The Broadway Education Alliance has announced the winners of the 13th annual Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance, which was held on Sunday, May 21, 2023, at the Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS).
Outstanding Performer Winners
Tatum Hopkins, Nyack High School (Nyack, NY), in the role of Audrey, Little Shop of Horrors
Calvin Lindo, Senior at Archbishop Stepinac High School (White Plains, NY), in the role of Frankie Valli, Jersey Boys
Emerging Artist Winners
Lauren Marchand, Jericho High School (Jericho, NY), in the role of Elsa, Frozen
Tyler Turetsky, Roslyn High School, (Long Island, NY), in the role of Crutchie, Newsies
Students from 53 high schools located throughout the Greater New York area competed for the title of Outstanding Performer at the awards event that was hosted by Tony® and Grammy® Award-nominated artist Jaquel Spivey. A panel of Broadway judges that included Michael Arden (2023 Tony® Award-nominated Director, Parade), Kiara Brown Clark (Teaching Artist, Disney Theatrical Group), Greg Nobel (Tony Award-winning producer), Merri Sugarman (Tara Rubin Casting), Jeanine Tesori, (Tony Award-winning composer and 2023 nominee for Best Score of Kimberly Akimbo), and Cynthia Thole(Director/Choreographer and Fairleigh Dickinson University Faculty) selected the winners based on a solo performance of a song they performed in their high school musical during the 2022-2023 academic year.
To be eligible to participate in the Rogers Rees Awards, a student must have performed a qualifying role in an officially licensed high school production of an eligible show during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Lauren Marchand and Calvin Lindo will represent the Roger Rees Awards and the Greater New York area at The Broadway League Foundation’s The Jimmy Awards® (also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®) on June 26th at the Minskoff Theatre.
Lauren will represent the Roger Rees Awards at The Jimmy’s in place of Tatum Hopkins, who was just cast in a leading role in the workshop production of The Queen of Versailles starring Kristin Chenoweth.Lauren played Elsa in the only high school production of Disney’s Frozen in New York State, which was presented by Jericho High School, winner of the United States of Frozen competition, sponsored by the Educational Theater Association (EdTA), Music Theatre International and Disney Theatrical Group.
Calvin Lindo, who played Frankie Valli in Archbishop Stepinac High School’s production of Jersey Boys was presented his Award by Rick Elice, who wrote the book to the hit Broadway musical.
The Roger Rees Awards also announced the New Faces | 2023 roster of talented students selected by members of the Casting Society of America as emerging artists to watch.
Farmingdale High School’s Daler A Cappella, a 15-member choral group under the music direction of Jessica Mischke, was recognized with the Harmony Helper® Award for Outstanding Choral Performance Award from the Goren Family Foundation.
For a complete list of participating schools and award finalists and winners, please visit: www.RogerReesAwards.com.
The Broadway Education Alliance is the fiscal sponsor for The Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance, which is supported by Disney Theatricals, Broadway HD, Broadway Plus, Rich Elice, Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Harmony Helper, Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway, Music Theatre International, National Foundation of Musical Theatre, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Withum, and many other industry leaders working in/around Broadway.