San Jose's 2013 Bay Area High School Musical 'Top Honor' Awards Winners Announced

San Jose Stage Company and Broadway San Jose are pleased to announce the winners of the Bay Area High School Musical Theatre Awards. Two Bay Area students, Rodd Fahardi from Los Gatos High School and Myha'la Herrold from Archbishop Mitty High School, were also chosen for Outstanding Performance by an Actor and Actress in a musical to participate in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards: 2013 JIMMY Awards, where they will perform at The Minskoff Theatre, the Broadway stage that currently houses The Lion King.

Local high school students learned on Monday, June 3rd at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose, at a gala ceremony worthy of red carpet pomp and circumstance, that they were winners in various categories in the 2013 Stage Top Honor Awards. From Best Actress and Actor, Costume or Hair and Make Up Design, to Lighting and Scenery, and Orchestra and Chorus, the winners and their fan clubs celebrated -- over 300 students performed at the event.

"I loved the fact that so many schools were acknowledged for their hard work this year," said Spencer Williams, Director of Education for the San Jose Stage Company. "This year was a unique year, with high schools producing varied works like the premiere of We Will Rock You! to The Sound of Music and then we also had three Legally Blondes. Whatever the case, the amount of talent, hard work and energy put into these shows is incredible."

All public and private schools in the Bay Area are invited to participate in the 5th annual 2014 Stage Top Honor Awards next year. The season will begin this October 2013 and run through May 2014. There is more information at www.thestage.org.

And the 2013 Stage Top Honor Award winners are:

GRAPHIC DESIGN:

• Ms. Jami Smith & Ms. Judi Fuller - Valley Christian High School - Guys and Dolls

HAIR/MAKE-UP DESIGN:

• Ms. Denise Gutierrez - St. Ignatius College Prep - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

COSTUME DESIGN:

• Mr. TEd Curry - St. Ignatius College Prep - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

LIGHTING DESIGN:

• Zach Rezowalli - Los Gatos High School - Urinetown

SOUND DESIGN:

• Mr. Brian Larsen & Nicholas Semenza - Harker School - Oklahoma!

SCENIC DESIGN: (tie)

• Mr. Tim Nielson & Ms. Amy Carroll - Los Gatos High School - Urinetown

• Ms. Teresa Dewees - Palo Alto High School - Into the Woods

DIRECTION:

• Mr. Frederick L. Chacon - Alameda High School - All Shook Up

CHOREOGRAPHY:

• Ms. Katie O'Bryon - Harker School - Oklahoma!

MUSICAL DIRECTION:

• Mr. Mason Kimont - Archbishop Mitty High School - 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

STUDENT ORCHESTRA:

• Heritage High School - We Will Rock You!

CHORUS:

• Piedmont Hills High School - Hairspray

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS:

• Shannon Haley (Marcy Park) - Archbishop Mitty High School - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

BEST FEATURED ACTOR:

• Shahil Patel (George) - American High School - The Wedding Singer

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

• Dana Cullinane (Penelope Pennywise) - Los Gatos High School - Urinetown

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

• Garrett Biggs (Max Detweiler) - Pinewood School - The Sound of Music

BEST LEADING ACTOR:

• Rodd Farhadi (Bobby Strong) - Los Gatos High School - Urinetown

BEST LEADING ACTRESS:

• Myha'la Herrold (Olive Ostrovsky) - Archbishop Mitty High School - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

OUTSTANDING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN TECHNICAL THEATRE:

• Emily Bordelon - Set Designer - Notre Dame High School - The Wizard of Oz

BEST OVERALL PRODUCTION:

• Los Gatos High School - Urinetown

2013 TOP HONOR AWARDS BY PRODUCTION:

• (5) Los Gatos High School - Urinetown

• (3) Archbishop Mitty High School - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

• (2) Harker School - Oklahoma!

• (2) St. Ignatius College Prep - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

• (1) Alameda High School - All Shook Up

• (1) American High School - The Wedding Singer

• (1) Heritage High School - We Will Rock You!

• (1) Notre Dame High School - The Wizard of Oz

• (1) Palo Alto High School - Into the Woods

• (1) Piedmont Hills High School - Hairspray

• (1) Pinewood School - The Sound of Music

• (1) Valley Christian High School - Guys & Dolls

The Stage Top Honor Awards recognize excellence in High School musical theater in the Bay Area. San Jose Stage Company's Director of Education, Spencer T. Williams, spearheads the program. Broadway San Jose is among nineteen other professional theater programs participating in National High School Musical Theatre Awards. The winners will be awarded scholarships to NYU's Tisch School for the Arts upon acceptance. The 4th Annual NHS Musical Theatre Awards will take place at the Minskoff Theatre in New York this June.

The NHS Musical Theatre Awards is a national celebration of outstanding student achievement in high school musical theater. Nicknamed "The Jimmy Awards" after James Nederlander, Sr., this program recognizes individual artistry in vocal, dance, and acting performance, and also honors teachers and their schools' commitment to excellence in performing arts education.