Program

Tribute Medley to Sutton Foster

Welcome
Host Kyle Taylor Parker

Character Medley Performances

2023 Technical Theatre Awards

Tribute Medley to Tin Pan Alley

INTERMISSION

Finalists Announced

Executive Director Eric Olmscheid

Finalists’ Individual Performances

Weekend One Production Number

2023 Excellence in Musical Theatre Education Award

Weekend Two Production Number

2023 SFA Winners/Jimmy Award Nominees

Closing Number

Today’s performance will run approximately two hours and 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

Sponsored by Wharton Center Institute for Arts & Creativity, supported by MSU Federal Credit Union; Piper & Gold Public Relations; with additional support from Nancy Passanante.

A special Thank You to Ambassador Theatre Group.

SUTTON FOSTER AWARDS

The Sutton Foster Awards program is a state-wide educational initiative celebrating Michigan high school musical theatre. The program is open to all Michigan high schools regardless of location, school size, or musical budget. The year-long program culminates in the Sutton Foster Awards Showcase you will see today.

The Sutton Foster Awards program has grown significantly over the past year, from 23 participating schools in the 2022 SFA Showcase to 52 schools today. This growth has provided for the engagement of more than 100 students in learning opportunities throughout the year, and more than doubled the number of students participating in today’s 2023 Sutton Foster Awards Showcase.

Wharton Center partners with fellow Michigan Broadway presenter—Broadway In Detroit—to host the 2023 Awards Showcase. Today’s program features 120 high school students performing selections from their school musicals and a variety of Broadway medleys.

THE NOMINEES’ JOURNEY

All of today’s performers are hoping to become Michigan nominees for The National High School Musical Theatres Awards (The Jimmy Awards®) to be held in New York City later this spring. Performers were selected based on their participation in their respective high school musicals; each musical was reviewed by a panel of three expert adjudicators, who selected students to appear in today’s Showcase. Once nominated, students were also invited to participate in one of two Workshop and Audition Weekends held earlier this month. During these weekends, the students experienced one-on-one vocal coaching with voice professionals, learned music and choreography for a musical theatre arrangement [production number] custom-designed for each weekend, and auditioned for a panel of judges.

All 120 students came together yesterday to rehearse and stage today’s 2023 Sutton Foster Awards Showcase.

WHO'S WHO IN THE CAST

COMPANY BIOS

KYLE TAYLOR PARKER (Host) has been wowing audiences on Broadway for years with his dynamic presence, mega-watt smile, and a vocal tone that's both rich and bright. KTP made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award^®^ winning smash-hit musical Kinky Boots in the role of Angel. He later earned rave reviews across the country by originating the role of Lola in the musical's first national tour (IRNE Award Best Visiting Actor in a Musical) before returning to Broadway to replace Billy Porter in 2015. He was in the original casts of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway, Smokey Joe's Café (Chita Award) and Finnian's Rainbow Off-Broadway, the world premiere of My Very Own British Invasion, and Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE in Concert on NBC. A fan of musical theater since childhood, KTP grew up in Wisconsin listening to both Broadway cast albums and Motown records -- a combination that inspired him to make his solo recording debut with the release of Broadway Soul, Vol. 1 on the Broadway Records label in 2019, followed by Vol. 2 in 2021. Previously, KTP performed on a track for Wish: The Anderson & Petty Holiday Album (Barry Anderson and Mark Petty). This summer, he will release a remix version of Broadway classic "I Got Love."

MORGAN ROSE (Choreographer) is so grateful and overjoyed to be a part of this year's Sutton Foster Awards. Broadway:  School of Rock (Dance Capt/Swing). Off-Broadway: Dear Edwina (Dance Capt/Swing).National Tours: Evita Revival 1st Nat'l Tour (Swing); Shrek The Musical 1st Nat'l Tour; Elf The Musical. In addition to performing, Morgan is a passionate arts educator. You can find her teaching all around New York City and on faculty at Broadway Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet School's Musical Theatre Intensive, MTCA and AMDA. BFA Music Theatre, Florida State University. Michigander at heart. Proud AEA Member. Much gratitude to Natalie for bringing her on board and Ben and Eric for inviting her to play. Love to her incredible husband, Trey, and their sweet baby boy, Theo.

NATALIE MALOTKE (Choreographer) is a director, choreographer, creative event producer and teaching artist living in New York City. Credits include: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Choreography Team on Broadway and National Tour); Bygone Love for China Broadway Entertainment; Candide at Carnegie Hall; I Married an Angel at City Center; Joy: The Musical (Broadway Developmental Workshop and George Street Playhouse)all alongside Joshua Bergasse. Little Dancer at Lincoln Center with Susan Stroman; Really Rosie at City Center; and the developmental lab of Monopoly: The Musical. Regional directing and choreography credits at The Engeman, Pittsburgh Music Theatre, Northern Stage, and Wagon Wheel Theatre and the national tour of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Live!. Resident director and choreographer for Nickelodeon Experience Design events worldwide. Industrial and corporate events for Bloomberg, Moonbug (CoCoMelon), Hermès, Target, and The Robin Hood Foundation. TV: Choreography: SNL Season 47 with Jason Sudeikis and Billie Eilish; PBS, A Capitol Fourth. Faculty at Broadway Dance Center and AMDA. nataliemalotke.com // IG: @nataliemalotke

BRAD WILLCUTS (Director) received his BA from Minnesota State University and MFA in theatre performance pedagogy emphasizing in musical theatre and movement from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association. Brad worked at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City where he served as assistant fight choreographer for the acclaimed Porgy and Bess production which opened September 13, 2019. Brad has worked on Broadway for the 2015 new musical Amazing Grace where he served as assistant fight and military movement director. He served at the same position for the show's former iteration at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago (now known as the CIBC Theatre) for the Broadway in Chicago run as well as the '17, '18 Broadway National Tour. He has worked in Prague, where he served as dance, movement and fight assistant for the world premiere of Legende Holmes (Sherlock Holmes the Legend) at the prestigious Karlin Music Theatre. He served as assistant movement director for the award-winning Mother Courage and Her Children at Arena Stage in Washington, DC, starring Kathleen Turner which received a Helen Hayes nomination for Movement Direction. He worked as assistant fight director for Romeo and Juliet at the Tony Award^®^ winning regional theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC.  He choreographed South Pacific at Virginia Repertory Theatre where he won the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle award for Best Choreography, assistant-directed and choreographed 9 to 5 starring Sally Struthers at Riverside Theatre, Mame at Virginia Repertory, directed and choreographed Joseph...Dreamcoat at Big Fork Summer Theatre, and choreographed Arabian Nights for Broadway director Gabriel Barre at VCU Theatre. While at MSU, Brad has directed and choreographed Grease, Urinetown and American Idiot, Oklahoma! and Head Over Heels along with Grand Night for Singing, See Rock City, and Love and Other Junk for the Summer Circle Theatre. As a performer, Brad has worked across the country and in England as singer, dancer and actor performing with Bette Midler, Marvin Hamlisch, Christina Aguilera, Emily Skinner, and the international touring group The 12 Irish Tenors, to name a few.

STEVEN CUEVAS (Music Director) (he/him) is a NYC-based music director, musician, orchestrator, and arranger. Steven served as music director of CollaborAzian's award-winning, all-Asian virtual production of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, which raised over $25K for Stop AAPI Hate. Broadway: Dancin'; & Juliet; Moulin Rouge!; Tina: The Tina Turner Musical; Once On This Island; Anastasia; Kinky Boots. Off-Broadway: Little Shop of Horrors; Kinky Boots; I Spy a Spy; We Are The Tigers; Trip of Love; Closer Than Ever. Tours: Moulin Rouge!; Once On This Island; Kinky Boots; How the Grinch Stole Christmas!; Spring Awakening; My Fair Lady (Singapore). Regional: Eighty-Sixed (Diversionary Theatre); Macbeth in Stride (A.R.T.). Recordings: Once On This Island; How the Grinch Stole Christmas!; Monstersongs. Orchestrations: Macbeth in Stride (A.R.T.); Gold Mountain (Utah Shakespeare Festival). Proud member: Local 802 AFM, AEA, Recording Academy, Filipino American community. @StevenMCuevas

PROGRAM STAFF

Laurie Briseño
Ben English
Bert Goldstein
Kelly Stuible-Clark

Interns
Jaylin Coleman
Travis Hunt
Connor Reilly
Alex Soper
Hope Still

FISHER THEATRE

This event is taking place at Fisher Theatre, 3011 W Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48202.

Lobby doors will open at 5:30pm; doors to the theatre will open at 6pm.

Online sales end Friday, May 19, 2023. Will Call pickup will be at Fisher Theatre.