Paw Paw’s ‘Curtains’ the big winner at LMC’s WAVE Awards honoring Excellence in High School Musical Theatre

Paw Paw High School's production of "Curtains: Student Edition" was the big winner on Tuesday, May 17, as Lake Michigan College's Visual & Performing Arts Department presented its inaugural WAVE Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre at the Mendel Center Mainstage on the Benton Harbor Campus, 2755 E. Napier Ave. 

Paw Paw took home seven of the 14 awards, including Outstanding Musical Production and acting nods for lead actors Madison Vogel and Sierra Loughrin, supporting actor Abelardo Muñoz, and featured actor Jaxon Curry. 

The remaining awards were spread across the nominees, which in addition to Paw Paw, included Bridgman's production of "Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition," Dowagiac's "Ranked: The Musical," and St. Joseph's "The Sound of Music." 

All nominees received an LMC Red Hawk Scholarship good for a three-credit course taken within the next four academic years and written feedback from a panel of arts professionals. The two lead actor recipients also received $1,000 WAVE Award Scholarships to participate in LMC Visual & Performing Arts coursework. 

"It was a fantastic night to celebrate and honor high school musical theatre in our community," LMC Dean of Arts & Sciences Kristopher Zook said. "We want to foster the talent of these students and give them even more opportunities to learn and grow while building a sense of community in the arts that lasts well beyond high school." 

Tuesday's event began with red carpet arrivals, followed by the awards ceremony, which included several musical production numbers. Children's Music Workshop performed "Rotten to the Core" from their recent production of "Disney's The Descendants." St. Joseph High School performed "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" from "The Sound of Music." Paw Paw performed "What Kind of Man?" from "Curtains." Dowagiac performed "Everything's Changing" from "Ranked." Bridgman performed "Happily Ever After" from "Once Upon a Mattress." And members of LMC's Visual & Performing Arts Department performed "Gimme, Gimme" from "Thoroughly Modern Millie." 

Presenters included LMC President Dr. Trevor Kubatzke, LMC Theatre Instructor Pat King, LMC Wind Ensemble Director Danny Lopez, Children's Music Workshop Executive Director Adrienne Glisson, Krasl Art Center Executive Director Julia Gourley-Donohue, Citadel Dance & Music Center Instructor Paige Mulick, All God's Children Community Choir Co-Founder Larry Feldman, Twin City Players' John Taylor, WSJM Vice President of Business Development & Innovation Zack East, and Midwest Family Broadcasting Director of Marketing Development Pat Moody. 

Laura Boyd, who is currently playing the role of Peggy Schuyler in the New York City production of "Hamilton," joined the event via video to help present the final award of the night for Outstanding Musical Production. 

The WAVE Awards are set to become an annual event. To learn how schools can participate or for more information, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/wave, email Mindy McCaffrey at mmccaffrey@lakemichigancollege.edu, or call the Visual & Performing Arts office at 269-927-8876.   

Here is the complete list of the 2021-2022 WAVE Award winners and nominees:  

Outstanding Set Design in a Musical   

• Bridgman High School; "Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition," Carrie Noll   
• Dowagiac High School; "Ranked: The Musical," Lincoln Clark & Tammy Mammel   
• Paw Paw High School; "Curtains: Student Edition," Isabella Hameed & Kristofer M. Perkins-WINNER 
• St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music," Ed Brunner   

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical   

• Bridgman High School; "Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition," Marty Golob   
• Dowagiac High School; "Ranked: The Musical," Lincoln Clark   
• Paw Paw High School; "Curtains: Student Edition," Kristofer M. Perkins-WINNER   
• St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music," Scott Bradford   

Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical   

• Bridgman High School; "Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition," Marsha Pinkowski-WINNER  
• Dowagiac High School; "Ranked: The Musical," Ravan Bakeman   
• Paw Paw High School; "Curtains: Student Edition," Claudia Lee   
• St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music," Lindsay Gaspari   

Outstanding Choreography in a Musical   

• Bridgman High School; "Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition," Caitlyn Lustila   
• Dowagiac High School; "Ranked: The Musical," Tammy Mammel-WINNER 
• Paw Paw High School; "Curtains: Student Edition," Sofia Marie Louden   
• St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music," Cassidy VanGilder   

Outstanding Musical Direction in a Musical   

• Bridgman High School; "Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition," Caitlyn Lustila   
• Dowagiac High School; "Ranked: The Musical," Hunter Schuur   
• Paw Paw High School; "Curtains: Student Edition," Maxwell Wagner   
• St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music," Beth Gray-Roll-WINNER  

Outstanding Orchestra in a Musical   

• Paw Paw High School; "Curtains: Student Edition," Sydney Heasley   
• St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music," Burke Lokey -WINNER  

Outstanding Featured Ensemble in a Musical   

• Bridgman High School; "Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition," Knights & Ladies in Waiting   
• Dowagiac High School; "Ranked: The Musical," The Bad Kids   
• Paw Paw High School; "Curtains: Student Edition," Cast of "Robbin' Hood"   
• St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music," The von Trapp Children-WINNER  
• St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music," The Nuns of Nonnberg Abbey   

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical   

• Jaxon Curry as Christopher Belling; Paw Paw High School-WINNER  
• Amelia Gibbs as Bambi Bernet; Paw Paw High School   
• Mya Dixson as Mother Abbess; St. Joseph High School   
• Alex Hodges as Daryl Grady; Paw Paw High School   
• Braden Miesse as Rolf Gruber; St. Joseph High School   
• Carri Willer as Wizard; Bridgman High School   

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical (Two awards given in the category)  

• Alivia Abram as Sir Harry; Bridgman High School   
• Abby Berry as Liesl von Trapp; St. Joseph High School-WINNER   
• Keelin McCafferty as Georgia Hendricks; Paw Paw High School   
• Abelardo Muñoz as Aaron Fox; Paw Paw High School-WINNER   
• Kat Paloyan as Elsa Schraeder; St. Joseph High School   
• Ryan Robison as Ryan; Dowagiac High School   

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical (Two awards given in the category)  

• Summer Fast as Lady Larken; Bridgman High School   
• Emalie Nelson as Princess Winnifred, the Woebegone; Bridgman High School   
• Amelia Jones as Jordan; Dowagiac High School   
• Andrew Brown as Lt. Frank Cioffi; Paw Paw High School   
• Madison Vogel as Niki Harris; Paw Paw High School-WINNER 
• Sierra Loughrin as Carmen Berstein; Paw Paw High School-WINNER   
• Hannah Bogner as Maria Rainer von Trapp; St. Joseph High School   

Outstanding Direction in a Musical   

• Jennifer Ammerman, Bridgman High School; "Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition"-WINNER 
• Tammy Mammel, Dowagiac High School; "Ranked: The Musical" 
• Kristofer M. Perkins, Paw Paw High School; "Curtains: Student Edition"  
• Cassidy VanGilder, St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music"  

Outstanding Musical Production   

• Bridgman High School; "Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition"  
• Dowagiac High School; "Ranked: The Musical" 
• Paw Paw High School; "Curtains: School Edition"-WINNER 
• St. Joseph High School; "The Sound of Music"