Our Applause Awards: Reimagined

While COVID-19 changed plans for national and regional programs like ours, we created an innovative new way to recognize and celebrate high school musical theater students.

Instead of an in-person production, we scripted, choreographed, directed, filmed and produced a virtual ceremony featuring 120 top-scoring nominees from 30 high schools across seven counties.

The amazing Michael James Scott, a Broadway superstar best known for playing Genie in Disney’s Aladdin, served as our host and helped us secure shoutouts from 29 other Broadway stars—all of which are included in the final cut.

Finally, we worked with generous donors to award scholarships to 42 college-bound seniors—more recipients than ever before.

The students, instructors and film crew followed our health and safety protocols to a tee, practicing socially-distanced dancing and pre-recording some of the segments to ensure maximum safety.

The successful production became a reality thanks to our talented team...and we are so proud of them for making it happen.

Supporters
The 2020 Applause Awards ceremony is supported by AdventHealth—with additional support from TD Charitable Foundation, Chelsey G. Magruder Foundation, Winter Park Publishing Company and SunTrust Foundation.

Senior scholarships are made possible through the support of Florida Theatrical Association, Publix Super Markets Charities and Ernest Hardy, a founding donor of the arts center.