West Potomac’s Billy Elliot wins Best Musical, Hayfield student wins Best Actor at Cappies

June 13, 2017 Schools
Billy Elliot cast and crew

The cast and crew of West Potomac’s production of Billy Elliot at the Kennedy Center on Sunday. (Laura Marshall photo)

West Potomac’s spring production of Billy Elliot was a big winner at this year’s Cappies, taking home honors for Best Musical and winning a number of other individual and group honors at the annual awards gala.

Hayfield’s production of School of Rock also received honors, with Jackson Miller getting the nod as Best Lead Actor in a Musical for his performance as Dewey Finn.

West Potomac’s Jonathan Barger won Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of the dad in Billy Elliot, a drama that tells the story of a boy growing up in England during the national coal miners strike of 1984-1985.

Billy Elliot also took home top honors for Song (“Solidarity”), Lighting (Aubrey Blount, Kayla Claussen, Sam Davidson and Jessica Steadman), and Special Effects and/or Technology (Logan Claussen, Ella Moore and Will Schless).

The Cappies is a high school theater writing and awards program with 13 regional chapters across the U.S. and Canada. The Cappies of the National Capital Area includes more than 50 local high schools. 

Each year the chapters hold an annual awards show, styled after the Tonys. The National Capital Area awards gala was held Sunday evening at the Kennedy Center.

Other area students/schools to receive nominations:

  • Marketing and Publicity: Emily Lyon, Lily Vita and the WPHS Marketing Team for West Potomac’s Billy Elliot
  • Costumes: Kaylie Kopicki, Becca Roberts, Lorna Ryan and Valentina Selnick for West Potomac’s Billy Elliot
  • Orchestra: West Potomac’s Refried Beans for Billy Elliot
  • Choreography: Natalie Edwards for West Potomac’s Billy Elliot
  • Stage Management and Stage Crew: Emily Lyon, Elaina Phalen & The Black Morphsuit Crew for West Potomac’s Billy Elliot
  • Ensemble in a Musical: Dewey and the School of Rock Class for Hayfield’s School of Rock
  • Ensemble in a Musical: The Miners for West Potomac’s Billy Elliot
  • Female Dancer: Avalon Engelhardt for Hayfield’s School of Rock
  • Male Dancer: Josh Stein for West Potomac’s Billy Elliot
  • Female Vocalist: Trish Hoang for Hayfield’s School of Rock
  • Song: “Stick It To The Man” for Hayfield’s School of Rock
  • Musical: School of Rock, Hayfield