Modeled after the respected Tony Awards, the Bobby G Awards mark the Colorado high school theatre scene’s most prestigious night of the year, and this year, Palmer Ridge High School came away with some new hardware.
As high schools from across the state celebrated incredible achievements in the arts, hundreds of students crossed their fingers as just 19 awards were doled out amid performances and speeches on May 26.
Heading into the evening, Palmer Ridge High School’s Bear Necessity Theatre Company held six nominations, including the most prized category of overall production for the musical Once Upon A Mattress. The six nominations marked the second-most of any school. Those nominations included:
- Outstanding Achievement in Hair & Make-Up Design (Christy Inama & Emily Osborn)
- Outstanding Performance by a Chorus
- Outstanding Achievement in Choreography (Christy Inama, Georgia Lawrence & Riana McHugh)
- Outstanding Achievement in Direction (Josh Belk & Christy Inama)
- Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Georgia Lawrence)
- Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical
Josh Belk, director of theatre for Palmer Ridge High School, said the Bobby G Awards are the closest the arts get to a state championship for athletics, and following the official awards ceremony, Belk’s Bear Necessity Theatre Company came away with a state championship. Palmer Ridge High School won the Outstanding Achievement in Choreography Award, with Christy Inama, Georgia Lawrence and Riana McHugh being recognized by name.
Inama, who directed the musical and is in her fourth year of directing for Bear Necessity, accepted the award, saying “We are on such a validation high right now.”
Members of the cast were able to perform a number from the award-winning show during the ceremony to raucous applause.
“One thing that stood out for me was how cohesive the production felt. Christy Inama’s theme of ‘Authenticity is more to be desired than perfection’ permeated the production, providing a backbone that reinforced all areas of the show,” Belk said. “All of the pieces seemed to fit together. Another aspect that was really great this year was just the energy of being able to be together on stage after two years of limitations and restrictions. The ability to tell a story together was electric.”