of the Playhouse’s production of the musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. Mr. Sanders will be an Equity Membership Candidate (E.M.C.) and will earn points towards full membership in the Actors Equity Association, the union representing professional performers.
Tickets for the awards ceremony on May 21st will go on sale on April 21st at noon through the Majestic Theater Box Office (717) 337-8200 or online at gettysburgmajestic.org. Adult tickets are $12.00 and student tickets are $6.00.