It may be Tonys week on Broadway in New York City, but here in the nation’s capital local high school theater got the spotlight at the Brandon Victor Dixon Awards, held Saturday night at National Theatre in D.C.
The ceremony honored local musical theater productions at public, private and charter high schools located within a 25-mile radius of National Theatre.
Best Musical went to the South Lakes High School production of the Steve Martin and Edie Brickell penned “Bright Star” in Reston, Virginia.
Best Actor went to Ian Rubin in Roald Dahl’s “Matilda: The Musical” performed by Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland.
Best Actress went to Abby Lyons in the ABBA lovefest that is “Mamma Mia!” performed by the Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia.
The ceremony also handed out three awards for Outstanding Achievement in Technical Theater, awarding Best Costumes to Fairfax High School’s production of “Sister Act,” Best Scenery to Hayfield Secondary School’s production of “Anything Goes,” and Best Choreography to South Lakes High School’s production of “Bright Star.”
Here are all of the nominees for the 2023 Brandon Victor Dixon Awards:
Nominees for Best Actor
- Jonah Uffelman, Fairfax Academy for Communication and the Arts, “Legally Blonde”
- Logan Baker, Fairfax High School, “Sister Act”
- J.P. Howard, Gonzaga College High School, “The Addams Family”
- Aquilles Alius, Hayfield Secondary School, “Anything Goes”
- Carter Elliff, Hayfield Secondary School, “Anything Goes”
- John Poncy, Oakton High School, “Mean Girls”
- James Williams, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, “Once on This Island”
- August Rivers, South Lakes High School, “Bright Star”
- Noah Tajudeen, W.T. Woodson High School, “Little Shop of Horrors”
- Antonio Amaral, West Potomac High School, “Legally Blonde”
- Ian Rubin, Winston Churchill High School, “Matilda the Musical”
Nominees for Best Actress
- Shiri Cohen, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, “Hello Dolly”
- Katie Wood, Fairfax Academy for Communication and the Arts, “Legally Blonde”
- Isabella Jackson, Fairfax High School, “Sister Act”
- Abby Lyons, Flint Hill School, “Mamma Mia”
- Helena Williams, Gongaza College High School, “The Addams Family”
- Tess Jannery-Barney, Langley High School, “Urinetown”
- Valeria Morales, Our Lady of Good Counsel, “Once on This Island”
- Abigail Jamison, South Lakes High School, “Bright Star”
Nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Technical Theatre
- Fairfax High School, “Sister Act”
- Hayfield Secondary School, “Anything Goes”
- Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, “Once on This Island”
- South Lakes High School, “Bright Star”
- W.T. Woodson High School, “Little Shop of Horrors”
Nominees for Best Musical
- Fairfax High School, “Sister Act”
- Flint Hill School, “Mamma Mia”
- Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, “Once on This Island”
- South Lakes High School, “Bright Star”
- Winston Churchill High School, “Matilda the Musical”
About the Awards
The local awards are named after Brandon Victor Dixon of Gaithersburg, Maryland, who earned a Tony nomination for Broadway’s “The Color Purple” (2006), won for “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” (2014) and earned another nomination for “Shuffle Along” (2016).
Dixon also originated the role of Berry Gordy in “Motown: The Musical (2013) and played Judas in NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert” (2018), earning both Emmy and Grammy nominations.
The Brandon Victor Dixon Awards are regional partners with the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Jimmy Awards, which will crown the national winners in a June 26 ceremony hosted by Corbin Bleu (“High School Musical”) at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City.
The national ceremony will also honor Vanessa Lock Gelinas of Oakton High School in Oakton, Virginia, with the Inspiring Teacher Award. Gelinas, one of two nationwide teachers to receive the prize this year, directed Oakton High School’s musical production of “The Addams Family” in 2022, which won Best Musical and Best Actor at the Brandon Victor Dixon Awards. Stay tuned for our interview with this inspiring local teacher on WTOP.
