High school students from across Washington State packed Benaroya Hall tonight for The 12th Annual 5th Avenue Awards Honoring High School Musical Theater, a high school version of the Tony Awards, proudly sponsored for the tenth year by Wells Fargo with additional support from Alaska Airlines. The house was packed with 2,000 teenagers, dressed in costume representing their schools’ musical theater productions, who cheered for their peers as they performed musical excerpts and accepted awards honoring top student achievements in musical theater.  The acclaimed event, directed this year by Mathew Wright, handed out awards in 21 categories ranging from Outstanding Overall Musical Production to Outstanding Lobby Display.

“The High School Awards is always an exciting night to be with The 5th Avenue,” said Wells Fargo Senior Vice President of Community Affairs, Mark Dederer. “It is events like this that celebrate arts, education, and students, that bring a special energy to the theater and to the participating schools. The student performances are always electrifying and Wells Fargo is honored to support this event and wish congratulations to all the nominees and recipients.”

Edmonds Heights K-12 took home top honors at The 12th Annual 5th Avenue Awards, leaving at the end of the night with the award for Outstanding Overall Musical Production for their hit show, Pippin. The show that received the greatest number of awards for the evening was University High School’s Jekyll & Hyde with three 5th Avenue Awards.  Thirteen other high schools were recognized with the remaining awards.

Skyline High School student Madison Willis received the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Pippin) and Kentridge High School student Eli Wills received the award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (The Wedding Singer). This year, for the first time, the recipients of the awards for Outstanding Actor and Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role have the opportunity to go to the National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City at the end of June.

University High School took home the award for Outstanding Direction (Jekyll & Hyde), Kamiak High School received the award for Outstanding Music Direction (Kiss Me Kate), and AC Davis High School brought home the award for Outstanding Choreography (Grease). In an unusual twist, Kamiak High School’s Kiss Me Kate and University High School’s Jekyll & Hyde tied for Outstanding Scenic Design.

This year, the Third Annual Special Honor for Outstanding Educator was given to longtime Theatre Arts Director at Richland High School, Ellicia Mertens Elliott. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts Education and a Master’s degree in Theatre Production, both from Central Washington University. She has continued her theatre training at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and through a fellowship at Seattle Repertory Theatre. Having directed more than 40 shows and taught a variety of theater subjects, her impact on students is immense. She is an integral part of Richland’s theater community.

Many 5th Avenue Award participants have gone on to have fruitful careers both on stage and behind the scenes.  Numerous past participants of the 5th Avenue Awards have notable careers as actors, directors, designers and theater administrators. Several participants have had careers outside of Seattle and have enjoyed national acclaim. Stefano Langone was a recent Top 10 contestant on the hit television show American Idol; Ryah Nixon appeared in the national tour of 9 to 5: The Musical; Diana Huey received a Helen Hayes Award; and Brandon Ivie has a blossoming Broadway career.  Additional past participants have included Seattle stars and 5th Avenue favorites Jared Michael Brown, Gabe Corey, Sarah Rose Davis, Kirsten DeLohr Helland, and Cayman Ilika, among many others.

Since the program’s creation, The 5th Avenue Awards has grown in size and scope from 24 productions and 3,100 students to 121 productions at 94 schools in 17 counties, with over 12,000 students participating this year.  For the 2013/14 high school theater season, 156 nominations and 174 honorable mentions were given in various categories. Each year, schools from across Washington State submit their musicals for consideration by The 5th Avenue Awards committee.  A variety of local theater professionals are selected by The 5th as evaluators to travel to cities as far away as Spokane, Lynden, Sequim and Vancouver, seeking the best actors, actresses, directors and designers to represent their schools in this hotly anticipated annual event.

Over the years, many schools have reported back to The 5th Avenue that their involvement in this awards program has significantly helped their individual efforts to secure funding, improve curriculum, and increase student participation.

For a full list of 5th Avenue Award recipients, please visit the 2014 5th Avenue Awards website.