2018 AYAA AWARDS!

OH?! You thought the only award people were going to get today was an NYA? Ooooh, baby, this is just simply not true. AYAA is keeping the award train chuggin' along!

Today, I am proud to present the winners of the 2018 AYAA Awards. We received ALMOST 1000 (y'all be crazy) unique ballots that led to these results. I have listed the winner and runner up for the individual awards, the winner for the silly superlatives and for the overall production awards, I ranked all the productions that received at least 50 votes.

Leading Actress in a Musical
Lily Castle as Jo March in Valley Youth Theatre's Little Women
(Runner up: Claire Dolan as Elle Woods in Starlight Community Theater's Legally Blonde)

Leading Actress in a Play
Peyton Woolf as Juliet in Spotlight Youth Theatre's Romeo and Juliet
(Runner up: Sarah Edmunds as Woman in Actor's Youth Theatre's Insanity)

Leading Actor in a Musical
Sam Primack as Jesus in Spotlight Youth Theatre's Jesus Christ Superstar
(Runner up: Jacob Currie as Lord Farquaad in Christian Youth Theater's Shrek)

Leading Actor in a Play
Anson Romney as Romeo in Spotlight Youth Theatre's Romeo and Juliet
(Runner up: Grey Smith as Junior Dover Jr. in Hamilton High School's Great All American Musical Disaster)

Supporting Actress in a Musical
Sarah Pansing as Beth in Valley Youth Theatre's Little Women
(Runner up: Ali Giordano as Paulette in Starlight Community Theater's Legally Blonde)

Supporting Actress in a Play
Camden Wawro as the Nurse in Spotlight Youth Theatre's Romeo and Juliet
(Runner up: Lindsey Stevens as Madeline Usher in Actor's Youth Theatre's Insanity)

Supporting Actor in a Musical
Steven Enriquez as King Herod in Spotlight Youth Theatre's Jesus Christ Superstar
(Runner up: Max Mendoza as Douglas Panch in Arizona School for the Arts' 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)

Supporting Actor in a Play
Jeremy Bassham as Friar Lawrence in Spotlight Youth Theatre's Romeo and Juliet
(Runner up: Tristen Hansen as Sammy Goldenbaum in Desert Stage Theatre's The Dark at the Top of the Stairs)

Best Vocalist
Lily Castle as Jo March in Valley Youth Theatre's Little Women
(Runner up: Sam Primack as Jesus in Spotlight Youth Theatre's Jesus Christ Superstar)

Best Dancer
Cole Newburg as Don Lockwood in Chapparal High School's Singin' in the Rain
(Runner up: Jacob Currie as Mr. Trotter in Christian Youth Theater's James and the Giant Peach)

Best Direction of a Musical
Kenny Grossman for Spotlight Youth Theatre's Cabaret
(Runner up: Chris Dane Burk for Actor's Youth Theatre's Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Best Direction of a Play
Kenny Grossman for Spotligh Youth Theatre's Romeo and Juliet
(Runner up: Josh Lindblom for Actor's Youth Theatre's Insanity)

Best Music Direction
Tracie Jones for Actor's Youth Theatre's Ghost: the Musical
(Runner up: Elise Kurbat for Arizona School for the Arts' 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)

Best Choreography
Tina Caspary for Spotlight Youth Theatre's Cabaret
(Runner up: Bruce Goolsby for Actor's Youth Theatre's Anything Goes)

Best Set Design
Pete Bish for Greasepaint Youth Theatre's Addams Family
(Runner up: Chris Dane Burk for Actor's Youth Theatre's Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Best Lighting Design
Jeff A. Davis for Theater Works' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
(Runner up: Jordan Hunt for New School for the Arts's Hair)

Best Sound Design
Josh Hontz for Spotlight Youth Theatre's Cabaret
(Runner up: Josh Lindblom for Actor's Youth Theatre's Ghost: the Musical)

Best Costume Design
Sam Utpdael for Spotlight Youth Theatre's Cabaret
(Runner up: Karol Cooper for Valley Youth Theatre's Madagascar)

Best Hair and Make Up Design
Trey DeGroodt for Spotlight Youth Theatre's Cabaret
(Runner up: Leigh Hager for Starlight Community Theater's Legally Blonde)

Best Stage Management
Joycelin Jacobs for Valley Youth Theatre's Shrek
(Runner up: Courtney Stevens for Theater Works' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)

Aladdin Award: Most Likely to Be Mistaken for Royalty
Sam Primack

Beautiful Award: Most Likely to Have a Biopic Musical Written About Them
Sarah Pansing

Kinky Boots Award: Most Fierce
Trey DeGroodt

Dear Evan Hansen Award: Most Likely to Become an Internet Phenomenon
Sam Primack

Mean Girls Award: Best Dressed 
Addison Bowman

My Fair Lady Award: Most Independent
Riley Van Cleve

SpongeBob Squarepants Award: Most Likely to Accidentally Trigger the End of the World
Devon Christopher

The Band's Visit Award: Most Likely to Get REALLY Lost in a Foreign Country
Maya Weber

BEST PLAY - HIGH SCHOOL
WINNER: Chapparal High School's Boeing Boeing
2nd: Arizona School for the Arts' The Sparrow
3rd (tie): Hamilton High School's Great All American Musical Disaster and New School for the Arts' The Rabbit Hole
5th: Sunrise Mountain High School's Parlor Games

BEST PLAY - COMMUNITY
WINNER: Spotlight Youth Theatre's Romeo and Juliet
2nd: Actor's Youth Theatre's Insanity

BEST MUSICAL - HIGH SCHOOL
WINNER: Chapparal High School's Singin' in the Rain
2nd: New School for the Arts' Hair
3rd: Arizona School for the Arts' 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
4th: Hamilton High School's Bye Bye Birdie
5th: Queen Creek High School's Legally Blonde

BEST MUSICAL - COMMUNITY
WINNER: Valley Youth Theatre's Little Women
2nd: Starlight Community Theater's Legally Blonde
3rd: Actor's Youth Theatre's Hunchback of Notre Dame
4th: Spotlight Youth Theatre's Cabaret
5th: Theater Works' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Thank you to everyone who voted and congrats to all the winners!! The participation was overwhelming and completely unexpected. I feel so grateful to each and everyone of you. Yay theatre!

Friend Art Program

The Arizona Young Actors’ Alliance proudly presents…

FRIEND ART

By Sofia Alvarez

Directed & Designed by Grey Smith

Kyle Watkins as Nate

Aubrey Hoffer as Molly

Payten McLeod at Kevin

India Rose Chudnow as Lil

Produced by Mackenna Goodrich

Music by Hector Rodriguez-Rivera

~Thursday July 26th, 2018 and Saturday July 28th, 2018~

7:30pm

This is the Arizona Young Actors' Alliance. The idea is to knock down barriers between youth theaters and young actors! This will make everyone feel at home in the community and give young actors a voice.

azyoungactors.blogspot.com

Friend Art is presented through a special arrangement with Samuel French. 

AYAA PRESENTS... FRIEND ART

The Arizona Young Actors' Alliance proudly presents Friend Art, a play by Sofia Alvarez and directed by Grey Smith!!

Come support Arizona Young Actors' Alliance's second full length production, Friend Art by Sofia Alvarez.

"Molly and Kevin are engaged. They have “normal” jobs. Kevin and Nate have known each other since they were kids. Nate used to be famous once. He just broke up with Lil, who does performance art, and she used to work with Molly, who wanted to be an actress a long time ago. These relationships come to a head when Kevin decides he no longer wants the regular life he convinced Molly to live with him. Friend Art asks how late is too late to give up on your dreams, when are you really a grown-up, and what the hell are you supposed to say when walking out of a friend’s truly terrible performance?"

Directed by Grey Smith

Starring Aubrey Hoffer, India Rose Chudnow, Kyle Watkins, and Payten McLeod.

July 26th and 28th at 7:30 pm at Lone Tree Golf Course

Theatre!!! Youth!! Female playwrights!!!

The bar at the venue will also be open and drinks will be available for purchase. 

**Probably best suited for ages 15 and up

Tickets are $12 both online and at the door. At the door, tickets can be paid for with cash or through Venmo @Mackenna-Goodrich. (Please do NOT Venmo ahead of time; only at the door night of.) TO BUY ONLINE, CLICK HERE FOR THE TICKET LEAP.

ALSO, guys, plays cost m o n e y. So if you can't see the show but wanna support or just wanna throw some dollars at me from the goodness of your heart, we also have a link for Paypal donations. 

Finally, whoa, is this making you nostalgic for last summer's She Kills Monsters? Or for any of the awesome theatre that has happened this past year? Maybe consider throwing down some nominations for The 3rd Annual AYAA Awards. Here's that linky poo so you can do that

She's Back, Baby... AYAA Awards 2018!!

WHOA.

So... it's been almost a year since I've posted anything on AYAA website. College is dope, but also means you're busy and don't often have time for passion projects that exist 2000 miles away. However, street signs are melting in Arizona and everyone is announcing their seasons (which all include Newsies) so that must mean that...

IT'S TIME FOR THE AYAA AWARDS, BABY!!!

Even though the website has been on hiatus as I've been forming deeper roots outside of AZ, it was still important to me that we kept up with this. We had more than 800 votes last year, which is incredible. There are a lot of great awards programs in our area, but I wanted to create an awards program where the people nominate and select winners just for young actors -- not necessarily just youth theatre. Youth rewarding youth.

Nominations are now open and will remain open until July 20th at NOON. 

Link to make nominations: https://goo.gl/forms/vl0qCloNiYO1lnRl1

Happy nominating!!!

While I have you here...

AYAA is doing another play this summer! Grey Smith is directing Friend Art by Sofia Alvarez. The cast includes Aubrey Hoffer, India Rose Chudnow, Payten McLeod, and Kyle Watkins. I really encourage you to go see this funny and awesome play. There are two performances: July 26 at 7:30pm and July 28 at 7:30pm. They are at the Lone Tree Golf Club in Chandler, AZ. More info can be found at the links below.

Tickets are $12 and can be purchased here.  Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door via cash or Venmo.

Also, if you're feeling really charitable (or can't make the show, are one of my friends from Ohio who just love me a lot I guess, etc.) or you missed me making these obnoxiously colored posts, you can support the production by donating at this link.