The 2025 Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman and supported by PNC is honoring the onstage and offstage work of students from a record-breaking 38 high schools across seven Northeast Ohio counties at its annual ceremony in May. Affiliated with the The Jimmy Awards®/The National High School Musical Theatre Awards®, the Dazzle Awards has offered arts education opportunities to the region’s high school students for ten years.
The opportunities include assisting in professional master classes, audition workshops and apprenticeship programs. The year-long program culminates May 17 with an awards ceremony honoring the work and dedication that it takes to get these productions from rehearsals to center stage.
“Throughout the year, our participating Dazzle Awards schools have showcased their amazing talents and dedication with each of their musical theater productions,” said Daniel Hahn, Playhouse Square Vice President of Education. “The Dazzle Awards Ceremony celebrates the culmination of that hard work and dedication, and we cannot wait to honor our region’s high school musical theater programs, as well as mark this major milestone for the Dazzle Awards program.”
The 2025 Dazzle Awards Ceremony takes place at the KeyBank State Theatre on Saturday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at playhousesquare.org or by calling 216-241-6000. Upon arrival, participating students walk the “PNC Red Carpet” then take to the stage at Playhouse Square for musical performances at the awards ceremony, directed by Broadway director/choreographer Connor Gallagher and hosted by Fox 8’s Natalie Herbick. Dazzle Awards alumni are also set to make a special performance in honor of the program’s 10th anniversary.
“PNC’s ongoing collaboration with Playhouse Square and the Dazzle Awards provides cultural opportunities for students across our region,” said Pat Pastore, PNC regional president for Cleveland. “We applaud the many incredible student achievements that shine through their high school musical productions and look forward to them celebrating them as they stroll down the PNC Red Carpet.”
In addition to master class and audition workshop opportunities for students who perform onstage, the Dazzle Awards also offers Musical Apprentice, Technical Apprentice and Student Reporter programs. These students can learn from the best in the business including the Dazzle Awards director/choreographer, music director, musicians, stage managers, lighting and sound designers and local reporters. The following students were chosen based on an application process and letters of recommendation:
Musical Apprentices
Jasmine Buckingham (Clarinet), Midview High School
Sydney Kolpien (Guitar), Rocky River High School
Mark Mallia (Trumpet), Solon High School
Keller Shea (Woodwinds), Bay High School
Lovelia Solarte (Violin), Solon High School
Technical Apprentices
Carmen Chen, Independence High School
Elisha Chuey, Mayfield High School
Thomas Forrer, Wadsworth High School
Monica Horschler, Medina High School
Student Reporters
Abriana Heinz, Lakewood High School
Robert Kalman, Independence High School
Hailey Tramonte, Highland High School
Lola Weston, Rocky River High School
At the May 17 ceremony, Dazzle Awards will be presented to outstanding musical theater productions and students in 13 categories, including the “Spirit of the Dazzle Awards” category, which is awarded to the student who most embodies camaraderie, passion and a continuous positive attitude throughout rehearsal week as identified by the creative team. The Best Actor and Best Actress winners will represent Northeast Ohio at The Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theatre in New York in June.
The 2025 Dazzle Award Nominees:
Best Student Orchestra
Avon High School, Les Misérables (School Edition)
Bay High School, The Music Man
Hudson High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Lakewood High School, Les Misérables (School Edition)
Medina High School, Curtains (School Edition)
Orange High School, Little Shop of Horrors
Rocky River High School, Matilda The Musical
Shaker Heights High School, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Solon High School, Something Rotten!
Best Technical Execution
Avon High School, Les Misérables (School Edition)
Avon Lake High School, Anastasia: The Musical
Chagrin Falls High School, Godspell (2012 Revised)
Hudson High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Lutheran West, Hello, Dolly!
Medina High School, Curtains (School Edition)
Nordonia High School, The Addams Family (School Edition)
Saint Ignatius High School, Shrek The Musical
Shaker Heights High School, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Best Scenic Design
Avon High School, Les Misérables (School Edition)
Avon Lake High School, Anastasia: The Musical
Bay High School, The Music Man
Chagrin Falls High School, Godspell (2012 Revised)
CMSD All-City Musical, Chicago: Teen Edition
Hudson High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Lakewood High School, Les Misérables (School Edition)
Lutheran West, Hello, Dolly!
Saint Ignatius High School, Shrek The Musical
Best Costume Design
The Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC, Merrily We Roll Along
Avon High School, Les Misérables (School Edition)
Avon Lake High School, Anastasia: The Musical
Bay High School, The Music Man
Hudson High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Lakewood High School, Les Misérables (School Edition)
Lutheran West, Hello, Dolly!
Nordonia High School, The Addams Family (School Edition)
Padua Franciscan High School, The Wind in the Willows
Best Choreography Execution
Bay High School, The Music Man
Chagrin Falls High School, Godspell (2012 Revised)
Hudson High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Magnificat High School, Elf The Musical
Medina High School, Curtains (School Edition)
Nordonia High School, The Addams Family (School Edition)
Saint Ignatius High School, Shrek The Musical
Shaker Heights High School, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Solon High School, Something Rotten!
Best Ensemble/Chorus
Avon Lake High School, Anastasia: The Musical
Bay High School, The Music Man
Chagrin Falls High School, Godspell (2012 Revised)
Hudson High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Medina High School, Curtains (School Edition)
Nordonia High School, The Addams Family (School Edition)
Saint Ignatius High School, Shrek The Musical
Shaker Heights High School, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Solon High School, Something Rotten!
Best Supporting Actor
Ben Bixby, Western Reserve Academy (‘Ian’ in High Fidelity (High School Edition))
Logan Cerrito, Bay High School (‘Mayor Shinn’ in The Music Man)
Colin Graham, Medina High School (‘Oscar Shapiro’ in Curtains (School Edition))
Gage Gray, Rocky River High School (‘Big Kid / Escapologist’ in Matilda The Musical)
Woohyuk Kong, Andrews Osborne Academy (‘Kevin G.’ in Mean Girls (High School Version))
Sam McPherson, Highland High School (‘Race’ in Disney's Newsies)
Anthony Moree, Thomas W. Harvey High School (‘Grandmaster Chad / Nikos’ in Legally Blonde The Musical)
Nathan Redmon, Strongsville High School (‘Huey’ in Back to the 80's)
Zachary Wilson, Lutheran West (‘Barnaby Tucker’ in Hello, Dolly!)
Best Supporting Actress
Brooke Coldsnow, Independence High School (‘Elsa Schraeder’ in The Sound of Music)
Bridget Gerba, Saint Ignatius High School (‘Pinocchio / Dancing Rat’ in Shrek The Musical)
Claire Hoelzel, Chagrin Falls High School (‘By My Side’ in Godspell (2012 Revised))
Molly Kessler, Saint Ignatius High School (‘Dragon / Witch’ in Shrek The Musical)
Rachel Marzullo, Aurora High School (‘Grandma’ in The Addams Family)
Greer Miller, Hudson High School (‘Fate 2’ in Hadestown: Teen Edition)
Miriam Patton, Orange High School (‘Crystal’ in Little Shop of Horrors)
Makendree Rollins, Hudson High School (‘Fate 1’ in Hadestown: Teen Edition)
Danielle Sperber, Orange High School (‘The Plant (Audrey II)’ in Little Shop of Horrors)
Best Actor
Anthony Fritzgerald, Saint Ignatius High School (‘Donkey’ in Shrek The Musical)
Owen Hill, Lakewood High School (‘Jean Valjean’ in Les Misérables (School Edition))
Tommy Kim, Andrews Osborne Academy (‘Damian’ in Mean Girls (High School Version))
Christian Lee, Avon High School (‘Jean Valjean’ in Les Misérables (School Edition))
Isaac Lewis, Solon High School (‘Nick Bottom’ in Something Rotten!)
Kyle McFalls, The Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘Franklin’ in Merrily We Roll Along)
Anderson Rambler, The Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC (‘Charley’ in Merrily We Roll Along)
Heath Thompson, Shaker Heights High School (‘William Barfee’ in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)
JohnPaul Zorc, Saint Ignatius High School (‘Lord Farquaad’ in Shrek The Musical)
Best Actress
Sarah Bahr, Avon High School (‘Madame Thenardier’ in Les Misérables (School Edition))
Symone Bibb, Thomas W. Harvey High School (‘Paulette Bonafonte’ in Legally Blonde The Musical)
Clare Bohan, Buckeye High School (‘Anya / Princess Anastasia’ in Anastasia: The Musical)
Mira Cahalane, Hudson High School (‘Hermes’ in Hadestown: Teen Edition)
Larissa Freas, Oberlin High School (‘Jo March’ in Little Women)
Skyler Ramsey, Andrews Osborne Academy (‘Janis’ in Mean Girls (High School Version))
Katherine Thiele, Hudson High School (‘Persephone’ in Hadestown: Teen Edition)
Samantha Vogel, Lutheran West (‘Mrs. Dolly Levi Gallagher’ in Hello, Dolly!)
Madeline Yankowski, Aurora High School (‘Morticia Addams’ in The Addams Family)
Best Musical (Tier 1 – school musical budget less than $14,000)
Chagrin Falls High School, Godspell (2012 Revised)
Lakewood High School, Les Misérables (School Edition)
Lutheran West, Hello, Dolly!
Best Musical (Tier 2 – school musical budget greater than $14,000)
Hudson High School, Hadestown: Teen Edition
Saint Ignatius High School, Shrek The Musical
Solon High School, Something Rotten!
Public and private high schools located in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit Counties were invited to apply for participation in the Dazzle Awards. Information and applications for the 2026 Dazzle Awards will be available online at playhousesquare.org/dazzleawards in August.