Jonesboro, AR – (Contributed) – May 21, 2024 – The Jonesboro High School Performing Arts Department spring musical production of OKLAHOMA! earned a total of 15 nominations from the Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards Association. Members from the Orpheum HSMTA attended the Saturday and Sunday performances of the JHS production for adjudication of the show.
The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, more commonly known as the Jimmy Awards, are awards given annually to recognize musical theatre performances by high school students in the United States. The Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards supports, promotes, and celebrates high school musical theatre throughout the Mid-South. The program aims to provide access to arts education, create opportunities for self-expression, develop relationships between schools and the Orpheum, encourage collaboration, enhance excellence, build community, and instill a lifelong passion for the arts.This program invites students and schools to join a community of participating schools from a 150 mile radius including Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi in a variety of opportunities that meet each school where they are in providing access to arts education programming.
JHS received the following nominations:
Outstanding Poster, created by Keelie McClellan, JHS Class of 24
Outstanding Lighting, created by John “JP” Phillips
Outstanding Choreography, created by Cari Pulliam Haynie/Krisie Holmes
Outstanding Costumes, created and constructed Carmen Teague
Outstanding Music Direction, Krisie Holmes, JHS Choral Director
Outstanding Lead Actor, Luis Triana, JHS Class of 2024
Outstanding Feature Actor, Caleb Smith, JHS Class of 2024
Outstanding Feature Actor, Emarian Tate, JHS Class of 2025
Outstanding Supporting Actress, MaKenzie Krennerich, JHS Class of 2025
Outstanding Student Orchestra
Outstanding Chorus
Outstanding Large Ensemble
Outstanding Overall Production
Outstanding Dance Execution
Outstanding Technical Achievement
With these prestigious nominations also comes the remarkable opportunity for the JHS students to perform on the Orpheum stage on Thursday, May 23, 2024. The Orpheum HSMTA will host an awards ceremony which will include live performances, awards presentations, and a red carpet for the participating students. Members of the cast, crew, production team, family, and friends will be in attendance for the HSMTA awards ceremony.
On May 21, 2024 Luis Triana, CURLY, will continue his journey to the Jimmys as he will sing, “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” and “It Hurts Me” for a second panel of judges. Following his solo competition, on May 23, 2024, Luis will perform his solo, “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” on the Orpheum stage for a sold out audience. MaKenzie Krennerich, ADO ANNIE, Emarian Tate, ANDREW CARNES, and Caleb Smith, JUD FRY, will all perform on the Orpheum stage in a medley with other nominated feature and supporting actors. The entire cast will perform on the Orpheum stage the title song “OKLAHOMA” as one of seven schools in the category. Elin McDaniel and Sophia deLucena have been selected to perform on the Orpheum stage in the opening and closing productions numbers as well.
Cast members Sophia de Lucena ’26 and Elin McDaniel ‘26 have been selected to perform in the opening and closing production numbers at the awards ceremony. This year’s Orpheum HSMTA theme is “The Golden Age of Musical Theatre”. Lucena and McDaniel will be singing and dancing to the songs “Another Opening, Another Show” from KISS ME KATE and “There’s No Business Like Show Business” from ANNIE GET YOUR GUN.
Student orchestra members include: Charlotte Adams ‘24, Alan Navarro ‘25, Stanford Johnson ‘24, Sergio Blanco ‘24, Erin Bryan ‘25, Sam Welch ’25, Timothy Miles ‘24, Sam Stewart ’24, Shayne Dancer ‘24, Landyn Turner ‘24, Daniel Rutherford ‘24, VJ Roberts ‘24, and Daniel Guerrero ‘25.
Professional orchestra members include: Grant Harbison~JHS Director of Bands, Rob Donner, LaJuana Warner, Dr. Tim Crist, and John Cummins.
Student crew members include: Ben Arroyo ‘25, Anna Grace Burton ‘27, Rebekah Flowers ‘24, Keira Guerrero ‘26, Hayden Hobbs ‘24, Cailin Kraft ‘24, Abigail Leggett ‘24, Oscar Lopez ‘26, Glen Mason ‘25, Keely Maxwell ‘26, Ja’Kiyla McCarroll ‘26, Madeline Sweat ‘25, Vanessa Toney ‘25, Kara Hale ‘26, Nicole Smith ‘26, Zana Ejuba ‘25, Charlie Stegall ‘26, and Cole Abernathy ‘24.
Production team members include: John “JP” Phillips, Josh Mosley, Lauren Wilcox, Cari Pulliam Hayni, Carmen Teague, Chloe Teague, Quaine Hogan, Justin Ramer, Golden Williams, Natalie Yarger Bare, Amanda Mirafuentes, Faith Reeves, Janie “JJ” Krennerich, Kenny Jackson, Jayson Mirafuentes, and Trosha Krennerich.
Professional theatrical consultant: Tanner Ray Wilson, 2010 JHS Alumnus, currently performing in the cast of HADESTOWN on Broadway in New York City.
JHS drama director: Mallery Mitchell
JHS producer and musical director: Krisie Holmes
Student cast members and roles:
Aunt Eller ~ Ella Scott ‘24
Curly ~ Luis Triana ‘24
Laurey ~ Anders Mitchell ‘25
Will ~ Joe Clay Young ‘25
Jud ~ Caleb Smith ‘24
Ado Annie ~ MaKenzie Krennerich ‘25
Ali Hakim ~ William Allen ‘24
Gertie ~ Ensley Heringer ‘26
Andrew Carnes ~ Emarian Tate ‘25
Ike Skidmore ~ Bobby Ranalli ‘26
Cord Elam ~ Cesar Canizales ‘26
Laurey’s Friends
Ellen ~ Andrianna Miller ‘25
Kate ~ Lauryn Reddick ‘24
Virginia ~ Lizzy Cole ‘24
Vivian ~ Lilah McGregor ‘25
Curly’s Friends
Fred ~ Max Myers ‘26
Mike ~ Kadarius Williams ‘26
Slim ~ Isaac Mirafuentes ‘25
Dream Laurey ~ Shanna de Lucena ‘25
Dream Curly ~ Isaac Mirafuentes ‘25
Ensemble
Maliah Anderson ‘24
Sakhyia Bell ‘26
Rylie Canard ‘26
Allie Carson ‘24
Sophia de Lucena ‘26
Maggie Gray ‘26
Adrienna Johnson ‘25
Clare Kluttz ‘24
Elin McDaniel ‘26
Lily Meeks ‘24
Cali Pagan ‘25
Destiny Shaw ‘25
Amariya Wilson ‘26