Lake Michigan College hosts WAVE Awards honoring Excellence in High School Musical Theatre

The Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department presents the 2022-2023 WAVE Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, at the Mendel Center Mainstage on the Benton Harbor Campus, 2755 E. Napier Ave.

Loosely designed after Broadway's famed Tony Awards, the WAVE Awards recognizes, encourages, and promotes high school theater. Individuals and productions from participating schools were nominated in 13 acting and technical categories. Winners will be announced during the ceremony, and all students and production staff will receive written feedback from a panel of arts professionals. Nominees may also receive additional performance and scholarship opportunities.

Now in its second year at LMC, the WAVE Awards has grown to include students and art educators from Berrien, Van Buren, and Cass Counties in Michigan and St. Joseph County in Indiana. This year, nine high schools were evaluated by 12 adjudicators. About 550 students participated in the musicals that were reviewed.

"It is astonishing how the arts community has rallied around this idea. In just one year, we have more than doubled the number of participating schools and have seen tremendous growth in returning schools," said Kristopher Zook, LMC Dean of Arts & Sciences and founder of the WAVE Awards. "Our goals are to continue to embrace educational and creative growth, provide opportunities for youth, build enthusiasm and networking in the arts community, and give recognition and exposure to some hardworking and extremely talented students and staff." 

Wednesday's event begins with red carpet arrivals at 6 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony, including musical production numbers from Bridgman, Dowagiac, Paw Paw, St. Joseph, and Penn high schools, as well as Children's Music Workshop and Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts.

The 2022-2023 WAVE Award nominees are: 

Outstanding Set Design in a Musical  

• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Lincoln Clark    
• New Buffalo High School; “Into the Woods, Jr.”; Dwayne Whitmyer 
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Kristofer M. Perkins       
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Nora Noble 
• Lakeshore High School; “Legally Blonde: The Musical”; Paul Milligan 
• St. Joseph High School; “Mamma Mia!”; Marcus Roll

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical  

• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Lincoln Clark 
• Hartford High School; “Shrek: The Musical”; Joe MacMillian 
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Kristofer M Perkins        
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Jacob Moehn 
• Lakeshore High School; “Legally Blonde: The Musical”; Paul Milligan 
• St. Joseph High School; “Mamma Mia!”; Scott Bradford 

Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical  

• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Ravan Bakeman and Paige Behnke 
• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.”; Marsha Pinkowski 
• Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School; “My Fair Lady”; Jean Porath 
• Hartford High School; “Shrek: The Musical;” Sarah Briley 
• New Buffalo High School; “Into the Woods, Jr.”; Deb Rancatore 
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Kathryn Hein 

Outstanding Choreography in a Musical  

• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.”; Caitlyn Lustila 
• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Anna Leach and Kennedy Westrate 
• New Buffalo High School; “Into the Woods, Jr.”; Holli Sommerfeld 
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Sophia Marie Louden    
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Jenn Wolfe 
• St. Joseph High School; “Mamma Mia!”; Cassidy Vlietstra

 Outstanding Musical Direction in a Musical 

• Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School; “My Fair Lady”; Terryn Williams 
• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Hunter Schuur 
• New Buffalo High School; “Into the Woods, Jr.”; Chris Beushausen 
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Maxwell Wagner             
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Andrew Nemeth 
• Lakeshore High School; “Legally Blonde: The Musical”; David Gailey 

Outstanding Orchestra (Band) in a Musical 

• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Sydney Heasley   
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Anne Tschetter 
• Lakeshore High School; “Legally Blonde: The Musical”; Matthew Pagel 
• St. Joseph High School; “Mamma Mia!”; Beth Gray-Roll

Outstanding Featured Ensemble in a Musical 

• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.”; Storytellers 
• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.”; Fairytale characters 
• Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School; “My Fair Lady”; Barkeep and Chimney Sweeps     
• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Sardines and Townsfish 
• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Electric Skates 
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; High School Chorus 
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Men’s Chorus
• Lakeshore High School; Legally Blonde: The Musical”; Delta Nus/Greek Chorus 

 Outstanding Featured “Special” Cast Member    

• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.” Rooster; Gabriel Lindley 
• Dowagiac High School; The SpongeBob Musical”; Gary; Dowagiac Robotics Club operated by Olivia Stockwell
• Hartford High School; “Shrek: The Musical”; Dragon Puppet, Ensemble   
• New Buffalo High School; “Into the Woods, Jr.“; Milky White; New Buffalo Robotic Club (Rich Eberly) 
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Fox and Raccoon; Abigael Brooks and Evelyn Shephard 
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Topher’s Horse “Buttercup”
• Lakeshore High School; “Legally Blonde: The Musical”; Rufus; Monteverdi Potato Gailey 

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical 

• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.” Dragon; Emalie Nelson   
• Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School; “My Fair Lady”; Mrs. Higgins; Brielle Carter 
• Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School; My Fair Lady”; Alfred P. Doolittle; Ethan Pflug 
• Hartford High School; “Shrek: The Musical”; Gingy; Grace Weber 
• Hartford High School; “Shrek: The Musical”; Pinocchio; Jersey Baker 
• New Buffalo High School; “Into the Woods, Jr. “; Rapunzel’s Prince; Ian Sokol 
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Chuck Cranston; Colin Smallcombe 
• St. Joseph High School; “Mamma Mia!” Tanya; Caroline Corning 

 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical 

• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.”; Storyteller No. 1; Alivia Abram 
• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Squidward Q. Tentacles; Jessica Schrader 
• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Eugene Krabs; Alex Mauai
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Willard Hewitt-; Aaron West
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Vi Moore; Anna White 
• Penn High School; “Cinderella"; Marie; Mikalah Daffron 
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Gabrielle; Tess Kavadas 
• Lakeshore High School; “Legally Blonde: The Musical”; Paulette Bonafonte; Monica Tomsic 
• St. Joseph High School; “Mamma Mia!” Harry Bright; Jonathan Kwon 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical 

• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.”; Lord Farquad; Max Babcock 
• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.”; Fiona; Summer Fast 
• Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School; “My Fair Lady”; Eliza Doolittle; Reagan Jay 
• Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School; “My Fair Lady”; Henry Higgins; Christian Collins 
• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; SpongeBob Squarepants; Sara Torbet 
• Hartford High School; “Shrek: The Musical”; Fiona; Cessie Finley 
• Hartford High School; “Shrek: The Musical”; Donkey; Kendra Briley 
• New Buffalo High School; Into the Woods, Jr.; Jack; Henry Gadiel 
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Ren McCormack; Max Crawford 
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical”; Ariel Moore; Aliya Leavitt 
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Topher; Sutter Sherwood 
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Ella; Avery King 
• Lakeshore High School; “Legally Blonde: The Musical”; Elle Woods; Meaghan Fell 
• St. Joseph High School; “Mamma Mia!”; Donna Sheridan; Abby Berry 

Outstanding Direction in a Musical 

• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.”; Jennifer Ammerman
• Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School; “My Fair Lady”; Patrick Bondy 
• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”; Tammy Mammel         
• New Buffalo High School; “Into the Woods, Jr. “; Chris Beushausen            
• Paw Paw High School; ”Footloose: The Musical”; Kristofer M. Perkins
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”; Danielle Black 

 Outstanding Musical Production 

• Bridgman High School; “Shrek, Jr.”                                                          
• Dowagiac High School; “The SpongeBob Musical”                              
• Paw Paw High School; “Footloose: The Musical” 
• Penn High School; “Cinderella”                 
• St. Joseph High School; “Mamma Mia!"

The event is free and open to the public. Parents, friends, fans, teachers, and school administrators are all encouraged to attend. 

For more information, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/wave, email Mindy McCaffrey at mmccaffrey@lakemichigancollege.edu, or call the Visual & Performing Arts office at 269-927-8876.