This year’s musical, Freaky Friday, earned top honors as the Outstanding Ensemble in the highly competitive Center Stage Musical Theater Program. In 2022 Footloose also won Best Ensemble.
“This is a huge honor, similar to winning state for sports,” explained Mrs. Andrea Gilson, the show’s director. Over 2100 students from 34 schools participated in the Center Stage Program.
The cast–over 30 of them–will be performing “Busted” on stage at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center on May 17 at 7:30 pm. Tickets to purchase are available here:
Two NDA seniors, Maame Asiamah and Amelia Chrudimsky, received individual recognition from Center Stage. Asiamah earned Honorable Mention accolades for her performance as Ellie Blake in the musical, and Chrudimsky received the Through the Arts Scholarship, a scholarship for high school seniors planning to study musical theater in college.
Center Stage is a program where high school students from across Wisconsin come together to showcase their musicals, receive feedback from judges and celebrate their musical talents.
The Showcase/Awards event on May 17 includes ensemble performances, individual nominations for outstanding actors, and awards in various categories.
At the end of the night, two outstanding performers from the nominees are selected to attend the prestigious Jimmy Awards in New York City.
One outstanding participant this year was Maame Asiamah, who played Ellie Blake.
Asiamah received an Honorable Mention for her performance.
“Honorable Mention means I was recognized for my role as an Outstanding Actor, but I will not get the chance to perform solo on stage like lead roles that received the Outstanding Actor Award,” she explained.
She is most looking forward to performing “Busted” with everyone from NDA’s Freaky Friday cast.
Another talented participant is Amelia Chrudimsky.
Chrudimsky has been involved in musical theater since freshman year and received the Through The ARTS Scholarship.
The scholarship is for high school seniors who are planning to study musical theater in college.
“I am planning to study musical theater in college, so I applied for the scholarship,” said Chruimsky.
She had to send letters of recommendation, her performance resume, write an essay about her musical experiences and explain why theater is her passion.
Chruimsky hopes to be able to professionally perform with her degree.
“Whether it be in regional shows, national tours, or hopefully one day Broadway, I want to do it all,” she explained.
Both Chruimsky and Asiamah agree that Center Stage is the place to meet like-minded students who share a love for theater.
“You get to be surrounded by so many people who are passionate about theater and music,” said Asiamah.
“It truly is a great way to network and learn from others,” adds Chruimsky.
Both encourage first-time attendees to be open to the unique experience.
“Be ready to learn to make new friends and most importantly, have fun,” Asiamah advises.
Center Stage is a transformative experience that helps young artists showcase their skills and be one step closer to achieving their dreams in the world of theater.
