We’re celebrating the best of Nebraska theater! Congratulations to our outstanding 2024/2025 Nebraska Theater Academy award winners. These schools and students will be honored at the Nebraska Theater Academy Showcase on May 31, 2025, at the Orpheum Theater. Celebrating its 12th year, the Tony Awards® inspired showcase will be hosted by Broadway star Kevyn Morrow (Our Town, Floyd Collins, Hadestown, Moulin Rouge! The Musical). The event is open to the public, and tickets are on sale now!
The Nebraska Theater Academy is an O-pa Education program that celebrates the power of the arts and supports high school and middle school theater programs by connecting teachers and students to learning opportunities with Broadway stars and theater and backstage professionals. Students also receive professional feedback on school performances and additional performance opportunities. The Nebraska Theater Academy began in 2013 with 22 Omaha-area schools and now reaches more than 8,500 students across Nebraska each year. The program is active in all 93 counties across the state.
2024/2025 Award Winners
Outstanding Musical Theater Production
Gretna East High School – Grease: School Version
Gretna High School – The Addams Family Musical
Hastings Senior High School – Elf The Musical
Kearney High School – Seussical
Lincoln East High School – Hadestown: Teen Edition
Lincoln Southwest High School – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Lourdes Central Catholic High School – Disney’s Newsies
Millard West High School – Les Misérables School Edition
Papillion-La Vista South High School – Alice by Heart
Westside High School – Mamma Mia!
Columbus Middle School – The SpongeBob Musical Youth Edition
Russell Middle School – Footloose (90-Minute Version)
Outstanding Ensemble
Fremont High School – Crazy For You
Gretna East High School – Grease: School Version
Gretna High School – The Addams Family Musical
Hastings Senior High School – Elf The Musical
Kearney High School – Seussical
Lincoln East High School – Hadestown: Teen Edition
Lincoln High School – Guys and Dolls
Lincoln Southwest High School – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Lourdes Central Catholic High School – Disney’s Newsies
Papillion-La Vista South High School – Alice by Heart
Columbus Middle School – The SpongeBob Musical Youth Edition
Gretna Middle School – Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s Mary Poppins JR.
Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role
AJ Puskar, Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School – Hermes from Hadestown: Teen Edition
Anika Roddy, Papillion-La Vista South High School – Alice from Alice by Heart
Ava Gensler, Kearney High School – Mayzie Labird from Seussical
Caleb Houser, Millard West High School – Jean Valjean from Les Misérables School Edition
Clayton Angland, Gretna High School – Gomez Addams from The Addams Family Musical
Drue Weeda, Lourdes Central Catholic High School – Davey from Disney’s Newsies
Edysen Dolezal, Lincoln Lutheran Junior-Senior High School – Mayzie Labird from Seussical
Evangeline Peterson, Grand Island Central Catholic High School – Katherine from Disney’s Freaky Friday
Ezekiel Verhage, Hastings Senior High School – Buddy from Elf The Musical
Jay Koozer, Norfolk Senior High School – SpongeBob SquarePants from The SpongeBob Musical
Laine Cunningham, Papillion-La Vista South High School – Tabatha & Cheshire Cat from Alice by Heart
Lily Lane, Millard West High School – Madame Thénardier from Les Misérables School Edition
Lucy Hascall, V.J. & Angela Skutt Catholic High School – Maria Rainer from The Sound of Music
Mahalet Kinde, Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School – Persephone from Hadestown: Teen Edition
Miranda Gregory, Westside High School – Tanya from Mamma Mia!
Natalie Kersten, Millard West High School – Eponine from Les Misérables School Edition
Tyler Stover, Lincoln Southwest High School – J. Pierrepont Finch from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Tyson Johnson, Papillion-La Vista South High School – Alfred Hallam, White Rabbit & March Hare from Alice by Heart
Zach Johannes, Lincoln East High School – Hermes from Hadestown: Teen Edition
Zane Holoubeck, Kearney High School – The Cat In The Hat from Seussical
Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role
Addy Haynes, Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School – Fate from Hadestown: Teen Edition
Adelaide Horst, Gretna East High School – Patty Simcox from Grease: School Version
Brykin Jones, Millard West High School – Grantaire from Les Misérables School Edition
Easton Roarty, Gretna East High School – Eugene Florczyk from Grease: School Version
Emily Douglas, Omaha Burke High School – Hunyak from Chicago: Teen Edition
Emma Morely, Millard West High School – Girl 5 (Factory Girl) from Les Misérables School Edition
Eric Weaver, V.J. & Angela Skutt Catholic High School – Max Detweiler from The Sound of Music
Hannah Lane, Papillion-La Vista South High School – Queen of Diamonds from Alice by Heart
Isabella Orellana-Buendia, Papillion-La Vista Senior High School – Fruma-sarah from Fiddler on the Roof
Jayden Nelson, Hastings Senior High School – Deb from Elf The Musical
Jonas Foster, Papillion-La Vista Senior High School – Lazar Wolf from Fiddler on the Roof
Josiah Hydeen, Gretna High School – Lurch from The Addams Family Musical
Jude Perry, Platteview High School – Jacob from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Kolaya Wilmer, Fremont High School – Irene Roth from Crazy For You
Mina Tassi, Buena Vista High School – Dominique du Monaco from Lucky Stiff
Noah Javorsky, Grand Island Senior High School – Flotsam from Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Noelle Moore, Concordia High School – Pearl Krabs from The SpongeBob Musical
Reuben Reyes, Gibbon High School – Emerald City Guard & Nikko from The Wizard of Oz
Ronan Clements, Elkhorn North High School – Orin Scrivello from Little Shop of Horrors
Zach Gibson, Fremont High School – Bela Zangler from Crazy for You
National Jimmy Awards Finalists
Alex Weaver, Grand Island Senior High School
Charlotte Fox, Millard West High School
Evangeline Peterson, Grand Island Central Catholic High School
Gage Havlat, Lincoln High School
Laine Cunningham, Papillion-La Vista South High School
Myles Hardt, Lincoln East High School
Naba Alabdily, Lincoln North Star High School
Natalie Kersten, Millard West High School
Quincy Soto, Lincoln Southeast High School
Sophia Bartlett, Papillion-La Vista South High School
Tyler Stover, Lincoln Southwest High School
Zach Johannes, Lincoln East High School
Backstage Excellence Award
Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School
Columbus Middle School
Outstanding Educator Award
Celeste Ditter, Columbus Middle School
Katherine Welk, Grand Island Senior High School
Senior of the Year
Jack Welstead, Lincoln East High School
Outstanding Achievement in Design
Evelyn Vanek, Millard South High School – Costume
Katie Picard, Brownell Talbot College Preparatory School – Lighting
Samantha Weeder, Gibbon High School – Puppetry
Thomas Padios, Westside High School – Scenic
Outstanding Achievement in Stage Management
Anushree Phuyal, Millard North Middle School
Grace Spicka, Omaha Central High School
Jimmy Awards Student Reporter Finalist
Joshua Carl, Lincoln Southwest High School
The National High School Musical Theatre Awards/Jimmy Awards Nominees and the Nebraska Theater Academy Spirit Award winner will be announced live at the Showcase.
