By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
They’re still “All Shook Up.”
Hays High School’s 2013 fall musical, “All Shook Up,” was nominated in 15 of 19 categories for the 2014 Jester Awards given by the Music Theatre of Wichita.
Friday night, they walked away with 12 Jester Awards including Best Overall Production.
Brenda Meder, Hays Arts Council executive director, won for “Direction of Show” — and couldn’t be prouder of the students.
“They are a very impressive and talented group of young people who are the product of strong school music and arts programs, especially in the very important early, formative years,” Meder said.
Hays High had two nominations in two of the categories for a total of 17 nominations, the most of any participating school. The judges for MTWichita visited 36 schools to watch live productions of 41 different shows.
The Outstanding Achievement awards for Hays High School’s “All Shook Up” were:
- Overall production
- Production number (“Can’t Help Falling in Love”)
- Ensemble/Chorus
- Leading actor – Nick Overbey
- Supporting actress – Shelby Matlock
- Supporting actor – Max Befort and Conrad Hoffman
- Direction of show – Brenda Meder
- Musical Direction – Johnny Matlock
- Orchestra – Johnny Matlock & Lexie Robinson
- Choreography – Tawnita Augustine
- Lobby display – Stacy Berens, Melody Davidson, Penny McGinnis, Teresa McPherson
- 2013-14 Jester Scholarship award (actor) – Nick Overbey
Johnny Matlock, Nick Overbey and Brenda Meder hold Hays High School’s awards at the 2014 Jester Awards.
The award-winning group performed their award-winning production number “Can’t Help Falling in Love” for the crowd at the Orpheum Theatre.
“Hays, our students, and our school system made a big – and I think perhaps for much of the Jester audience, surprising impression on Friday night, and it felt really, really good to stand proud of our students, our schools, and our community,” Meder said.
(Photos courtesy Brenda Meder)