Two Local High School Students Win Top Prizes at The 2024 DPAC Rising Star Awards

On May 9th, 2024, DPAC presented The DPAC Rising Star Awards, central North Carolina's High School Musical Theatre Awards, with host Clay Aiken. Alex Fluker from Panther Creek High School won the coveted DPAC Rising Stars Best Actress award and Conor Kruger from Enloe High School won the DPAC Rising Stars Best Actor award. The DPAC Rising Star Awards were presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

The DPAC Rising Star Awards (Rising Stars) celebrates outstanding achievement in high school musical theatre, by focusing attention on the meaningful work being done both on and off stage by dedicated teachers and students. 

Rising Stars also serves as the regional competition as part of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA).  This regional competition is open to high school musical theatre productions and musical theatre students in Central North Carolina.

This year's Rising Star Awards featured the return of an opening group number that included students from each of the 30 participating local high schools.  Approximately 70 students represented their school in this special performance.

“This was one of the best years ever for The DPAC Rising Star Awards,” said Megan Rindoks, DPAC's Director of Community Engagement. “As always, I am utterly blown away by the talent that teens in our area possess. Beyond that, in high schools we celebrate and root for athletes year-round; I love that Rising Stars provides a moment to shine light on the performing arts in our school systems. It's a beautifully encouraging and uplifting event that never fails to bring tears to my eyes.” 

2024 DPAC RISING STAR AWARDS WINNERS:

• Best Actress:
  • Alex Fluker – Cary, NC
    • In the role of The Witch in the Panther Creek High School production of Into The Woods
• Best Actor:
  • Conor Kruger – Raleigh, NC
    • In the role of Jean Valjean in the Enloe High School production of Les Misérables

• Best Ensemble:
  • Something Rotten
    • Weaver Academy in Greensboro, NC
• Best Musical:
  • Les Misérables
    • Enloe High School in Raleigh, NC

• Best Dancer:
  • Audrey Lewis – Raleigh, NC
    • In the role of Doralee Rhodes in the Needham B. Broughton production of 9 to 5: The Musical

• Best Choreography:
  • Anything Goes
    • Carrboro High School in Carrboro, NC
• Best Set Design:
  • Into the Woods
    • Durham School of the Arts in Durham, NC
• Best Lighting Design:
  • The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
    • Green Level High School in Cary, NC
• Best Costume Design:
  • The Addams Family
    • Apex Friendship High School in Apex, NC
• Best Student Orchestra:
  • The Spongebob Musical
    • Knightdale High School in Knightdale, NC
• The DPAC Shining Star Award:
  • David Hatcher in Cary, NC
    • In the role of The Baker in the Panther Creek High School production of Into The Woods

As Central North Carolina's qualifying event for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, The DPAC Rising Star Awards Best Actor and Best Actress recipients each received a $2,000 scholarship and were invited to attend the NHSMTA in New York City this summer.  This all-expense paid trip allows students from across the country to train with Broadway actors, directors and producers. Their week of coaching, auditions and rehearsals concludes with a sold-out performance on Broadway at the Minskoff Theatre (Home of Disney's The Lion King©) where the coveted Jimmy Awards for Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress are announced.

“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is proud to support The DPAC Rising Star Awards, a program designed to celebrate outstanding achievements in high school musical theater,” said Cheryl Parquet, Director of Community Engagement at Blue Cross NC.  “The arts enrich our lives beyond measure, and they are the key to the health of any community.  The DPAC Rising Star Awards not only provides the student finalists with potentially life changing opportunities that could jumpstart a career in the arts, but it also shines a spotlight on the amazing arts programs and dedicated arts teachers in our area.”

The event was directed by Freddie Lee Heath (Director of Choreography), David Henderson (Acting Director) and Mark Hopper (Music Director).  50 students representing high schools from across the Central NC region opened the show with a “A Musical” from Something Rotten, which included a special performance from Clay Aiken and built up to welcome the top 20 finalists to the DPAC stage.  In groups of five, each student had their own chance to shine in medley performances.  Act One closed with the top 20 finalists performing “Time to Dance” from The Prom. 

Lilly Pritchard and Noah Colvin returned to DPAC and sang “Suddenly Seymour” from the musical Little Shop of Horrors before announcing this year's awards for Best Actor (Conor Kruger) and Best Actress (Alex Fluker).  After the awards were presented, the entire cast of finalists closed out the evening with “Seasons of Love” from RENT.

This year, the Top 20 Student Finalists were adjudicated by an esteemed panel of guest judges including Alan Campbell, Chauntee' Shuler Irving, and Terri Dollar. 

National High School Musical Theatre Awards

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (NHSMTA), was established in 2009 by Pittsburgh CLO and Nederlander Alliances, a division of The Nederlander Organization, to elevate the importance of theatre arts education in schools and reward excellence in student performance.  The program impacts over 140,000 students annually who participate in high school musical theatre competitions sponsored by over forty professional theatres throughout the US.

Since its inception, NHSMTA has been the catalyst for more than $4,000,000 in educational scholarships awarded to deserving young performers.  Also known as The Jimmy Awards, named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, this year-round program is administered by The Broadway League Foundation Inc.

DPAC nominees have had great success at The Jimmy Awards in recent years.  In 2021, Rising Stars nominee Elena Holder won the coveted Best Performance by an Actress title at The Jimmy Awards.  This honor came with $25,000 in scholarships, an invitation to audition for multiple Broadway shows and the opportunity to perform in Times Square in celebration of the reopening of Broadway.

In 2022, both Joshua and Symoné were named Top Four Finalists last year at The Jimmy Awards, which is an incredibly rare accomplishment for two students from the same regional program.  As Top Four finalists, Joshua and Symoné received thousands of dollars in scholarships and multiple invitations to audition for Broadway shows, which are still being received today.

For more information about the The DPAC Rising Star Awards, visit https://www.dpacnc.com/community/dpac-rising-star-awards

To post a comment, you must register and login.

 

---

Join Team BroadwayWorld

Are you an avid theatergoer? We're looking for people like you to share your thoughts and insights with our readers. Team BroadwayWorld members get access to shows to review, conduct interviews with artists, and the opportunity to meet and network with fellow theatre lovers and arts workers.

Interested? Learn more here.

---