Laguna Beach High School drama students take home multiple M.A.C.Y. Awards
Several Laguna Beach High drama students received multiple awards for a performance at the 46th M.A.C.Y. Awards June 5 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.
Laguna Beach was one of 20 schools selected to perform at the ceremony. Twenty-six Laguna students played roles in “Once Upon A Mattress” in front of an audience of more than 2,000 people.
M.A.C.Y. officials described the production as a “simple storybook tale retold in a grandiose fashion with beautiful music and characters with personalities as colorful as their costumes — a masterful piece of musical theatre,” according to a news release.
“It was a very exciting day for Laguna Beach High School drama,” teacher and director Alexis Karol said in the release. “It was an honor to be recognized so generously by the M.A.C.Y. organization, and we are grateful for their steadfast dedication to high school musical theatre in Orange County.”
The M.A.C.Y Awards recognize and reward achievement and excellence in high school musical theatre
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Evie Cant, Wyatt Shipp and Ellie Glade received Highest Achievement Awards for their performances as Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, Sir Harry and Lady Larken. The awards recognize performers for a “level of skill and professionalism above the norm for high school theatre,” the release said.
These performers form the pool from which the M.A.C.Y.’s select nominees for best actors and actresses of the year. Glade was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
William Purdy received the Special Recognition Award for his performance as The Wizard. The award is for a performer who shines in a specialty role.
Nilson Wilson, Bayley Thomas and Carmen Fernandez won Outstanding Achievement Awards for achieving exceptional merit in demanding roles as King Sextimus, Prince Dauntless the Drab and Queen Aggravain.
Hunter Mills and Kaitlin Gunsolley earned Achievement Awards for showing distinction in especially demanding roles of central importance such as the Minstrel and Jester.
Students Haley Conley, Gabriela de Moraes, Cameron Anderson and Roman Cerdas received the Bright Spot awards, which recognize performers who bring something special to ensemble roles.
In addition to the awards and special recognitions, the M.A.C.Y organization selected senior Michael Wogulis as recipient of a $1,000 merit-based scholarship, based on a teacher recommendation.
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Bryce Alderton, bryce.alderton@latimes.com
Twitter: @AldertonBryce
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