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The DPAC Rising Star Awards is made possible by the generous support of
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THE DPAC RISING STAR AWARDS
The 14th annual DPAC Rising Star Awards will take place at DPAC on May 29 at 7:30pm.
Tickets are now on sale.
The DPAC Rising Star Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in high school musical theatre throughout central North Carolina and focuses attention on the meaningful work being done both on and off stage by dedicated teachers and students. The DPAC Rising Star Awards is part of the National High School Musical Theatre awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards, in honor of Jimmy Nederlander Sr.
Throughout the 2024/2025 school year, The DPAC Rising Star Awards' judges attended and reviewed 44 high school musical theater productions. Our judges have selected twenty of the most talented students in our region as Best Actor and Best Actress Finalists who will compete live on DPAC's stage in hopes of advancing to the Jimmy Awards in New York City this June. The DPAC Rising Star Awards has the potential to catapult the careers of Broadway's future stars.
The event will be hosted by Clay Aiken and will feature Tony Award winner J. Harrison Ghee as our Special Guest. Student performances will be adjudicated live by three esteemed Ceremony Judges, including: Meredith Blair (President & CEO of The Booking Group), Alan Campbell (Broadway, Television and Film Actor), and Courtney Liu (Director, Choreographer and Professor of Music Theater at Elon University). You can also look forward to return appearances from Conor Kruger and Alex Fluker, who won the Best Actor and Actress awards in 2024.
The DPAC Rising Star Awards is made possible by the support of Blue Cross of North Carolina and our other valuable sponsors and community partners.
Meet the 2025 Best Actor & Best Actress Finalists
Best Student Choreography
- American Leadership Academy - Johnston—Seussical The Musical
- Carrboro High School—Something Rotten
- East Wake I Tech & Design Magnet High School—The Wiz
- Enloe High School—Between The Lines
- RJ Reynolds High School—Hadestown Teen Edition
- South Garner High School—You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised)
- St. Thomas More Academy—Hadestown Teen Edition
- Wake Forest High School—Disney's The Little Mermaid
Best Student Costume Design
- C.E. Jordan High School—Big Fish School Edition
- Franklin Academy—Alice By Heart
- Green Hope High School—SpongeBob The Musical
- Green Level High School—Hadestown Teen Edition
- Knightdale High School—Hadestown Teen Edition
- Panther Creek High School—Little Women
- Seaforth High School—Anastasia
- Weaver Academy for the Performing Arts—The Prom
Best Student Lighting Design
- American Leadership Academy - Johnston—Seussical The Musical
- Broughton High School—Mamma Mia!
- C.E. Jordan High School—Big Fish School Edition
- Chapel Hill High School—The Lightning Thief
- Christ Covenant School—Tuck Everlasting
- Heritage High School—Legally Blonde
- Knightdale High School—Hadestown Teen Edition
- Rolesville High School—Curtains
Best Student Orchestra
- Athens Drive Magnet High School—Disney's The Little Mermaid
- C.E. Jordan High School—Big Fish School Edition
- Durham Academy—Bright Star
- Durham School of the Arts—Little Shop of Horrors
- East Chapel Hill High School—Hadestown Teen Edition
- Green Hope High School—SpongeBob The Musical
- RJ Reynolds High School—Hadestown Teen Edition
- Western Harnett High School—High School Musical
Best Ensemble Tier 1
- Carrboro High School—Something Rotten
- Clayton High School—James and the Giant Peach
- East Wake Tech and Design Magnet High School—The Wiz
- James B Dudley High School—In The Heights
- South Garner High School—You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revised)
- Penn-Griffin School for the Arts—The Addams Family
Best Ensemble Tier 2
- Apex Friendship High School—9 to 5
- Cardinal Gibbons High School—Shrek The Musical
- Durham Academy—Bright Star
- Green Level High School—Hadestown Teen Edition
- Heritage High School—Legally Blonde
- Jordan Matthews High School—Matilda The Musical
- Wake Forest High School—Disney's The Little Mermaid
Best Musical Tier 1
- American Leadership Academy - Johnston—Seussical The Musical
- East Wake I Tech and Design Magnet High School—The Wiz
- Knightdale High School—The Color Purple
- Longleaf School of the Arts—The Color Purple
- Millbrook High School—Something Rotten
- Ravenscroft School—Little Women
Best Musical Tier 2
- Cardinal Gibbons High School—Shrek The Musical
- C.E. Jordan High School—Big Fish School Edition
- East Chapel Hill High School—Hadestown Teen Edition
- Heritage High School—Legally Blonde
- RJ Reynolds High School—Hadestown Teen Edition
- Weaver Academy for the Performing Arts—The Prom
Meet The DPAC Rising Star Awards 2025 Ceremony Judges
MEREDITH BLAIR has served as the President of The Booking Group since its inception in 1996. In 29 years, TBG has represented 28 Tony Award® winning Best Musicals, Revivals and Plays. Some of TBG’s current touring productions include Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Book of Mormon, Hadestown, Six, Mamma Mia!, MJ the Musical, Funny Girl, The Wiz, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Tina, To Kill a Mockingbird, Some Like It Hot, Mean Girls, Chicago, and Parade. TBG is also proud to represent the upcoming tours of: Suffs, The Notebook, Buena Vista Social Club, Gypsy, Operation Mincemeat, Real Women Have Curves, Smash, and The Queen of Versailles.
ALAN CAMPBELL Alan is a Tony nominated actor known for his versatility. Over his forty plus year career, Alan has enjoyed featured roles on stage, film, television and in concert. His many credits include Broadway musicals, Off-Broadway and regional musicals and drama, feature and indy films, as well as costarring roles in television drama, comedy, and daytime. Alan received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Joe Gillis in the original Broadway production of Sunset Boulevard. Also on Broadway in Mamma Mia! and Contact at Lincoln Center. Feature films include Paul Schrader’s Oh Canada, Amazon’s Uncle Frank, and Universals A Simple Wish. On television most recently in M. Night Shaymalan’s Servant, Dopesick for Hulu, five seasons on Jake and the Fatman, Three’s a Crowd with John Ritter and appearances on Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Homicide: Life on the Streets, Another World and All My Children. As a producer, he has over 30 shows and concerts to his credit. Alan is a co-founder of Theatre Raleigh and a founding member of H.O.L.A. (Heart of Los Angeles) Youth Theatre, providing an artistic outlet and guidance to inner-city children. Alan lives in Raleigh North Carolina and is the proud father of Duke junior, Riley Rose.
COURTNEY LIU is an Assistant Professor of Music Theatre and Director-Choreographer at Elon University. She has performed with the Broadway cast of the Phantom of the Opera (Ballet Ensemble, Swing, Meg u/s, Assistant Dance Captain), Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, AEA & Disney Developmental labs, the Broadway Dance Lab, Norwegian Cruise Lines (Performer, Assistant Director), Busch Gardens Theme Parks, the Cincinnati Ballet, and Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. Recent choreography credits include Forestburgh Theatre, Playmakers SYC, and the American Dance Festival in collaboration with the Nasher Museum. Courtney has taught dance for 20+ years and completed certification programs in Luigi Jazz Technique, Giordano Jazz Dance Technique, Vinyasa Yoga, and the ABT Ballet Teacher Training Program. Her research on flow states and dance pedagogy has been published in the Journal of Dance Education (JODE) and presented at conferences across the United States. Courtney received her BA in Psychology and MFA in Dance from Duke University.
This Season's Participating High Schools / Registered Musicals
- Penn-Griffin School for the Arts The Addams Family: Teen Edition
- October 24-26, 2024
- Hillside High School The SpongeBob Musical
- November 8-10, 2024
- Durham School of the Arts Little Shop of Horrors
- November 13-16, 2024
- Knightdale High School The Color Purple
- November 14-16, 2024
- Heritage High School Shrek The Musical
- November 14-16, 2024
- Longleaf School of the Arts The Color Purple
- November 14-17, 2024
- Wakefield High School Disney's Descendants: The Musical
- November 21-23, 2024
- Ravenscroft School Little Woman
- January 31-February 2, 2025
- Durham Academy Bright Star
- February 13-15, 2025
- Frankin Academy Alice By Heart
- February 14-16 & February 20-22, 2025
- Heritage High School Hairspray
- February 20-22, 2025
- Broughton High School Mamma Mia!
- February 27-March 1, 2025
- Athens Drive Magnet High School The Little Mermaid
- March 6-8, 2025
- East Chapel Hill High School Hadestown Teen Edition
- March 6-8, 2025
- Saint Mary's School SIX: Teen Edition
- March 13-15, 2025
- Millbrook High School Something Rotten
- March 13-15, 2025
- Carrboro High School Something Rotten
- March 13-15, 2025
- Green Level High School Hadestown Teen Edition
- March 13-16, 2025
- Jordan-Matthews High School Matilda The Musical
- March 14-16, 2025
- RJ Reynolds High School Hadestown Teen Edition
- March 20-22, 2025
- Enloe Magnet High School Between The Lines
- March 20-22, 2025
- South Garner High School You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (Revised)
- March 20-22, 2025
- Apex Friendship High School 9 To 5
- March 20-22, 2025
- Seaforth High School Anastasia
- March 20-22, 2025
- Weaver Academy The Prom
- March 20-22 & March 27-29, 2025
- C.E. Jordan High School Big Fish School Edition
- March 20-22 & March 27-29, 2025
- James B. Dudley High School In The Heights
- March 27-29, 2025
- Clayton High School James and the Giant Peach
- April 3-5, 2025
- American Leadership Academy - Johnston Seussical The Musical
- March 27-29, 2025
- Cardinal Gibbons High School Shrek The Musical
- March 28-29 & April 3-5, 2025
- St. Thomas More Academy Hadestown Teen Edition
- March 27-29 & April 4-5, 2025
- Overhills High School Shrek The Musical
- April 3-5, 2025
- Knightdale High School Hadestown Teen Edition
- April 3-5, 2025
- Western Harnett High School High School Musical
- April 10-12, 2025
- Christ Covenant School Tuck Everlasting
- April 10-12, 2025
- Green Hope High School The SpongeBob Musical
- April 10-12, 2025
- Rolesville High School Curtains
- April 10-12, 2025
- Chapel Hill High School The Lightning Thief
- April 24-26, 2025
- East Wake / Tech and Design Magnet School The Wiz
- April 24-26, 2025
- Panther Creek High School Little Women
- April 24-26, 2025
- Heritage High School Legally Blonde
- April 24-26, 2025
- Wakefield High School Chicago: Teen Edition
- April 24-26, 2025
- Longleaf School of the Arts The Phantom of the Opera
- April 24-27, 2025
- Wake Forest High School Disney's The Little Mermaid
- April 25-26, 2025
2025 Student Reporter Award, in partnership with ABC11
This year, for the first time ever, DPAC is participating in the Jimmy Awards' national Student Reporter search. The Jimmy Awards Student Reporters receive an all-expense paid trip to NYC to create media content and to provide live coverage at the Jimmy Awards.
DPAC invited high school students who are serving as Performing Arts Ambassadors during the 2024/2025 school year to apply. A panel of media professionals at ABC11 reviewed all applications and this spring, they've selected Shia Edwards and Alexander Sheinbaum as The DPAC Rising Star Awards Student Reporters.
Shia and Alex will have backstage and behind-the-scenes rehearsal access leading up to The DPAC Rising Star Awards this spring and will report live to keep audiences engaged and up to speed. They will also be recognized during the awards ceremony for this achievement. Both Shia and Alex have been submitted to the Jimmy Awards' national Student Reporter search and are in the running to be student reporters at the Jimmy Awards this June.
Student Tech & Production Team
DPAC has selected talented students from participating high schools to join The DPAC Rising Star Awards' Student Tech & Production Team this spring. These students will provide invaluable assistance during rehearsals and backstage at the awards ceremony, playing crucial roles in ensuring a successful event. Their involvement highlights the exceptional abilities and talent present in central North Carolina high schools.
Stage Management
- Ella Adams - Production Stage Manager, Senior at Durham School of the Arts
- Sarah Keller- Assistant Stage Manager, Senior at Apex Friendship High School
- Sasha Wolfrum- Assistant Stage Manager, Junior at Durham School of the Arts
Talent Management
- Ella Cohen- Talent Manager, Junior at CE Jordan High School
- Micah Elia- Talent Coordinator, Senior at Chapel Hill High School
- Camille Smith - Talent Coordinator & Audio Assistant, Sophomore at Millbrook High School
Production Management
- Joseph Leitner- Production Manager, Junior at American Leadership Academy
- Camryn Stone- Production Assistant, Junior at Weaver Academy
- Isaak Baksh- Wardrobe & Props Coordinator, Junior at Carrboro High School
- Liz Emery- Wardrobe & Props Coordinator, Senior at Wake Forest High School
- Brice Shearburn- Lighting Coordinator, Junior at RJ Reynolds High School
- Joey Maida- Lighting Assistant, Freshman at Durham School of the Arts
- Joseph Swain- Audio Coordinator, Junior at Cardinal Gibbons High School
- Ephraim Baksh- Teleprompter Operator, Junior at Carrboro High School
Art Gallery in partnership with Durham Art Guild
Returning this year, The DPAC Rising Star Awards will partner with Durham Art Guild to incorporate a pop-up gallery in DPAC’s lobby during the ceremony on Thursday, May 29, 2025. This gallery will feature work created by visual arts students at participating high schools. The deadline for student artwork submissions is April 18, 2025. More information about how to submit work for consideration has been provided to representatives at each participating high school. A team of three jurors will review all submitted artwork and select student pieces to be on display.
Meet the Jurors
Dara Baldwin is a Durham native, graduated from Durham School of the Arts in 2012 and received a B.A. in Art History from UNC Chapel Hill in 2019. Currently, Dara is the Curator and Gallery Manager of the Durham Art Guild (DAG), acting as the main contact for all exhibition scheduling, artwork purchases, and installation at DAG galleries and partner locations.
Brian Gonzales is a multidisciplinary artist born in Santa Monica, California. He received his BFA from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and his MFA from the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2016, Brian moved to the United Arab Emirates, where he spent 7 years teaching drawing and printmaking at the University of Sharjah, College of Fine Arts and Design. He currently lives in Durham and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art and Design at North Carolina Central University. Brian has exhibited his work internationally with recent projects and exhibitions including: Ayyam Gallery, Dubai, UAE (2023); Aisha Alabbar Gallery, Dubai, UAE (2023); Contemporary Art Museum, Raleigh, NC (2023-2024); DAG Golden Belt Gallery, Durham, NC (2024); and NCCU Art Museum, Durham, NC (2024).
Faith Reagin is a young Queer artist working in the Triangle as a gallery coordinator, custom framer, and freelance curator. Last year, they were head curator for Haptic Happenings, a project funded by Durham's Office On Youth that supported young local artists through material, educational, and financial means, culminating in a juried exhibition presented by the Durham Arts Guild. Faith has worked in art galleries for 6 years, doing everything from front desk
