Posted Date: 05/30/2024
The eleventh annual Blumenthal Performing Arts Center Blumey Awards culminated Sunday, May 26, at a gala award celebration where winners in 15 categories were announced and nominees for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Bank of America Best Musical performed live on stage at the Belk Theater. The Blumey Awards are presented by Bank of America.
Congratulations to Central Cabarrus High School for winning the Tier 1 Bank of America Best Musical Award for its production of Pippin. Central Cabarrus Theatre is directed by Drew Coley.
Blumenthal Arts President and CEO Tom Gabbard said, “The Blumey Awards is one of the most special nights in Charlotte each year. We are thrilled for all of the students, teachers, parents, and supporters—and we congratulate all participants on their major achievements.”
2024 Blumey Award winners:
The gala celebration was a highlight of the competition, which started in January when local schools began presenting their annual musical theater productions. Each school’s musical was viewed and evaluated by a panel of three judges, who awarded points according to detailed guidelines.
The Blumey Awards is produced by Blumenthal Arts and is presented by Bank of America. The Doctor Family Foundation, Peg and Jay Adamczyk, and The Leon Levine Foundation provide additional support, as well as PAGE Power Systems for sponsoring Best Student Set Designer and Wells Fargo for sponsoring Best Ensemble/Chorus. Charlotte joins more than 50 other cities, including Pittsburgh, Houston, and Atlanta, in hosting annual high school musical theater awards programs.
Like the Tony Awards®, The Blumey Awards Ceremony features a performance by each of the six nominated schools in the best musical category, a medley of performances by the six nominees for Best Actor and for Best Actress, and an opening and closing number that features two students from each of the 50 participating schools.
The New York–based creative team included Broadway composer and Grammy-nominated orchestrator David Dabbon (Broadway’s Beetlejuice, Funny Girl, Disaster!, and others), as conductor, music director, and arranger, and Reagan Casteel (Broadway’s Once Upon a One More Time, Dancin’) as music director and arranger. Director and choreographer Deirdre Goodwin (Broadway’s A Chorus Line, Chicago) choreographed the event.