Past DPAC Rising Star Award Winners and Finalists

• Aidan Armstrong – Weaver Academy – SpongeBob the Musical, SpongeBob
• BEST DANCER WINNER Kaleb Bell – Longleaf School of the Arts – Into the Woods, The Baker
• BEST ACTOR WINNER Noah Colvin – Enloe High School – The Little Mermaid, Sebastian
• Ryan Gregory – Enloe High School – The Little Mermaid, Prince Eric
• Christian Holloway – Southern School of Energy and Sustainability – The Color Purple, Mister
• Timire Leak – Athens Drive High School – Seussical the Musical, Horton
• Richmond Parris – Weaver Academy – SpongeBob the Musical, Plankton
• Braden Shepstead – Heritage High School – Mean Girls High School Version, Damian
• Dominic Sicola – Fuquay-Varina High School – The Wizard of Oz, Scarecrow
• Max Templeton – Broughton High School – Mean Girls High School Version, Damian
• Serenity Burr – Southern School of Energy and Sustainability – The Color Purple, Celie
• TRIANGLE SHINING STAR WINNER Laylah Cooper-Holman – Weaver Academy – SpongeBob the Musical, Sandy Cheeks
• Sheba Gage – Broughton High School – Mean Girls High School Version, Regina George
• Ella Ludwig – Enloe High School – The Little Mermaid, Ursula
• Zari Alexandria McIntosh – Durham School of the Arts – Chicago Teen Edition, Mama Morton
• Ellie O’Connell – C.E. Jordan High School – Mean Girls High School Version, Regina George
• Sarah Praught – Heritage High School – Mean Girls High School Version, Janis
• BEST ACTRESS WINNER Lilly Pritchard – Heritage High School - Mean Girls High School Version, Cady
• Shreya Ravi – Green Hope High School – The Addams Family, Wednesday
• Juliana Robertson – Longleaf School of the Arts – Into the Woods, Bakers Wife

Best Student Orchestra

• Panther Creek High School Anastasia
• Fuquay Varina High School The Wizard of Oz
• Apex Friendship High School Anastasia
• Durham Academy Chicago Teen Edition
• East Chapel Hill High School Sweet Charity
• West Johnston High School Mamma Mia!
• WINNER Athens Drive High School Seussical the Musical

Best Set Design

• Glenn High School Little Women
• C.E. Jordan High School Mean Girls High School Version
• Wake Forest High School The Sound of Music
• Wakefield High School Sleeping Beauty
• WINNER Longleaf School of the Arts Into the Woods
• Apex Friendship High School Anastasia

Best Costume Design

• WINNER Enloe High School The Little Mermaid
• Holly Springs High School SpongeBob the Musical
• Wakefield High School Sleeping Beauty
• St. Thomas More Academy The Wizard of Oz
• East Chapel Hill High School Sweet Charity
• Hillside High School Matilda

Best Lighting Design

• Apex Friendship High School Anastasia
• Enloe High School The Little Mermaid
• Heritage High School Mean Girls High School Version
• Clayton High School Freaky Friday
• Durham School of the Arts Chicago Teen Edition
• WINNER Knightdale High School The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

Best Choreography

• Holly Springs High School SpongeBob the Musical
• Heritage High School Mean Girls High School Version
• Penn Griffin School of the Arts Chicago Teen Edition
• Weaver Academy SpongeBob the Musical
• WINNER Durham School of the Arts Chicago Teen Edition
• Carrboro High School Mean Girls High School Version

Best Ensemble

• West Johnston High School Mamma Mia!
• Jordan Matthews High School Shrek the Musical
• WINNER Wakefield High School Sleeping Beauty
• Broughton High School Mean Girls High School Version
• C.E. Jordan High School Mean Girls High School Version
• Millbrook High School Guys and Dolls

Best Musical

• Holly Springs High School SpongeBob the Musical
• Weaver Academy SpongeBob the Musical
• Enloe High School The Little Mermaid
• C.E. Jordan High School Mean Girls High School Version
• WINNER Heritage High School Mean Girls High School Version
• Longleaf School of the Arts Into The Woods

• WINNER and Jimmy Awards Top 4 Finalist: Symoné Spencer (Fanny Brice, Funny Girl, Enloe High School)
• Madeline Atwater (Bea, Something Rotten, Millbrook High School)
• Reaghan Given (Audrey, Little Shop of Horrors, Heritage High School)
• Emily Hartsoe (Jershua Abbott, Daddy Longlegs, Longleaf School of the Arts)
• Hayes Hunter (Genevieve, The Bakers Wife, C.E. Jordan High School)
• Ellie O’Connell (Alice, Bright Star, C.E. Jordan High School)
• Hannah Richman (Passionella, The Apple Tree, UNCSA High School)
• Hannah Szemereta (Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins, Apex Friendship High School)
• Hannah Watters (Sonia, Godspell, Heritage High School)
• Brooke Willse (Fanny Brice, Funny Girl, Wake Forest High School)

• WINNER, Jimmy Awards Top 4 Finalist, and Jimmy Awards ‘Spirit of the Jimmy’s’ Recipient: Joshua Thompson (Miles Tuck, Tuck Everlasting, Weaver Academy)
• Noah Colvin (Jack Kelly, Newsies, Enloe High School)
• Avery Davidson ( Orsino, Twelfth Night, Durham Academy)
• Maximiliano Fernandez-Escalona (Bert, Mary Poppins, Apex Friendship High School)
• Ryan Gregory (Edward Bloom, Big Fish, Enloe High School)
• Conor Kruger (Pippin, Pippin, Enloe High School)
• Alex Lim (Jimmy Smith, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Cary Academy)
• Clark Phoenix (Jervis Pendleton, Daddy Longlegs, Longleaf School of the Arts)
• Braden Shepstead (Beast, Beauty and the Beast, Heritage High School)
• Levi Stine (Billy Cane, Bright Star, C.E. Jordan High School)

• Joshua Thompson, Weaver Academy

• Emily Hartsoe, Longleaf School of the Arts

• WINNER: CE Jordan High School, Bright Star
• Apex Friendship High School, Mary Poppins
• Durham School of the Arts, Urinetown: The Musical
• Heritage High School, Tarzan
• Heritage High School, Frozen Jr.
• West Johston High School, Matilda

• WINNER: Apex Friendship High School, Mary Poppins
• Clayton High School, Chicago Teen Edition
• Durham School of the Arts, Urinetown: The Musical
• Heritage High School, Tarzan
• Heritage High School, Frozen Jr.
• Longleaf School of the Arts, Daddy Longlegs

• WINNER: Durham School of the Arts, Urinetown: The Musical
• CE Jordan High School, Bright Star
• East Wake High School, Fame Jr.
• Heritage High School, Tarzan
• Heritage High School, Frozen Jr.
• Longleaf School of the Arts, Daddy Longlegs

• WINNER: Weaver Academy, Anastasia
• Athens Drive Magnet High School, Beehive the 60s Musical
• Broughton High School, Chicago Teen Edition
• CE Jordan High School, Bright Star
• Longleaf School of the Arts, Daddy Longlegs
• West Johnston High School, Matilda

• WINNER: Heritage High School, Tarzan
• Apex Friendship High School, Mary Poppins
• Broughton High School, Chicago Teen Edition
• Heritage High School, Frozen Jr.
• Penn-Griffin School for the Arts, Legally Blonde: The Musical
• Wake Forest High School, Legally Blonde: The Musical

• WINNER: CE Jordan High School, Bright Star
• Apex Friendship High School, Mary Poppins
• Athens Drive Magnet High School, Beehive the 60s Musical
• Broughton High School, Chicago Teen Edition
• Durham School of the Arts, Urinetown: The Musical
• Wake Forest High School, Legally Blonde: The Musical
• West Johnston High School, Matilda

• JIMMY AWARD WINNER: Elena Holder (The Witch, Into the Woods, Durham School of the Arts)
• Ansleigh Reid (Rose, Dogfight, Heritage High School)
• Hanna Richman (Christine, The Phantom of the Opera, Raleigh Charter High School)
• Kate Ragan (Kathy, The Last Five Years, Wayne School of Engineering)
• Madison Barrier (Alyssa, The Prom, Penn Griffin School for the Arts)
• Symoné Spencer (Shug, The Color Purple, Enloe High School)
• Trinity Turner (Aida, Aida, Heritage High School)
• Valentina Fernandez Escalona (Nina, In The Heights, Apex Friendship High School)
• Vivian Waye (Woman 2, Edges, East Forsyth High School)
• Whitley Lynn (Wednesday Addams, The Addams Family, Franklinton High School)

• WINNER: Joshua Messmore (Laurie, Little Women, St. David’s School)
• Alex Lim (Paul, The Theory of Relativity, Cary Academy)
• Christian Bartney (Donkey, Shrek, Millbrook High School)
• I’zaah Gray-Jones (Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ Superstar, RJ Reynolds High School)
• Jackson Donahoe (Radames, Aida, Heritage High School)
• Ryan Gregory (Gordon Michael Schwinn, A New Brain, Enloe High School)
• Sawyer Bowers (Randall, Bring It On, Heritage High School)
• Tate Mahar (Crutchie, Newsies, Holly Springs High School)
• Thomas Halik (Usnavi, In The Heights, Heritage High School)
• Will Wakeford (Pippin, Pippin, Athens Drive Magnet High School)

• WINNER: Haven Bowers (Katherine Pumber, Newsies, Heritage High School)
• Allie Jessee (Jo March, Little Women, Cary High School)
• Anna Vtipil (Natalie/Ed, All Shook Up, Athens Drive Magnet High School)
• Caroline Segars (Kelli Mangrum, Hands on a Hardbody, Eastern Alamance High School)
• Delia Vaisey (Audrey, Little Shop of Horrors, Chapel Hill High School)
• Emma Johnson (Marion Paroo, The Music Man, Apex Friendship High School)
• Lanie Martin (Roxy, Chicago, Leesville Road High School)
• Lily Vance (Tracy Turnblad, Hairspray, CE Jordan High School)
• Liyana Falvey (Erma, Anything Goes, William G. Enloe High School)
• Soraiah Williams (Miss Hannigan, Annie, Panther Creek High School)

• WINNER: Ben Eble (Seymour, Little Shop of Horrors, Chapel Hill High School)
• Adam Greene (Seymour, Little Shop of Horrors, Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School)
• Elliot Stanford (Harold Hill, The Music Man, Apex Friendship High School)
• Jaydon Smith (Nicely Nicely Johnson, Guys and Dolls, Clayton High School)
• Ricky Hall (Billy, Anything Goes, William G. Enloe High School)
• Riley Gibson (Edna Turnblad, Hairspray, CE Jordan High School)
• Sammy Rivas (Lumiere, Beauty and the Beast, Ravenscroft School)
• Tyler Ellis (Sky Masterson, Guys and Dolls, Clayton High School)
• Vishal Kasula (Chad, All Shook Up, Athens Drive Magnet High School)
• William Wakeford (Dennis, All Shook Up, Athens Drive Magnet High School)

• WINNER: Athens Drive Magnet High School – All Shook Up
• Cary High School – Little Women
• Clayton High School – Guys and Dolls
• Enloe High School – Anything Goes
• Leesville Road High School - Chicago

• WINNER: Heritage High School – Newsies
• Apex Friendship High School – The Music Man
• Athens Drive Magnet High School – All Shook Up
• CE Jordan High School – Hairspray
• Holly Springs High School – The Addams Family
• William G. Enloe High School – Anything Goes

• WINNER: Vishal Kasula

• WINNER: Jaydon Smith

• WINNER: Mya Ison (Sarah, Ragtime, Enloe High School)
• Allie Jessee (Lily, The Secret Garden, Cary High School)
• Anna Vtipil (Vanessa, In The Heights, Athens Drive High School)
• Averi Zimmermann (Nina, In The Heights, Athens Drive High School)
• Caroline Segars (Millie, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Eastern Alamance High School)
• Delia Vaisey (Princess Winifred, Once Upon a Mattress, Chapel Hill High School)
• Elena Holder (Olive Ostrovsky, The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, Durham School of the Arts)
• Lexi Yauch (Janet Van de Graff, The Drowsy Chaperone, Clayton High School)
• Samantha Zarate Rangel (Nina, In The Heights, Jordan Matthews High School)
• Tara Clinkscales  (Martha, The Secret Garden, Cary High School)

• WINNER: Sterling Jones (Gaston, Beauty and the Beast, Broughton High School)
• Adam Green (The Cat in the Hat, Seussical The Musical, Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School)
• Aidan O'Connell (Detective Carl Hanratty, Catch Me If You Can, CE Jordan High School)
• Benjamin Richardson-Piche (Frank Jr, Catch Me If You Can, CE Jordan High School)
• Dylan Gibson (Leaf Coneybear, The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee, DSA)
• Evan Martschenko (Neville Craven, The Secret Garden, Cary High School)
• Garrett Noga (Robbie, The Wedding Singer, Leesville Road High School)
• Kenneth Andrews (Oliver Warbucks, Annie, Graham High School)
• Tyler Ellis (Robert Martin, The Drowsy Chaperone, Clayton High School)
• Vishal Kasula (Benny, In The Heights, Athens Drive High School)

• WINNER: Kaylee Terrell (Elle Woods, Legally Blonde, Panther Creek High School)
• Livia Marsden (Rosalind, 9 to 5, Apex High School)
• Allie Jessee (Baker’s Wife, Into the Woods, Cary High School)
• Lily Tendler (Amalia, She Loves Me, Durham Academy)
• Ellie Dusek (Ilona Ritter, She Loves Me, Durham Academy)
• Caroline Segars (Godmother, Cinderella, Eastern Alamance High School)
• Gabrielle Goodman (Morticia, The Addams Family, Millbrook High School)
• Gabrielle Phillips (Millie, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Ravenscroft School)
• Taria Daughtridge (Adelaide, Guys & Dolls, Southeast Raleigh High School)
• Paulette Perez (Aida, Aida, St. Thomas More Academy)
• Jasmine Brower (Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof, Jordan-Matthews High School)
• Cameron Ransome (Nancy, Oliver, Wakefield High School)

• WINNER: Nicholas Kraft (Frank Jr., Catch Me If You Can, Clayton High School)
• Chris Inhulsen (Baker, Into the Woods, Cary High School)
• Brandon Martin (Prof. Callahan, Legally Blonde, C.E. Jordan High School)
• Niall Schroder (Georg, She Loves Me, Durham Academy)
• Jacob Phipps (Ren, Footloose, Heritage High School)
• Jordan Jarmon (Scarecrow, The Wiz, Hillside High School)
• Ethan Baker (Raoul, The Phantom of the Opera, Holly Springs High School)
• Carson Weddle (Gomez, The Addams Family, Millbrook High School)
• Connor Lewis (The Minstrel, Once Upon a Mattress, Northwood High School)
• Andrew Bonomolo (The Jester, Once Upon a Mattress, Northwood High School)
• Adam Greene (Nicely-Nicely, Guys & Dolls, Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School)
• Jared Scott (Fagen, Oliver, Wakefield High School)

• Into the Woods, Cary High School
• She Loves Me, Durham Academy
• Aida, Enloe High School
• Footloose, Heritage High School

• Oliver, Wakefield High School
• Catch Me If You Can, Clayton High School
• Bring It On: The Musical, Leesville Road High School
• Guys & Dolls, Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School

• WINNER: Ainsley Seiger (Wednesday Addams, The Addams Family, Apex High School)
• Lily Tendler (Hotel, Fiddler on The Roof, Durham Academy)
• Kelsey Willard (Baker’s Wife, Into The Woods, Enloe High School)
• Camryn Sherer (Carmen, Fame, Hillside High School)
• Cameryn Bost (Elle, Cinderella, Holly Springs High School)
• Gabrielle Goodman (Annie, Annie Get Your Gun, Millbrook High School)
• Kaylee Terrell (Mary Poppins, Marry Poppins, Panther Creek High School)
• Taria Daughtridge (The Witch, Into The Woods, Southeast Raleigh High School)
• Gabrielle Phillips (Princess Winifred, Once Upon a Mattress, Ravenscroft School)
• Vanaya Henderson (Princess Winifred, Once Upon a Mattress, Riverside High School)

• WINNER: Nicholas Kraft (Daniel, Once On This Island, Clayton High School)
• Lucas Beckett (Gomez Addams, The Addams Family, Apex High School)
• Brandon Martin (Benny, In The Heights, C.E. Jordan High School)
• Daniel Madden (Javert, Les Miserables, Cresset Christian Academy)
• Ricky Hall (Jack, Into The Woods, Enloe High School)
• Leon Ray (Donkey, Shrek, Fuquay-Varina High School)
• Jacob Bush (Amos Hart, Chicago, Green Hope High School)
• Andrew Peters (Topher, Cinderella, Holly Springs High School)
• Connor Lewis (Robbie, The Wedding Singer, Northwood High School)
• Aldani Herrera (Usnavi, In The Heights, St. Thomas More Academy)

• In The Heights, C.E. Jordan High School
• Fiddler on The Roof, Durham Academy
• Into The Woods, Enloe High School
• Cinderella, Holly Springs High School

• The Addams Family, Apex High School
• Thoroughly Modern Millie, Athens Drive High School
• Grease, Cary High School
• Beauty & The Beast, East Chapel Hill High School

• WINNER: Faith Jones (Dorothy, The Wiz, CE Jordan High School)
• Bailey Lee (Kim, Miss Saigon, Enloe High School)
• Melodie Stanton (Gertrude, Seussical the Musical, Clayton High School)
• Kaylee Terrell (Cinderella, Into the Woods, Panther Creek High School)
• Brandi Campbell (Maria, The Sound of Music, Holly Springs High School)
• Shelby Barros (Judy Bernly, 9 to 5, Wakefield High School)
• Sabrina Palazzo (Paulette, Legally Blonde the Musical, Athens Drive High School)
• Katie Robbins (Rosemary, How to Succeed In a Business Without Really Trying, Northwood High School)
• Nicole Wood (Princess Winnifred, Once Upon a Mattress, Cary High School)
• Mila Bolash (Rosie Alvarez, Bye Bye Birdie, Sanderson High School)

• WINNER: Alex Fernandez (John Thomas, Miss Saigon, Enloe High School)
• David Flowers (Marius, Les Miserables, Apex High School)
• Nicholas Guariglia (Kenickie, Grease, Jordan Matthews High School)
• Will Stapleton (Jean Valjean, Les Miserables, Apex High School)
• Kai Kelley (Baker, Into the Woods, Voyager Academy)
• Wilson Plonk (Frank, Annie Get Your Gun, Durham School of the Arts)
• Blake West (Captain von Trapp, The Sound of Music, Holly Springs High School)
• Collin Yates (Jekyll/Hyde, Jekyll & Hyde, Millbrook High School)
• Joshua Menzies (Javert, Les Miserables, Apex High School)
• Blake Benson (Baker, Into the Woods, Panther Creek High School)

• WINNER: Les Miserables, Apex High School
• The Sound of Music, Holly Springs High School
• Dreamgirls, Hillside High School
• Miss Saigon, Enloe High School

• WINNER: Annie Get Your Gun, Durham School of the Arts

• Into the Woods, Panther Creek High School

• Mary Poppins, Cresset Christian Academy

• Seussical the Musical, Clayton High School

• WINNER: English Bernhardt (Esther, Meet Me in St. Louis, Ravenscroft High School)
• Emily Cotten (Hope, Urinetown, Durham Academy)
• Morgan Oh (Sandy, Grease, Voyager Academy)
• Taylor Owens (Nina, In the Heights, Hillside High School)
• Julianne Vance (Rusty, Footloose, CE Jordan High School)
• Tyler Crocker (Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz, West Johnston High School)
• Danielle Katz (Audrey, Little Shop of Horrors, East Chapel Hill High School)
• Cristina Alba (Gertrude, Seussical the Musical, Panther Creek High School)
• Sarah Gordon (Dorothy, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Enloe High School)
• Amanda Jones (Tracy Turnblad, HairsprayWake Forest High School)

• WINNER: Matthew Washington (Ren McCormack, Footlose, Athens Drive High School)
• Heath Smith (Oliver Warbucks, Annie, Jordan Matthews  High School)
• Kai Kelley (Kenickie, Grease, Voyager Academy)
• Lowell Oakley (Bobby Strong, Urinetown, Durham Academy)
• Wilson Plonk (Charlie Brown, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Durham School of the Arts)
• Tré Frederick (Cowardly Lion, The Wizard of Oz, West Johnston High School)
• Hampton Crumpler (John Truitt, Meet Me in St. Louis, Ravenscroft High School)
• Alex Fernandez (Jimmy Smith, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Enloe High School)
• Will Stapleton (Lt. Frank Cioffi, Curtains, Apex High School)
• Blake West (Tin Man, The Wizard of Oz, Holly Springs High School)

• Seussical, Panther Creek High School
• Urinetown, Durham Academy
• The Wizard of Oz, West Johnston School
• You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Durham School of the Arts

• Footloose, Jordan High School
• In the Heights, Hillside High School
• The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Sanderson High School
• Thoroughly Modern Millie, Enloe High School

• WINNER: Anna Higginson (Millie, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sanderson High School)
• Ashley Griffin (Fiona, Brigadoon, Jordan Matthews High School)
• Elizabeth Eason (Laurey, Oklahoma!, Durham Academy)
• Angeline Fuqua (Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz, Durham School of the Arts)
• Hayley Jo Womack (Belle, Beauty and the Beast, Western Harnett High School)
• Laura Bevington (Marian Paroo, The Music Man, East Chapel Hill High School)
• Ainsley Seiger (Kim MacAfee, Bye Bye Birdie, Apex High School)
• Sarah Koop (Rev. Mother, Nunsense, Cary High School)
• Sarah Gordon (Winifred, Once Upon a Mattress, Enloe High School)
• Leia Gearhart (Rizzo, Grease, Garner Magnet High School)
• Shelby Cox (Laurey, Oklahoma!, Raleigh Charter High School)
• Ruby Gibbs (Muzzy, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sanderson High School)

• WINNER: Sam Hamashima (Baker, Into the Woods, Green Hope High School)
• Alex Flores-Burgess (Ali Hakim, Oklahoma!, Durham Academy)
• Kai Kelley (King, King and I, Voyager Academy High School)
• Kevin Thorne (Cat, Honk The Musical, Clayton High School)
• Zachary Dale (Joseph, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Broughton High School)
• Aaron Miller (Frank Butler, Annie Get Your Gun, Panther Creek High School)
• Bailey Griffin (Curly, Oklahoma!, Raleigh Charter High School)
• Benjamin Goldman (Jesus, Godspell, St. Thomas More Academy)

• WINNER: Once Upon a Mattress, Enloe High School
• Honk the Musical, Clayton High School
• Oklahoma!, Raleigh Charter School
• Annie Get Your Gun, Panther Creek High School

• WINNER: Oklahoma!, Durham Academy
• Music Man, East Chapel Hill High School
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Broughton High School
• Nunsense, Cary High School