In lieu of our regular bi-weekly newsletter, we'd like to announce the much anticipated list of nominees for our 34th Annual Chesley Awards. The Awards program will take place on Sunday, September 8th at 6:00 p.m., and all are welcome to attend - the event is open to the public.

We are delighted to announce the nominees for the 2023/24 Chesley Awards! This year, we've implemented an audience-driven approach to the nomination process, giving our ticket holders the privilege to cast their votes throughout the season. Each category received close to 700 votes, embodying the active participation of our community. The directors of each show classified roles into Lead, Supporting, and Ensemble, and our audience marked their preferences for lead and supporting roles. This rigorous process ensures the nominations not only echo the voice of our audience but also acknowledge the extraordinary talent and commitment of our volunteer performers.

The nominees this year are an exceptionally talented group. However, what's not evident from this list is how fiercely competitive these nominations were. Every category was brimming with fantastic performances from our gifted actors. The few who secured a nomination have truly excelled and should be applauded for their achievement. By securing a nomination, they now sit in the esteemed company of some of the finest performances we've had the pleasure to witness on our stage. This year's Chesley Awards are a genuine celebration of our audience's voice and a tribute to the extraordinary virtuosity of our performers.

Nominees for Chelsey Awards in the 2023/24 Season are:

For Best Acting Performance in a Lead Role

- Erik Catalan as “SpongeBob” in The SpongeBob Musical
- Erik Dahl as “Chris/Inspector” in The Play that Goes Wrong
- Craig Howard as “Black Stache” in Peter and the Starcatcher
- Erin McGoldrick as "Lola" in Damn Yankees
- Alexander Quiñonez as "Squidward Tentacles" in The SpongeBob Musical

For Best Vocal Performance in a Lead Role

- Ernestine Balisi as "Sandy Cheeks" in The SpongeBob Musical
- Evie Barnett as "Mal" in Disney's Descendants, the Musical
- Erik Catalan as "SpongeBob Squarepants" in The SpongeBob Musical
- Alexander Quiñonez as "Squidward Tentacles" in The SpongeBob Musical
- Andrea Thorpe as "Rosalie Mullins" Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock

For Best Dance Performance in a Lead Role

- Ernestine Balisi as "Sandy Cheeks" in The SpongeBob Musical
- Delilah Blake as "Evie" in Disney's Descendants, the Musical
- Kaori Catalan as "Carlos" in Disney's Descendants, the Musical
- Omar Ernesto Huerta as "Fester Addams" in The Addams Family, a New Musical
- Erin McGoldrick as "Lola" in Damn Yankees

For Best Acting Performance in a Supporting Role

- Missy Day as "Maleficent" in Disney's Descendants, the Musical
- Emily Delk as "Alice Beinike" in The Addams Family, a New Musical
- Liza Ivanova as "Summer Hathaway" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock, the Musical
- Emily Jo Shepherd as "Smee" in Peter and the Starcatcher
- Eddie Voyce as "Mr. Krabs" in The SpongeBob Musical

For Best Vocal Performance in a Supporting Role

- Missy Day as "Maleficent" in Disney's Descendants, the Musical
- Emily Delk as "Alice Beinike" in The Addams Family, a New Musical
- Beth Ellen Ethridge as "Meg Boyd" in Damn Yankees
- Nathan Lacy as "Joe Boyd" in Damn Yankees
- Ahlani Santos as "Plankton" in The SpongeBob Musical

For Best Dance Performance in a Supporting Role

- Charlotte Blake as "Audrey" in Disney's Descendants, the Musical
- Liza Ivanova as "Summer Hathaway" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock, the Musical
- Henry Lambert as "Zach Mooneyham" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock, the Musical
- Ahlani Santos as "Plankton" in The SpongeBob Musical
- Elsa Struhs as "Katie Travis" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock, the Musical

Nominated for the Triple Threat Award honoring performers on our stage who demonstrated exceptional skill in Singing, Dancing, and Acting

- Evie Barnett appearing in Disney's Descendants, the Musical
- Erik Catalan appearing in The SpongeBob Musical, and Damn Yankees
- Missy Day appearing in Disney's Descendants, the Musical
- Erin McGoldrick appearing in Damn Yankees
- Alexander Quiñonez appearing in The Spongebob Musical, and Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock

Nominees for Best Overall Design include the design teams of:

- Peter and the Starcatcher
- Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock
- The Play that Goes Wrong
- The SpongeBob Musical

Nominees for Best Performance Ensemble include the casts of:

- Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock
- The Play that Goes Wrong
- The SpongeBob Musical

Nominees for Best Choreography include

- Staci Arriaga for the choreography of Damn Yankees
- Staci Arriaga for the choreography of The SpongeBob Musical
- Erik Catalan and Naomi Catalan for the choreography of Disney’s Descendants, the Musical

Nominees for Best Directing include

- Staci Arriaga for directing The SpongeBob Musical
- Gil Sebastian for directing The Play that Goes Wrong
- Andrea St. Clair for directing Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock

Nominees, congratulations to you and please be on the lookout for an invitation to an optional (but highly encouraged) Nomination Reception to be held in early August. This will be a fabulous opportunity for us to honor your accomplishment, and we look forward to seeing you there!