Jester Awards Honorees announced for 2008-2009 At the 8th Annual Jester Awards, held by MTWichita on Friday evening May 22 to celebrate outstanding achievement in musical theatre production by area high schools, 60 awards were given in 23 categories, plus a special Jester Award to the Founder Director of the program Belden Mills, who is retiring after this year. Named as Outstanding Productions were "Children of Eden" presented by Kapaun-Mt. Carmel, "A Year with Frog and Toad" from Sterling High School, and "The Wedding Singer" produced at Wichita East. These three titles were honored in multiple categories, including direction for all three, plus two leading actors in Sterling (Dan McPherson as "Frog" and Sam Leake as "Toad") and the two leading players from "The Wedding Singer," Jenny Wine and Keaton Jadwin. Kapaun faculty member Michael Parker who provided direction, set design, and a leading guest performance in "Children of Eden" was honored in all those areas. Special kudos also went to Sam Leake and Jenny Wine, who were selected as the two Jester recipients who will be flown to New York to participate in the first annual National High School Musical Theater Awards, which will be held in New York City in late June. They will join top students from 16 theater programs in 11 other states for a week of coaching, auditioning and performing with Broadway professionals. At the end, two will be selected for honors that could include scholarships or a walk-on in a Broadway show. All expenses of their trip are underwritten by the Lois Kay Walls Foundation. Other multiple Jester winners on Friday evening included "Guys and Dolls" at Trinity Academy, "Brigadoon" at Campus High School, "Little Women at Andover Central, "All Shook Up" at Circle High in Towanda, "Annie Get Your Gun" at Hillsboro, and "Once Upon a Mattress" at Wichita Collegiate. Totals, by school, were 11 for Sterling, 9 for East, 8 for Kapaun-Mt. Carmel, 5 for Trinity Academy, 4 for Campus, 4 for Andover Central, 3 each for Circle, Collegiate, and Hillsboro, 2 each for Andover, Maize, and Heights, and 1 each for Independent, Newton, Sunrise Christian, and Northwest. Co-hosts for the evening were Music Theatre's producing artistic director Wayne Bryan and frequent leading lady (and former Jester winner) Desi Oakley, who also performed a song from Music Theatre's upcoming production of "The Drowsy Chaperone." Other musical highlights of the evening included songs from the above listed shows, plus "Aida" and "Little Women" at Andover Central, "Cinderella" at Andover, "The Fantasticks" at Maize, "West Side Story" at Bishop Carroll, and several more. Here is a complete list of the 2009 honorees: Outstanding Overall Production Children of Eden Kapaun-Mt. Carmel A Year with Frog and Toad Sterling HS The Wedding Singer Wichita East HS Outstanding Direction Michael Parker Children of Eden Kapaun-Mt. Carmel Betsy Dutton A Year with Frog and Toad Sterling HS Derrick Gronewold The Wedding Singer Wichita East HS Outstanding Leading Actress Katy Johnson Aida Andover Central Janet Wiggins The Fantasticks Maize HS Hayley Gribble Guys and Dolls Trinity Academy Jenny Wine The Wedding Singer W. East HS Outstanding Leading Actor Dan McPherson A Year with Frog and Toad Sterling HS Sam Leake A Year with Frog and Toad Sterling HS Keaton Jadwin The Wedding Singer W. East HS Outstanding Supporting Actress April Webb Footloose Newton HS Ann Jankowski Once Upon a Mattress W. Collegiate Maddy Campbell The Wedding Singer W. East HS Kassiani Menas The Wedding Singer W. East HS Outstanding Supporting Actor Austin Pyle All Shook Up Circle HS Aaron Moses A Funny Thing / Forum Independent Joe Consiglio The Wedding Singer W. East HS Jacob Miller Once On This Island Wichita Heights Outstanding Cameo Performer Emily Scheltgen Cinderella Andover HS Outstanding Ensemble Annie Get Your Gun Hillsboro HS Guys and Dolls Trinity Academy Outstanding Smaller Ensemble A Year with Frog and Toad Sterling HS Bird Trio (Jordan Robson, Anna Brashear, Melissa McKibben) Outstanding Production Number "Return of the Animals" Children of Eden Kapaun-Mt.Carmel "Cookies" A Year with Frog and Toad Sterling HS "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" Guys and Dolls Trinity Academy Outstanding Guest Performer(Alumnus or Teacher) Michael Parker (Father) Children of Eden Kapaun-Mt. Carmel Outstanding Orchestra Cinderella Raymond Linville Andover HS All Shook Up Jeff Garriott Circle HS Outstanding Musical Direction A Year with Frog and Toad Clark Comley Sterling HS Guys and Dolls Michelle R. Henderson Trinity Academy The Wedding Singer Doug Riney W. East HS Outstanding Instrumentalist(s) William McCollum, Ian Briggs Brigadoon Campus HS Outstanding Choreography / Musical Staging Joshua Larson Brigadoon Campus HS Betsy Dutton, Melissa McKibben A Year with Frog & Toad Sterling HS Yannic Dozier Guys and Dolls Trinity Academy Outstanding Stage Crew Little Women Andover Central HS Parade Wichita Northwest Outstanding Technical Achievement Jordan Slusher Sunrise Christian Academy Outstanding Scenic Design Little Women Andover Central HS Mike Wasson Brigadoon Campus Greg McGlynn Children of Eden Kapaun-Mt. Carmel Michael Parker Year w/ Frog & Toad Sterling HS Rachel Prochaska Outstanding Costumes Little Women Andover Central HS Sharon Garton, Karri Johnson, Charity Schaulis, Debora Gafvert Children of Eden Kapaun-Mt. Carmel Rachel Kubick, Kayla Mitchell A Year w/ Frog & Toad Sterling HS Sasha Hildebrand Outstanding Lighting Brigadoon Campus HS Stephen Campbell Annie Get Your Gun Hillsboro HS Kelsey Bartel, Shelby Koons Children of Eden Kapaun-Mt. Carmel Patrick Glasgow, Chelsea Helena A Year w/ Frog & Toad Sterling HS Ben Towne, Tyler Roberts, Sam McCullers, Austin Jasper Once On This Island W. Heights HS Maddie Nevins Outstanding Sound All Shook Up Circle HS Jeff Varner Annie Get Your Gun Hillsboro HS Glanzer Pro Audio The Fantasticks Maize HS Adam Akers Outstanding Graphic Design and/or Playbill Once Upon a Mattress W. Collegiate HS Rachel Park, Ellie Newlin, Maggie Newlin The Wedding Singer W. East HS Keaton Jadwin Outstanding Lobby Display Children of Eden Kapaun-Mt. Carmel uncredited Once Upon a Mattress W. Collegiate HS uncredited Special Jester to Founding Director The Jester Awards Belden Mills Two recipients Broadway-bound! And two artists Sam Leake and Jenny Wine were chosen to participate in the first annual National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York City, June 25 - 29. Their expenses are underwritten by the Lois Kay Walls Foundation.