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‘Yankees’ get parade of MACYs

Tom Titus

“Grand larceny is gleefully performed ... by Mary Braun as the

underworld temptress Lola, as she steals every scene in sight with

her seductive performance and superior dancing style. Braun might not

get ‘Whatever Lola Wants,’ but she wins the audience hands down.”

The above paragraph is taken from this column’s review of “Damn

Yankees,” the Academy for the Performing Arts’ spring musical at

Huntington Beach High School. Sunday, the judges at the annual MACY

(Music and Arts Commendation for Youth) awards agreed -- they voted

Mary Braun best supporting actress among two dozen competing high

school musical groups.

Braun was one of four “highest achievement” academy winners at the

34th annual MACY ceremony at Santa Ana Valley High School, and was

selected from this group for the supporting actress honor.

Others earning “highest achievement” laurels for “Damn Yankees”

were Matt Bartosch (who played the young Joe Hardy), Courtney Davis

(reporter Gloria Thorpe) and A.J. Gutierrez, whose devilish comedy

turns as the mysterious Mr. Applegate propelled the comic revival.

Erin Bull (Joe Boyd’s temporarily abandoned wife) and Brian

Chapman (her husband, the die-hard Senators fin who nearly sells his

soul for a pennant) each collected “outstanding achievement”

trophies.

Other members of the academy cast earning honors were Kristin

Schlick and Nathan Singh (achievement) and Alex Bartosch, Alex

Descombes and Anthony Page (Bright Spot awards).

The production of “Damn Yankees,” under the direction of Tim

Nelson, also won MACY awards for its ensemble and orchestra

excellence.

What normally would be an afternoon of celebration was tempered by

the death, just a week before the ceremony, of John Childress who,

with his wife, Lee, organized the MACY Awards back in 1971. Lee

Childress was greeted with a standing ovation from the packed house

at the Valley High theater.

“This, the 34th MACY Awards show, is a celebration of the talent,

hard work, dedication, energy and boundless enthusiasm of everyone

who has participated in the wonderful musical theater productions of

our schools,” she said.

The MACYs began in Los Angeles when the Childresses realized there

was a need to recognize the accomplishments and hard work of talented

performing arts students in Los Angeles high schools and, with the

city’s help, they founded the MACY program.

Upon moving to Laguna Beach, they learned of the high quality of

performing arts programs in the surrounding area and moved the MACY

awards to Orange County, where they have remained for some three

decades.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Independent.

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