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Craig, Parker shows earn numerous Tommys

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Photo by Sam Loizzo

Janesville Craig's performance of 'The Wedding Singer' picked up a Tommy Award for Outstanding Musical.

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Photo by Julie Backenkeller

Janesville Parker's production of 'Happy Days' picked up a Tommy Award for Outstanding Musical.

JANESVILLE — Janesville is something of a musical theater powerhouse.

That might be old news to those in the local theater community, but a new awards program has focused the eyes of professionals on Janesville, and local students have made those eyes twinkle.

Both Janesville Craig and Janesville Parker high schools will walk away with a bushel of awards in the second annual Tom Wopat Awards for Excellence in Musical Theater in Madison on June 5.

"I was like, 'wow, that's very humbling,'" said Jim Tropp, who has directed Parker musicals for a number of years. "To have so many of our students get honorable mentions and the other awards, that's huge. That's fabulous."

Craig's Bob Schrank and Parker's Jan Knutson, both who are half of their schools' choral-music departments, said they were pleased and surprised as well.

"We just have a lot of students that are gifted. They truly love to be on stage and live to perform," said Brian Knutson, Jan's husband and her colleague in the Parker choral music department.

The Tommys, now in their second year, are not a true statewide competition. This year's competition includes 28 schools and one community theater. But the field includes a number of schools of similar size, including a number in the Madison area.

Theater professionals and educators were the judges. They attended the shows at mostly southern-Wisconsin schools over the course of the school year.

Craig and Parker both won Tommys for Outstanding Musical, supporting performer and musical direction.

Parker also won Outstanding Ensemble, and two Parker students were among those winning Outstanding Lead Performer.

Tropp won for best direction, an award that Craig's Ben Schrank won in last year's Tommys.

Right up there with the Janesville schools is Evansville, by the way. Evansville will rake in more than its share of the hardware, including Outstanding Musical, for "Guys and Dolls."

Clinton and Beloit Memorial high school students also will be called to the Overture Center stage.

Schrank and Jan Knutson said they're not sure they can present the same quality next year, however.

Budget cuts mean Brian Knutson will lose his job, and Schrank said it appears that his fellow vocal-music teacher, Karla Vriezen, will be transferred to another school, although details aren't yet known.

Both duos won Tommys for musical direction this year. With only one choral teacher next year, the time to develop young voices just won't be there, Tropp said.

And it's not just the music. It's supervision and involvement. Schrank noted the untold hours it takes to put on a musical.

Craig parents help out a lot, but Schrank said he would not be surprised to see the quality of the musical performances fall.

Schrank said he'll do his best, and he knows his is not the only high school department facing a similar situation, noting cuts in agriculture and art.

"Parker has done a great job with musicals," Schrank said, "And we're pretty proud of what we've done here."

"I hope it continues."

TOMMY WINNERS

Local high schools won a large number of awards in the second year of the Tommy Awards, sponsored by the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison.

Tom Wopat Awards for Excellence in Musical Theater went to 28 schools, one community theater and dozens of performers for their productions during the 2010-11 academic year.

A panel of theater professionals, educators and others attended the shows, offered feedback to the performers and voted on award winners.

The awards are named in honor of Tom Wopat, a Tony Award-nominated Wisconsin native and singer/actor who gained fame in 1978 when he began portraying Luke Duke in "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV series.

The 2010-11 Tommy Award Winners include the following.

-- Outstanding Musical—Seven productions won this award, including Evansville High School's "Guys and Dolls," Janesville Craig High's "The Wedding Singer" and Janesville Parker High's "Happy Days."

-- Outstanding Ensemble—Four winners, including Beloit Memorial High's "Hairspray" and Parker High's "Into the Woods."

-- Outstanding Lead Performer—25 winners included Parker's Stephanie Ahrens as Cinderella and Tyler Block as Jack in "Into the Woods," Clinton High School's Zach Hubner as Fagin in "Oliver!" and Beloit Memorial's Jackie Thompson as Tracy Turnblad and Cole McMillan as Link Larkin in "Hairspray."

-- Outstanding Supporting Performer—20 winners included Evansville's John Robinson as Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Collin Rehfeldt as Benny in "Guys & Dolls," Palmyra-Eagle High's Jordan Schultz as Stepmother in "Cinderella," Craig's Joel Valdez as George in "The Wedding Singer," Parker's Oren Feldman-Schultz as Rapunzel's Prince in "Into the Woods" and Beloit Memorial's Alex Vance as Seaweed J. Stubbs in "Hairspray."

-- Outstanding Direction—Four winners included Parker's Jim Tropp for "Happy Days" and "Into the Woods."

-- Outstanding Musical Direction—Three winners included Craig's Bob Schrank and Karla Vriezen for "The Wedding Singer" and Parker's Jan and Brian Knutson for both "Happy Days" and "Into the Woods."

-- Outstanding Scenic Design—Two awards: Clinton's Aaron and Jody Bennett for "Oliver!" and Parker's Megan Cunningham for both "Happy Days" and "Into the Woods."

-- Outstanding Lighting Design—Two awards, including Evansville's Robert Mentele for "Guys and Dolls."

-- Outstanding Stage Management—Two awards included Beloit Memorial's Stephanie Gunning for "Hairspray."

-- Community Engagement—Beloit Memorial for "Hairspray."

-- Student Critics—11 awards, including Clinton's Jesse Bossingham.

-- Honorable Mention Lead Performer—24 awards, including Evansville's Anna Bisch as Miss Adelaide and Wolly Wollinger as Nathan Detroit in "Guys & Dolls," Parker's Kianna Byrd as Witch and Taylor Utzig as Baker's Wife in "Into the Woods," Craig's Malorie Imhoff as Julia Sullivan and Sam Kislia as Robbie Hart in "The Wedding Singer" and Parker's Matt Knutson as Arthur Fonzarelli and Maria Tordoff as Pinky Tuscadaro in "Happy Days,"

-- Honorable Mention Supporting Performer—30 awards, including Craig's Emma Bitter as Rosie in "The Wedding Singer"; Parker's Chris Degeyter as Jumpy Malachi, Zach Eicher as Count Malachi and Tyler Howland-Seger as Ralph Malph in "Happy Days"; Parker's Hannah Hathaway as Jack's Mother in "Into the Woods"; Beloit Memorial's Rachel Lisensky as Velma Von Tussle and Jake Ward as Corny Collins in "Hairspray"; and Clinton's Janelle Taylor as Nancy in "Oliver!"