Laguna Beach High School’s Drama Department attended the M.A.C.Y. Awards Sunday, June 5, and received multiple awards for the production of “Once Upon a Mattress.”
The 46th M.A.C.Y. Awards were held at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts to recognize and reward achievement and excellence in high school musical theatre. Forty-nine schools were invited to the ceremony to represent their schools. Laguna Beach High School was one of 20 schools selected to perform at the ceremony.
“It was a very exciting day for Laguna Beach High School drama,” teacher and director Alexis Karol said. “It was an honor to be recognized so generously by the M.A.C.Y. organization, and we are grateful for their steadfast dedication to High School Musical Theatre in Orange County.”
Twenty-six Laguna Beach High students performed in front of an audience of over two thousand, including more than 40 students, parents and faculty members proudly representing the LBHS Drama Department.
The production of “Once Upon a Mattress” won the Limelight Show Award, described by the M.A.C.Y. Awards as a simple storybook tale retold in a grandiose fashion with beautiful music and characters with personalities as colorful as their costumes – a masterful piece of musical theatre.
Four students – Haley Conley, Gabriela de Moraes, Cameron Anderson and Roman Cerdas – received the Bright Spot awards for their roles in “Once Upon a Mattress.” The Bright Spot award is for performers who bring something special to a small or ensemble role.
William Purdy received the Special Recognition award for his performance as The Wizard. The award is for a performer who shines in a specialty role.
Hunter Mills and Kaitlin Gunsolley earned Achievement awards for showing distinction in especially demanding roles of central importance such as the Minstrel and Jester.
Nilson Wilson, Bayley Thomas and Carmen Fernandez won Outstanding Achievement Awards for achieving exceptional merit in a demanding roles as King Sextimus, Prince Dauntless the Drab and Queen Aggravain.
Evie Cant, Wyatt Shipp and Ellie Glade received Highest Achievement Awards for their performances as Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, Sir Harry and Lady Larken. The Highest Achievement Awards are for performers who are recognized for a level of skill and professionalism above the norm for high school theatre. These performers form the pool from which the M.A.C.Y.’s select nominees for Best Actors/Actresses of the Year. Ellie Glade was the performer from that category nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
In addition to the awards and special recognitions, the M.A.C.Y organization selected senior Michael Wogulis as a recipient of a $1,000 merit-based scholarship, based on teacher recommendation.
