The school year might have just begun, but preparations are underway right now as high school students across Northeast Ohio get ready to immerse themselves in auditions, rehearsals and technical planning for their annual musical productions. As they work to create an outstanding production, thousands of students are also learning from the best in the business as they participate in Playhouse Square’s Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman.
This regional program offers arts education opportunities for students – both on stage and off stage – including professional master classes, audition workshops and apprenticeship programs. A record-breaking 38 high schools from across seven counties throughout Northeast Ohio are participating in this year’s program.
In May, students from these schools come together for a week of rehearsals in preparation for the Dazzle Awards ceremony, which honors the hard work, dedication and excellence seen in the region’s high school theater programs.
The 37 schools participating in this year’s Playhouse Square Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman are:
The Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC
Archbishop Hoban High School
Aurora High School
Avon High School
Avon Lake High School
Bay High School
Brunswick High School
Chagrin Falls High School
CMSD All-City Musical
Eastlake North High School
Green High School
Hathaway Brown School
Hawken School
Highland High School
Hudson High School
Independence High School
Lakewood High School
Lutheran High School West
Magnificat High School
Mayfield High School
Medina High School
Midview High School
Nordonia High School
Oberlin High School
Orange High School
Padua Franciscan High School
Rocky River High School
St. Ignatius High School
Shaker Heights High School
Solon High School
Strongsville High School
Theodore Roosevelt High School
Thomas W. Harvey High School
University School
Walsh Jesuit High School
Western Reserve Academy
Willoughby South High School
The Dazzle Awards ceremony is taking place on May 18, 2024. Awards are presented to outstanding musical theater productions and students in 13 categories, including Best Musical, Best Actor/Actress, Best Student Orchestra, Best Costume Design and Best Scenic Design. Nominations and awards are based on the evaluations of an independent panel of adjudicators.
The Playhouse Square Dazzle Awards program presented by Pat and John Chapman is affiliated with the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (“The Jimmy Awards”) presented by The Broadway League Foundation. The winners of the Best Actor and Actress categories will represent Cleveland at The Jimmy Awards in summer 2024. More information is available online at playhousesquare.org/dazzleawards.