HERSHEY THEATRE APOLLO AWARDS

NEW THIS YEAR! Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards items, including T-shirts, caps, hoodies, and a boat tote are available for purchase. Download order form.

Please feel free to contact Tony L. Measley at 717-533-6299 with any questions regarding the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards registration.

Check out our new and very exciting scholarship opportunities!

A huge thank you to the sponsors of the 2010 Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards:
Carmen and Tonia Finestra and The Finestra Foundation
The Christalla Papson Legacy Fund
Messiah College
The Phillips Group
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2010 Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards Nominees and Recipients in Plays
2010 Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards Nominees and Recipients in Musicals

The Apollo Awards Created in 2008, the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievement by local high school students in their musical and play productions. Modeled after The Tony Awards on Broadway and following the example of the Paper Mill Playhouse “Rising Star Awards” in Millburn, New Jersey, the ceremony will be held at the Hershey Theatre on Sunday, May 22, 2011. The Hershey Theatre Apollo Award program is produced and presented by the Hershey Theatre Education Department.

The Apollo Awards are aptly named for the Greek god who adorns the decorative ceiling in the grand lobby of the Hershey Theatre. Apollo was the patron god of music, poetry, and the arts – a fitting namesake for our tribute program.

Any public or private high school in Cumberland, Dauphin, and Lebanon counties may participate. The Elizabethtown School District has also been invited to participate due to its proximity to Hershey itself.

The awards focus solely on the performances of the young people, honoring their acting, singing, and dancing abilities. The Hershey Theatre Apollo Award program is committed to recognizing only the actual performances of the high school students themselves.

Each school must pay a registration fee of $55.00. All applications for plays must be submitted online beginning September 15, 2010. Applications for musicals must be submitted online beginning January 4, 2011.

All evaluators will be trained yearly in the scoring method established by the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards and attend mandatory sessions throughout the year. Four evaluators will be sent to each school’s performance. Nominations for the outstanding play awards will be announced December 13, 2010. Nominations for the musicals will be announced April 25, 2011.

Each school must provide a total of eight (8) complimentary tickets for the four (4) evaluators and their guests. Additionally, all schools must provide accurate driving instructions to the building where the production will be held.

All eligible schools MUST submit a standard DVD of the production. This video will be used to show evaluators the specific scenes and characters to be adjudicated. It is advantageous to the school and the student performers that the video be of the highest quality. The video may be either a performance or a final dress rehearsal.

It is MANDATORY that the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards Committee receives a copy of the program and a poster of the production by the designated due date.

Should a school double-cast their production, please note that two separate application packets would have to be completed. A set of evaluators will be sent to see each cast perform.

Awards Presented

The following awards will be presented on the evening on May 22, 2011 at the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards program:

Outstanding Student Orchestra
Outstanding Dance Number in a Musical
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play
Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical
Outstanding Production of a Play
Outstanding Production of a Musical

The Evaluation Process

The Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards is comprised of two evaluation rounds. In the first round, four (4) evaluators will attend the school productions. It is our goal to have an evaluator present at each performance; however, evaluator availability may not always allow for that to occur. The evaluators will have one week to complete their evaluation forms and return them to the Hershey Theatre.

The five (5) highest scoring individuals and shows will become the nominees in each category. Our goal is to have five nominations in each category. Tied scores may result in additional nominations in a category. Nominations for the plays will be announced on Monday, December 13, 2010. Nominations for the musicals will be announced on Monday, April 25, 2011. In some cases, students may earn honorable mention recognition.

After the nominations are announced, the second round of the evaluation process will occur. Evaluators will view the five (5) nominations in each category based on the video submitted. They will cast a vote in each category. A sub-group of whole production evaluators will view the entire play/musical and rank the shows from 1-5. Results will be kept secret until the night of the ceremony, May 22, 2011.

Evaluator Attendance and Tickets

Every school’s production will be attended by four (4) evaluators representing the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards. The Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards staff will reserve a maximum of eight (8) complimentary tickets to each of the school’s performances (that is two tickets, one for each evaluator and a guest). At least one week prior to each of the school’s productions, a representative of the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards will contact the school’s ticket office to verify specifically which shows the evaluators will attend and how many tickets will be needed for each show performance. All other seats being held for the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards may then be released. If a guest cancels and will not be accompanying an evaluator to the performance, the evaluator will inform the box office that the other seat can be released upon redeeming. If for some reason an evaluator is unable to attend an assigned performance, the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards committee will make every effort to reassign that evaluator to another performance. If no other performances are available, the Apollo Awards committee will double the highest score received from the remaining three (3) evaluators.

Please respect the need for all evaluators to attend your performances anonymously so that there will be no lobbying from cast members’ friends and families. The eight (8) tickets will be reserved under each evaluator’s name. Each evaluator’s name will be supplied to the person in charge of tickets. Each evaluator will pick up his/her tickets prior to the assigned performance. Do not mail the tickets to the Hershey Theatre. The occasion may arise when an evaluator cannot attend a public performance. This situation will be avoided if possible, but please know that on that rare occasion, an evaluator may need to attend a rehearsal or a student matinee.

The Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards staff strongly suggests that directors not tell their cast and crew when the evaluators will be in the audience. We want the evaluators to see a typical production. Also, please do not cordon off an area for the evaluators, or make the seating recognizable in any way. We are committed to establishing discretion to ensure total objectivity during the entire process.

Evaluators with a vested interest, either personally or professionally, with an individual school will not be assigned to rate that school’s performance during the nomination process.

The Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards Advisory Board has assembled a diverse group of evaluators experienced in the world of theatre and musical productions. Each evaluator has been trained in the use of the scoring rubric created by the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards. All evaluators will view each production through a common perspective.

Application Process / Deadlines

So, how do you sign up for the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards?

Your first step is to call and reserve a spot for the informational meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2009. Call 534-6299 or email Tony Measley at TLMeasley@hersheytheatre.com.

School plays must occur between the dates of October 14 – November 28, 2010. Registration for the plays in the fall will begin September 15, 2010. Registration will begin online at the Hershey Theatre website (hersheytheatre.com) under the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards category of the education tab. Schools must submit the registration fee ($55.00) by October 22, 2010. If the registration fee is not received by October 22nd, the school will not be eligible to participate.

Musicals must occur between the dates of February 1, 2011 and April 17, 2011. Registration for the musicals will begin on Tuesday, January 4, 2011. Again, this may be done at the Hershey Theatre website (hersheytheatre.com) under the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards category of the education tab. The registration fee for musicals is due February 18, 2011. If the registration fee is not received by February 18th, the school will not be eligible to participate.

If schools choose to register for both the play and the musical, two registration forms with separate entrance fees will be required at the appropriate times.

After school productions have been completed, video and support materials must be sent to the theatre. All materials for the plays must be submitted by Friday, December 10, 2010. All materials for the musicals must be submitted by Friday, April 22, 2011.

Performance Video

All participating schools MUST submit a full length video – standard DVD format- preferably with chapters/time stamps of the school’s production or dress rehearsal. The Hershey Theatre will contact the publishing houses to secure permission for usage of the material in the awards ceremony and for archival purposes. Once again, the audio and visual quality is paramount for the evaluation process. We recommend choosing the most visually advantageous filming location(s) to capture a true representation of the entire production. It is imperative that your video quality captures the performance details of all involved. This will aid in the evaluation process.

Support Materials Guidelines

Support materials, such as the show poster, program and tickets, will be used for display purposes only. Play materials should be sent to the Hershey Theatre no later than Friday, December 10, 2010. Musical material should be sent no later that Friday, April 22, 2011.

Acceptable support materials are:

Flyers and tickets
Poster of the show (MANDATORY)
Video footage on standard DVD format (MANDATORY)
Programs/playbills (MANDATORY)

Theme Song

A theme song has been commissioned for the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards program. This song will be performed during the ceremony on May 22, 2011.

Awards Ceremony

The awards program will be held on Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 7:00 pm in the Hershey Theatre. The ceremony will feature live performances of production numbers from the five (5) nominated musicals and individual medley selections performed by students nominated in each of the outstanding male and female leading roles. Additionally, nominated characters from the plays will perform short monologues from their shows.

Schools nominated for Outstanding Musical will be required to perform one musical number from their production. Each nominated school will select the number(s) to perform within a four minute time slot unless two schools are nominated for the same show. In that case, the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards Executive Directors and Musical Director will assign the production number. Hand props and costumes will be permitted as long as they can be transported to the theatre by the schools’ participants themselves. Basic lighting elements will be provided at the discretion of the Hershey Theatre staff. No scenery, drops or flats will be used. All musical numbers will be performed with the Apollo Awards set. The Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards staff recommends that all student performers in the awards program dress in costume. If the cast is unable to retain their show costumes for the evening performance, the staff encourages uniformity of dress. Production numbers will have piano accompaniment only and the school must provide the accompanist. Groups must limit the number of performers in their large group to no more than 35 students.

Students nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress in a Musical will be asked to perform a signature piece medley. That medley will feature a portion of a number performed from their show but blended into a medley by the Apollo Awards Musical Director.

An opening number will be performed by two student representatives from each of the participating schools. This number will be selected by the Apollo Awards Committee and sent to the nominated schools by March 1, 2011. Each director is encouraged to facilitate the rehearsal and memorization of this song for their designated performers.

A rehearsal will be held on Sunday, May 15, 2011 at the Hershey Theatre. All students participating in the opening number as well as the nominees for Outstanding Actor and Actress in Plays and Musicals are required to attend that rehearsal. All participants will participate in the run-through rehearsal on the day of the performance (May 22nd). Time will be limited so please be prepared to move on and off the stage quickly and quietly. Prior individual rehearsal is expected to insure the fluidity of the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards program.

The Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards format allows for brief acceptance speeches; however, they must be limited to one (1) minute. If a school is nominated for one of the non-individual awards, (overall musical, overall play, outstanding dance number or outstanding orchestra) each director will choose (in advance) no more than two (2) students to accept that award for the school.

Attire for the evening is formal. Students involved in any performance number or medleys may bring a change of clothes.

Transportation to and from the Hershey Theatre for the Apollo Awards show is the responsibility of each participating school or individual nominee. Schools nominated for Best Musical category will be assigned to a dressing room area. Costumes and make up can be applied in that area. It will be the responsibility of the schools to see that the dressing rooms are cleaned after their performance on stage. Should additional cleaning be required, the Hershey Theatre will bill the school(s). Unpaid or outstanding bills will eliminate participation in future Apollo Awards programs.

Ticketing

The following students will receive complimentary admission to the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards program on May 22, 2010:

1. Each school nominated for Outstanding Musical will have thirty-five (35) seats set aside for the cast, crew and directors.
2. Each cast nominated for Outstanding Play will have twenty (20) complimentary tickets for the cast and crew.
3. Individual nominees in each category will receive a complimentary seat for the evening.
4. Two student acceptors for the Outstanding Dance and Orchestra awards will have reserved seats for the evening.
5. Opening number participants will have a seat reserved.

All other tickets will go on sale at the Hershey Theatre box office on January 4, 2011 and may be purchased by calling 534-3405, by FAX 533-2882, on line at hersheytheatre.com or at the box office window Some selected seats will be held throughout the auditorium until after nominations for the musicals are announced on April 25, 2011. At that time those seats will be released so parents and friends of those nominees will be able to obtain prime seating.

Ticket prices are as follows:

For Orchestra, Loge, and Lower Balcony seating -
Adults $20 / Students $15

For Middle and Upper Balcony seating -
Adults and Students $10

All seats are reserved and everyone attending the ceremony must have a ticket.

Tickets cannot be refunded once they have been purchased.

Scholarship Opportunities

Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards Scholarships
Every year, the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards presents scholarship funds to each student nominated for an award. This feature is one of the unique aspects of this awards program. Almost $25,000 has been awarded to the nominees alone over the first two years of this event.

Dickinson College – John Montgomery Scholarship
Dickinson College is partnering with Hershey Theatre in recognizing any academically competitive high school junior nominee who is admitted to Dickinson during their senior year. The John Montgomery Scholarship is worth $40,000 of tuition support for eight semesters of full-time study at the college.

Harry and Lorraine Ausprich Endowment Scholarship for the Arts
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Foundation has partnered with the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards to present the Harry and Lorraine Ausprich Endowment Scholarship for the Arts, a $500 scholarship, to an award recipient who is currently a senior in high school and will be attending one of the 14 Pennsylvania state universities in the fall.

The National High School Musical Theater Awards
Hershey Theatre Apollo Award recipients in the Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Musical category are eligible to participate in The National High School Musical Theater Awards, which celebrate outstanding student performances in high school musical productions across the United States. The final competitions will be held in New York City.

Gretna Theatre
Gretna Theatre and Hershey Theatre are pleased to announce a partnership for the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards. Students who receive Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Play will be eligible to participate in the master classes offered at Gretna Theatre this summer. In addition, recipients will receive tickets to a Gretna Theatre production and a private audition for the following summer session at Gretna Theatre with the possibility for them to be cast in a Theatre for Young Audiences production.

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company will offer all individual nominees the opportunity to participate in a master class workshop this summer in the areas of live performance enrichment, choreography, vocalization techniques, characterization, and musical performance enhancement. This unique opportunity will provide students an additional means to hone their skills and pursue their passion for performance.

Important 2009-2010 Dates

September 9, 2010 Letters to teachers/directors at eligible schools.
September 15, 2010 Registration for HIGH SCHOOL PLAYS begins for Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards. Registration will be online at hersheytheatre.com
September 30, 2010 Registration for HIGH SCHOOL PLAYS is closed.
September 30, 2010 First Evaluator training session
October 6, 2010 Second Evaluator training session
October 22, 2010 Registration fees for Plays are due at the Hershey Theatre.
October 14-November 28, 2010 “Play Season”. Evaluation of all Plays by our evaluators.
December 10, 2010 All support materials for plays are due at the Hershey Theatre
December 13, 2010 Nominations for plays will be announced.
January 4, 2011 Registration begins for Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards HIGH SCHOOL MUSICALS.
January 4, 2011 Tickets for the 2011 Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards go on sale at the box office (534-3405), FAX (533-2882), or online.
January 13, 2011 Final evaluation for plays at The Hershey Story museum.
January 29, 2011 Beyond the Footlights (Benefit Auction and Cabaret)
February 18, 2011 Registration fees for Musical must be received at the Hershey Theatre.
March 1, 2011 Opening number information will be sent to the schools participating in the Apollo Awards
February 18- April 17, 2011 “Musical Season”. Evaluations of Musicals by Apollo Awards evaluators.
April 22, 2011 All support materials for musicals are due at the Hershey Theatre
April 25, 2011 Nominations for musical categories will be announced
May 5, 2011 Final Evaluation meeting for musicals at The Hershey Story museum.
May 15, 2011 Rehearsal for Apollo Awards (approximately 12:00p.m. – 5:00p.m.)
May 22, 2011 Rehearsal during the day for the HERSHEY THEATRE APOLLOS AWARDS - 7:00 p.m. SHOW TIME