The deafening, theater-shaking cheering made its thunderous return.
Taking the stage once again were the Lehigh Valley’s most talented high school performers, belting out Broadway-level songs from musicals such as “The Addams Family: School Edition” and “The Sound of Music.”
“To be here with them and feel what they feel for each other and the love they give one another, that’s what we need and it’s what we need everywhere,” said Shelley Brown, president and CEO of the State Theatre.
Clearly, the Freddys were back.
For the first time since 2019, Easton’s State Theatre hosted a fully in-person, staged-live Freddy Awards show Thursday night, marking the 20th anniversary of the event that celebrates the best in high school theater. The show was broadcast live on WFMZ.
At the milestone 20th year for the Freddy Awards, Bangor Area High School’s “Les Miserables: School Edition” took home the most awards, five, including Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical. Bangor won the most in 2019, the last year the Freddy Awards were fully live on-stage.
Close behind Bangor were Phillipsburg High School and Liberty High School, both tied for second with four wins.
Here are the results:
Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra
WINNER: Easton Area “42nd Street”
Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Freedom, “Curtains”
Hackettstown, “Sister Act”
Liberty, “The Sound of Music”
Nazareth Area, “Little Shop of Horrors”
Phillipsburg, “Guys & Dolls”
Southern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
Outstanding Use of Scenery
WINNER: Liberty, “The Sound of Music”
Nazareth Area, “Little Shop of Horrors”
Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Dieruff, “Godspell: 2012 Revised Version”
Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Freedom, “Curtains”
Outstanding Use of Costumes
WINNER: Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Dieruff, “Godspell: 2012 Revised Version”
Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Liberty, “The Sound of Music”
Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Southern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Ensemble Member
WINNER: Tyler Borneo as Benny Southstreet, Phillipsburg, “Guys & Dolls”
Charlie Strzelecki as Chef Louis/Pilot, Allentown Central Catholic, “Disney’s Little Mermaid”
Josh Raub as Enjolras/Bishop, Bangor Area, “Les Misérables: School Edition”
Elijah Cooke as “We Beseech Thee” Soloist, Belvidere, “Godspell”
Joseph Valentin as Male Characters, Catasauqua, “Chicago: High School Edition”
Lucas Nowak as Lurch, Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Clayton Washburn as Mal Beinke, Wilson Area, “The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Ensemble Member
WINNER: Kaylee Babiak as Alice Beineke, North Warren Regional “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Julia Ruhf as Bambi Bernet, Freedom, “Curtains”
Ellie Prendeas Hebe Porter, Moravian Academy, “HMS Pinafore”
Keira Smith as Hebe Porter Moravian Academy, “HMS Pinafore”
Jenna Seasholtz as Ursula Merkle, Southern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
Adneiry Mercedes Diaz as Marty, William Allen, “Grease”
Denay White as Grandma, Wilson Area, “The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy”
Outstanding Use of Lighting
WINNER: Freedom “Curtains”
Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Liberty, “The Sound of Music”
Moravian Academy, “HMS Pinafore”
Nazareth Area, “Little Shop of Horrors”
Whitehall, “Godspell: 2012 Revised Version”
Outstanding Small Ensemble Performance
WINNER: Jake Delesky, Tyler Borneo “Guys & Dolls” Phillipsburg “Guys & Dolls”
Mak Cerrada-Shapiro, Juli VandeVeegaete, Alex VandeVeegaete, Josie Ruppert, Kavanna “Relic” Little “On the Willows” Belvidere, “Godspell”
Jacob Klinedinst, Payton McGlory “Live Before We Die,” Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Aaron Louw, Henry Grimm “Mushnik and Son,” Nazareth Area, “Little Shop of Horrors”
Molly McGorry, Aine Demko, Chloe Schoemaker, Charlize Bobbyn “One Boy,” Northwestern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
Katarina O’Mara, Jared Sussman “Take a Chance On Me,” Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Outstanding Choreography
WINNER: Liberty High School, “The Sound of Music”
Belvidere, “Godspell”
Dieruff, “Godspell: 2012 Revised Version”
Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Freedom, “Curtains”
Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Whitehall, “Godspell: 2012 Revised Version”
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
WINNER: Maya Marino Cappello as Miss Adelaide, Phillipsburg, “Guys & Dolls”
Elizabeth Rutt as Madame Thenardier, Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Rachel Williams as Maggie Jones, Easton Area, “42nd Street”
Madeline Kemler as Wednesday Addams, Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Keiran Lencheski as Lumiere, Notre Dame, “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”
Laurel Bendetti as Tanya, Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
WINNER: Jacob Ten Bosch as Nathan Detroit, Phillipsburg, “Guys & Dolls”
Mak Cerrada-Shapiro as John the Baptist/Judas, Belvidere, “Godspell”
Brendan Branosky as Billy Lawlor, Easton Area, “42nd Street”
Aiden Panko as Pugsley Addams, Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Joey Oltman as Sir Joseph Porter, Moravian Academy, “HMS Pinafore”
Jared Sussman as Bill Austin, Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Outstanding Performance by a Featured Dancer
WINNER: Elise Stefankiewicz as The Moon, North Warren Regional, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Sarah Horvath as Featured Dancer, Belvidere “Godspell”
Julia Ressler as 42nd Street Thief, Easton Area “42nd Street”
Ashley Westgate as Flapper Ancestor, Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Julia Ruhf as Bambi Bernet, Freedom, “Curtains”
Kayla Beam as Greek Spirit of Nightmares, Warren Hills, “Regional Mamma Mia!”
Giovanni Failla as Giovanni, Whitehall “Godspell: 2012 Revised Version”
Outstanding Chorus
WINNER: Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Dieruff, “Godspell: 2012 Revised Version”
Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Southern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
Whitehall, “Godspell: 2012 Revised Version”
Vic Kumma Award for Outstanding Solo Vocal Performance
WINNER: Charles “CJ” Fassl “Bring Him Home” Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Elena Wenrich-Quinones “Part of Your World” Allentown Central Catholic, “Disney’s Little Mermaid”
Rebekah “Bex” Vermuelen “The Sound of Music,” Liberty, “The Sound of Music”
Alicia Gordon “Sorry Her Lot,” Moravian Academy, “HMS Pinafore”
Paige Horvath “Somewhere That’s Green,” Nazareth Area, “Little Shop of Horrors”
Maya Marino Cappello “Adelaide’s Lament,” Phillipsburg, “Guys & Dolls”
Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actor
WINNER: Jacob Kremer as Audrey II Voice, Nazareth Area, “Little Shop of Horrors”
Robert Ruhl as Cornelius Hackl, Bethlehem Catholic, “Hello Dolly!”
Aidan Heil as Billy Flynn, Catasauqua, “Chicago: High School Edition”
James Myers as Lt. Frank Cioffi, Freedom, “Curtains”
Jackson Hunsicker as William Barfee, Northern Lehigh, “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”
Jake Delesky as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Phillipsburg, “Guys & Dolls”
Ryan Lauer as Harry MacAfee, Southern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actress
WINNER: Hannah Kurczeski as Velma Kelly, Catasauqua, “Chicago: High School Edition”
Kaylee Holland as Eponine, Bangor Area, “Les Misérables: School Edition”
Payton McGlory as Morticia Addams, Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Katarina O’Mara as Rosie, Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Gabriella Lozada as Mimi Marquez, Salisbury, “RENT: School Edition”
Alana Weirbach as Fiona, Saucon Valley, DreamWorks’ “Shrek the Musical”
Kayla Lebby as Rose Alvarez, Southern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
Outstanding Production Number
WINNER: Bangor Area, “One Day More,” “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Catasauqua, “They Both Reached for the Gun,” “Chicago: High School Edition”
Nazareth Area, “Downtown/Skid Row,” “Little Shop of Horrors”
North Warren Regional, “Full Disclosure,” “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Phillipsburg, “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “Guys & Dolls”
Southern Lehigh, “The Telephone Hour,” “Bye Bye Birdie”
Outstanding Stage Crew (In honor of Capt. Christopher Seifert)
WINNER: Liberty “The Sound of Music”
Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Moravian Academy, “HMS Pinafore”
Northampton, “Mamma Mia!”
Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Southern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
WINNER: Rebekah “Bex” Vermuelen as Maria Rainer, Liberty, “The Sound of Music”
Elena Wenrich-Quinones as Ariel, Allentown Central Catholic “Disney’s The Little Mermaid”
Angelina Dries as Roxie Hart, Catasauqua “Chicago: High School Edition”
Alicia Gordon as Josephine, Moravian Academy “HMS Pinafore”
Paige Horvath as Audrey, Nazareth Area “Little Shop of Horrors”
Brenna Pelizzoni as Sophie Sheridan, Parkland “Mamma Mia!”
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
WINNER: Charles “CJ” Fassl as Jean Valjean, Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Evan Finkbeiner as Javert, Bangor Area, “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Owen Gately as Jesus, Belvidere, “Godspell”
Jacob Klinedinst as Gomez Addams, Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Andrew Merkle as Gomez Addams, North Warren Regional, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Grant Neff as Albert Peterson, Southern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
Outstanding Overall Production by a Smaller School
WINNER: Catasauqua, “Chicago: High School Edition”
Allentown Central Catholic, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid”
Belvidere, “Godspell”
Hackettstown, “Sister Act”
Moravian Academy, “HMS Pinafore”
Wilson Area, “The Addams Family: New Musical Comedy”
Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
WINNER: Bangor Area “Les Miserables: School Edition”
Emmaus, “The Addams Family: School Edition”
Liberty, “The Sound of Music”
Parkland, “Mamma Mia!”
Phillipsburg, “Guys & Dolls”
Southern Lehigh, “Bye Bye Birdie”
