ENCHANTMENT AWARDS News:
All nominees for the 2024 Enchantment Awards — the New Mexico High School Musical Theatre Awards — have been named, including the five schools who are finalists for three production awards.
Those schools are:
Albuquerque Academy for Into the Woods
Cibola High School for Mamma Mia!
Public Academy for Performing Arts for The Drowsy Chaperone
Santa Fe Preparatory School for Monty Python’s Spamalot School Edition
Sue Cleveland High School for Guys and Dolls.
Students who scored highest in the state and received nominations:
Best Actress Nominees
Mia Berkson, Organ Mountain High School
Persephone Easter, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Ani Field, Albuquerque Academy
Jordan Kropka, Albuquerque Academy
Nori Kai, Albuquerque Academy
Breanne Meyerson, Cibola High School
Abbie Palmer, V. Sue Cleveland High School
Aurora Sandoval, Organ Mountain High School
Amber Seligman, Cibola High School
Jordan Short, Cibola High School
Best Actor Nominees
Troy Ainsworth, Organ Mountain High School
Henry Deacon, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Matthew Deeds, V. Sue Cleveland High School
Xavier Lopez, Cibola High School
Lucas Miller, Las Cruces High School
Sean Miller, Organ Mountain High School
Michael Montaño, V. Sue Cleveland High School
Addie Nayback, Albuquerque Academy
Lluvia Saenz-Tafoya, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Breton Sego, Rio Rancho High School
Best Supporting Actress Nominees
Alina Barney, Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School
Kadence Damron, Organ Mountain High School
Charlotte Dennis, Mayfield High School
Angeline Jensen, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Aaliyah Johnson, Atrisco Heritage Academy High School
Grace Mellen, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Ellie Nuñez, Albuquerque Academy
Marisol Rodriguez Edwards, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Kaitlyn Seitz-Pruitt, Los Alamos High School
Abby Strayhand, Rio Rancho High School
Best Supporting Actor Nominees
Luke Anaya, Cibola High School
Carlos Baca II, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Robin Blakeman, Public Academy for Performing Arts
Carter Chamberlin, Los Alamos High School
Steven Foldy II, Mayfield High School
Mathius Gutierrez, Cibola High School
Ben Haozous, Santa Fe Preparatory School
Marshall Lovelady, V. Sue Cleveland High School
Alexander Smith
Steven Suniga
Five nominations have also been announced for the Enchantment Awards’ Spotlight Award:
Drama Program — Atrisco Heritage Academy High School
Sage Drake — Centennial High School
Li Olberding — Las Cruces High School
Jolene Peabody — Organ Mountain High School
Noah Banks, Ariela Rittner, Zachary Sestric — Los Alamos High School
Winners of the Best Actor and Best Actress awards will be sent to participate in the Jimmy Awards — the
National High School Musical Theatre Awards — in New York City.
The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards® (NHSMTA®) program impacts approximately 130,000 students who participate in 51 regional high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by presenters of touring Broadway productions throughout the United States. Named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the program has been the catalyst for more than $6,000,000 in educational scholarships since its launch in 2009.
Presented by The Broadway League Foundation, Inc., the NHSMTA invites two nominees from each local regional ceremony to New York City for a rigorous theatre intensive that includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by some of Broadway’s most accomplished professionals. Nominees will spend 10 days in New York City from Friday, June 14, 2024, through Tuesday, June 25, 2024, and their efforts throughout the week will lead to one extraordinary talent showcase performed live in front of an audience on a Broadway stage. The 15th annual Jimmy Awards will take place Monday, June 24, 2024, at the Minskoff Theatre. For more information, visit www.JimmyAwards.com.
As the only Broadway League member in New Mexico, Popejoy Hall makes it possible for students in our state to participate in this national program.
The Enchantment Awards recognizes individual artistry in performance, honors teachers and schools’ commitment to theatre education, and celebrates accomplishments of drama students and teachers from all over the State of New Mexico. Sponsors for this year’s Enchantment Awards are St. John’s College, Eastern New Mexico University, Bernalillo County Commissioners Steven Michael Quezada and Adriann Barboa, Sandoval County Commissioners Jay Block and Katherine Bruch and Albuquerque City Councilors Brooke Bassan and Tammy Feibelkorn.
This project is supported in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Enchantment Awards show takes place 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 3, in Popejoy Hall. Tickets for the Enchantment Awards range from $27.50 to $42.50. Discounts are available for students (18 and younger) and groups of 10 or more. Additionally, the Albuquerque Theatre Guild has funded a block of tickets for students to attend for free. Tickets are available at unmtickets.com. For group discounts and free tickets, contact NMHSMTA at info@nmhsmta.org.