Casts of nominated shows and the performers of nominated songs presented musical numbers as well as scenes from the nominated plays. The entire show will be aired on Cox Cable “Red Apple” Channel 21 beginning the week of July 2 and will continue throughout the summer.

Throughout the year, the Cappies program is driven by hundreds of area high school theater student critics who attend each others’ shows, write reviews, and serve as Cappies awards judges.

The Gala ceremony was marked with excitement and encouragement. There was never a sense of competitiveness or negative reactions as any of the Awards were announced.

Westfield High School received ten awards, including Musical for their production of Crazy For You. McLean High School received five awards, including Play, for A View From the Bridge.

Rising Critic

• Julian Sanchez, Westfield High School

Returning Critic

• Madelyn Paquette, McLean High School

Madelyn Paquette also was awarded the first Washington Post Critic Award.

Graduating Critic

• Joseph Biagini, Westfield High School

Critic Team

• McLean High School

Marketing and Publicity

• Kyle Norfleet, Michelle Slivinski, Jenny Rubin, Caitlyn Herron, South Lakes High School, West Side Story

Sound

• Alex Allen, Lydia Carroll, Lindsay Worthington, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Lighting

• Nikolas Allen, Andrew Elman, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Stage Crew

• Walt Whitman Stage Crew, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Sets

• Walt Whitman Set Crew, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Costumes

• Ana Mendelson, Abby Deatherage, W. T. Woodson HS, Alice in Wonderland

Make-up

• Brianna Weiner, W. T. Woodson HS, Alice in Wonderland

Props

• Rita Fair, Jordyn Stewart, Mount Vernon, Blithe Spirit

Special Effects and or Technology

• Brian Clarkson, Walt Whitman High School, Frankenstein

Orchestra

• “Crazy for You” Pit Orchestra, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Choreography

• Colby Dezelick, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Creativity

• Arjun Baxter, Composer, W. T. Woodson HS, Alice in Wonderland

Ensemble in a Play

• The Mechanicals, Robinson Secondary School, Ken Ludwig’s Midsummer/Jersey

Ensemble in a Musical

• Follie Dancers and Cowboys, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Featured Actress

• Kaity Hinojosa, Langley High School, The Crucible

Featured Actor

• Mitchell Buckley, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Female Dancer

• Corinne Holland, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Male Dancer

• Nikko Custodio, South County Secondary School, West Side Story

Female Vocalist

• Ariana Kruszewski, South Lakes High School, West Side Story

Male Vocalist

• Sam Allen, Dominion High School, Pippin

Comic Actress in a Play

• Virginia Coffield, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School, Fools

Comic Actor in a Play

• Kamau Mitchell, HB Woodlawn Secondary Program, The Foreigner

Comic Actress in a Musical

• Alexandra Nicopoulos, Fairfax High School, Sweeney Todd

Comic Actor in a Musical

• Ian Peterson, Stone Bridge High School, Anything Goes

Supporting Actress in a Play

• Mia Amado, Woodbridge Senior High School, The Miracle Worker

Supporting Actor in a Play

• John Downey, Chantilly High School, I Remember Mama

Supporting Actress in a Musical

• Michelle Radcliffe, Heritage High School, Legally Blonde the Musical

Supporting Actor in a Musical

• Joseph Biagini, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Lead Actress in a Play

• Lexie Shoaibi, McLean High School, A View From the Bridge

Lead Actor in a Play

• Damian Leverett, McLean High School, A View From the Bridge

Lead Actress in a Musical

• Sean Pugerude, Paul VI Catholic High School, Hello, Dolly!

Lead Actor in a Musical

• Colby Dezelick, Westfield High School, Crazy For You

Song

• Brotherhood of Man, James Madison High School, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Play

• McLean High School, A View From the Bridge

Musical

• Westfield High School, Crazy For You

The high-energy show was mastered beautifully by this talented group of performers. Nikko Custodio, who played Riff, dominated the first act of this show with his explosive dance moves and brilliant characterization. His counterpart and leader of the rival gang Sharks, Yusuf Alizo, fit Bernardo perfectly as his powerful presence commanded attention from the audience. This contrasted well with Custodio’s rather small frame and added to the heightened sense of partition among the teens. Custodio and his primary dance partner, Shannon Clark, lit up the stage with their electric mixture of ballet and jazz-style choreography. Maria, one of the star-crossed lovers played by Whitney Turner, delighted audience members with her operatic style of singing. Though some had trouble keeping their Puerto Rican (or other) accents, the majority of the cast spoke with the ease and clarity of a native speaker. And most importantly, all had wonderful energy that kept the show speeding along from start to finish.

The show featured many large sets, and though they were not designed by students, their construction and decoration was very well done. The stage crew that brought on these massive sets moved with fluidity and never let awkward pauses sink into their set changes. Also notable on the technical side were the costumes assembled and made by Mariah Kahn. The 1950’s style dress fit wonderfully into this story, especially with the differing color schemes that each of the gangs had. Though difficult tech-wise, the show was handled expertly in all aspects, and this really helped highlight the performers.

by Erik Rigaux of Winston Churchill

Photo Gallery

Dean Maldonato (Tony) and Whitney Turner (Maria)	L to R back: Rachel Epstein, Rachel Snare, Kathryn Moore (Anita), Danica Abarquez, London Docherty, Cara Bachman; front: Kathy Oh
Nikko Custodio (Riff) and Shannon Clark (Velma)

Photos by Jennifer Sparks

Based on traditional folklore stories the well-known film came out in 1991 and instantly became one of Disney’s most beloved princess films. A musical version of the film soon followed and the show premiered on Broadway in 1994. The show follows small town dreamer Belle (Chelsea Smith) as she ventures into the woods to search for her lost father. She soon finds him locked away in an enchanted castle, prisoner to a hideous Beast (Dean Maldonato). She volunteers to take her father’s place and becomes the Beast’s new hostage. After a rough start the two begin to realize that you can’t always judge a book by its cover and that often times underneath a tough exterior there lays a handsome prince.

As Belle, Chelsea Smith did a wonderful job embodying her character with her animated voice. Whether she was singing or just talking, Smith’s voice was constantly sweet and understandable. As the Beast, Dean Maldonato did a fine job making the character his own.

Playing the buff and brainless Gaston who intends to marry an unwilling Belle, Yusuf Alizo gave an excellent performance. As the sweet tempered teapot Mrs. Potts, Whitney Turner always exuded a warm presence while on stage. Kathryn Moore as the flirty feather duster Babette brought on laughs with her cute French accent and body movements.

While many of the show’s musical numbers lacked energy, songs like “Be Our Guest” and Gaston raised the energy with strong dancing and strong projection. Dancing salt and pepper shakers, glow in the dark silverware, and a rug that knew how to hip hop made “Be Our Guest” one of the most memorable numbers of the night.

The show’s costumes (designed by Mariah Kahn and Noelle Greata) were stunning and suited the fairy tale time period of the show well. The stage crew was quick and efficient. Despite some sound problems the orchestra worked with the actors for the most part and it was obvious they knew their music very well.

With warmth and a touch of magic South County’s production made everyone feel at “Home” and they did an admirable job with their performance.

by Emily Kelly of Robert E. Lee High School

Photo Gallery

Chelsea Smith and Blake Albertson	Shannon Clark, Amber Runge, London Docherty, Elise Covas and Yusef Alizo
Chelsea Smith, Katie Murray, Dean Maldonato and Brennan Bridger

Photos by Anne Gallant

The musical premiered on Broadway in 1948 and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Sam and Bella Spewack wrote its book, and Cole Porter created the music and lyrics. The show is formatted as a play within a play: a theater company in Baltimore, directed by the arrogant Fred Graham, is trying to stage a musical version of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Fred is also playing Petruchio opposite his bitter, movie star ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi, who is playing Katherine. Like their characters, Fred and Lilli secretly care for each other, but they bicker constantly because they are too proud to admit it. When Lilli discovers that the bouquet of flowers she received from Fred was intended for the actress playing Bianca, Lois Lane, she becomes furious and tries to walk out on the show. However, thanks to two goofy gangsters who mistakenly believe Fred owes their boss a debt that he can repay only if the show succeeds, Lilli is forced to stay. Like her character, Lilli comes to realize that she should not let her temper stand in the way of true love.

Elizabethan merriment and 1940’s fun were well blended in South County’s production. Great technical and design work supported the energetic cast, which performed admirably despite some hesitancy from the orchestra.

Ray Yankey‘s strong singing voice and sarcastic attitude made for a terrific Fred Graham. As Petruchio, Yankey’s animated facial expressions and crisp enunciation showcased Shakespeare’s clever dialogue. Claire Bridger carried herself with the elegance of a movie star when playing Lilli Vanessi and was impressively frightening as Katherine. Yankey and Bridger’s stage combat was convincingly carried out. As Lois Lane, Ally Barrale ranged from sweet and sincere to brazenly flirtatious. Her rendition of “Always True to You in My Fashion” was a sassy showstopper.

With their deadpan demeanors, perfect punch line deliveries, and unfaltering New York accents, Drew Jenkinson and Alex Dyson stole the show as the First and Second Gangsters, respectively. Judging from the wild applause, their synchronized performance of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” was an audience favorite.

The cast’s colorful costumes, designed and created by Mariah Kalil and Elizabeth Ensminger, were notable for their historical accuracy and complexity. The show was greatly enhanced by the use of multilevel sets, designed by Sarah Stephens and Sammi Santini. Fred and Lilli’s beautifully detailed twin dressing rooms symbolized their simultaneous familiarity and detachment. Some discrepancies in pitch and tempo between the cast and the orchestra weakened the impact of a few songs.

Lilli and Fred put aside their pride to produce a successful, if somewhat unorthodox, rendition of a Shakespearean classic. Like their rekindled love, South County'”s production of Kiss Me, Kate was “wunderbar.”

Kiss Me, Kate will also be performed this weekend, Friday and Saturday at 7:30PM. Don’t miss it.

by Becky Koenig of West Springfield

Set in the Roaring Twenties, Thoroughly Modern Millie tells the tale of Millie Dillmount (Molly Dickerson) who has come to New York City to do what any modern girl would do–find a rich boss and promptly marry him. During her escapades, she meets Jimmy Smith (David Rea), who complicates her plans a bit, and Miss Dorothy Brown (Annie Levitt), a society girl bent on living like the other half. Enter Mrs. Meers (Claire Bridger), owner of the Hotel Priscilla, who has been selling poor orphan hotel residents into white slavery. Can Millie, with the help of her friends, put an end to the injustice!?

South County’s ensemble cast worked extraordinarily well together. Every song and dance number was expertly put together and superbly performed by the large cast. Even in tap dance numbers such as “The Speed Test” and “Forget About the Boy”, the ensemble showed amazing unity and coordination.

Dickerson’s rendition of Millie was purely phenomenal. Her amazing singing voice and brilliant and consistent acting skills made her truly a joy to watch. Rea was the perfect onstage match for Dickerson. Dickerson and Rea were able to make the relationship between Millie and Jimmy come to life. Rea’s superb vocals and ability to lose himself in his character made him fit his role seamlessly.

Bridger’s unflinching approach to the challenging role of Mrs. Meers was truly admirable. Anna Custodio‘s noteworthy take on rags-to-riches singer Muzzy Van Hossmere was amplified by her stunning vocal abilities. Adam Scott and Kyle O’Connor‘s hilarious performance as Chinese brothers Ching Ho and Bun Foo was made possible by their excellent comedic timing. Ray Yankey‘s rendition of Millie’s boss Mr. Trevor Graydon was made memorable by his ability to cut loose and deliver his lines hysterically.

The set, designed by Sarah Stephens, was an extraordinarily unique take on New York City which fit the surrealism of the Jazz Age perfectly. Every single costume fit each character wonderfully and made every moment of the show exceptionally colorful and visually riveting. The Thoroughly Modern Millie Pit Orchestra never overpowered the music and made a valiant attempt at the difficult music.

Whether tap-dancing or belting their hearts out, South County’s take on the charming musical Thoroughly Modern Millie was a delightful event not to be missed.

You can experience this show, again, on May 11 and 12 at 7:30PM.

by Brittany Lamb of Langley