As the 2025-26 school year gets underway, high school theater departments across Northeast Ohio have already begun preparing both onstage and offstage for their annual musical productions. Their months of hard work and dedication culminate in a series of performances where students showcase their art, leaving audiences spellbound. For a record-breaking 43 schools representing seven counties across Northeast Ohio, the experience won’t end there.
Playhouse Square’s Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman allows these students and schools to take their skills to the next level with arts education opportunities throughout the year. From attending classes with industry professionals to participating in apprenticeships and performing in an exhilarating ceremony, the stars of tomorrow begin their journey at Playhouse Square.
The 43 schools participating in this year’s Playhouse Square Dazzle Awards presented by Pat and John Chapman are:
Akron School for the Arts at Firestone CLC
Andrews Osborne Academy
Aurora High School
Avon High School
Avon Lake High School
Bay High School
Beaumont School
Bedford High School
Brunswick High School
Buckeye High School
Chagrin Falls High School
CMSD All City Musical
Columbia High School
Eastlake North High School
Elyria Catholic High School
Euclid High School
Gilmour Academy
Hathaway Brown School
Hawken School
Highland High School
Hudson High School
Independence High School
Lakewood High School
Lutheran West
Magnificat High School
Marion L. Steele 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
Saint Ignatius High School
Saint Joseph Academy
Shaker Heights High School
Solon High School
Strongsville High School
Walsh Jesuit High School
West Geauga High School
Western Reserve Academy
Willoughby South High School
The Dazzle Awards ceremony is taking place on May 16, 2026. Awards are presented to outstanding musical theater productions and students in 15 categories, including Best Musical, Best Actor/Actress, Best Student Orchestra and Best Student Technical Execution. 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 2026.
More information is available online at playhousesquare.org/dazzleawards.