<bt>Westfield High and Robinson Secondary garnered the top honors at Sunday night's sixth annual Cappies Gala at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Some 37 Cappies were awarded overall before an audience of 2,400 people.
Racking up six awards overall for its production of "Metamorphoses," Robinson received the Cappie for Best Play. Westfield took home three Cappies — including one for Best Musical — for "Fiddler on the Roof."
Lead actor and actress awards in the play category went to Patrick Barrett of McLean High School and Amanda Roberts of St. Stephen's & St. Agnes.
Barry Armbruster of Westfield, in the lead role of Tevye, captured the Cappie for Lead Actor in a Musical. Westfield's other Cappie — in its first time being eligible for this category — was for Choreography.
Robinson's other Cappies were for Special Award: Creativity, Cameo Actress, Sound, Lighting and Costumes.
For its third year in a row, T.C. Williams won the trophy for Critics Team. Individual critic awards went to Greg Benson of H-B Woodlawn and Mary Austin Slate of Herndon.
Thomas Jefferson won in the Song category, for "Gee, Officer Krupke."
Arlington high schools made a strong showing, with H-B Woodlawn and Wakefield each winning three Cappies.
Adam Schiffer, 18, a senior at Wakefield who won for cameo actor said, "I'm proud. I didn't just have one cameo, I had many — as eight different characters."
Nahid Koohkanrizi, 18, a senior at Wakefield commented about Wakefield's win for an ensemble play. "It's awesome — I'm happy. I thank the Drama Department and Mr. Gillespie, our director."
Schiffer noted, "It feels great — stupendous. I thought we had a chance, but I didn't know what the competition was. But I knew, if we didn't win, I'd be disappointed."
Jackie Curiel, 18, a senior at Wakefield who won for Makeup said, "I'm very happy and surprised. I never expected it. The makeup scared me."
Woodlawn students were just as excited.
Leslie Keller, 15, a freshman at H-B Woodlawn, which won for stage crew, said, "Oh, my gosh. I want to thank Caitlin Davies, our director and a good friend. She is very committed and deserves everything; she's wonderful."
Tori Stempniewicz, 14, also a freshman added, "We weren't expecting it at all, because we're freshmen and there are a bunch of other nominees. And this is our first experience with this, so it's amazing."
Emily Newhook, 17, a senior at Woodlawn stayed in character as a comic actress, when asked how she felt about winning the Cappie for Comic actress in a Play. She replied, "It's OK. I just came because my jigsaw puzzle club meeting got canceled."
Most of the 50 participating schools are in Virginia, but the two Montgomery County schools in the program each won a Cappie — Walt Whitman for Marshall Nannes as Male Vocalist, and Winston Churchill for Orchestra.
A major highlight of the evening came when two performers from the Cappies of Baltimore — Jay Frisby and Nick Lehan — earned a standing ovation when they sang "Muddy Water." The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization had twice before denied permission for them to perform that song, because of the racial cross-casting. After the Cappies protested, Rodgers and Hammerstein agreed to let Jay and Nick sing the song at the Cappies Gala.
There are currently 15 Cappies programs in the United States, based on the model started in the National Capital Area six years ago.
<ro>2005 CAPPIE WINNERS
<lst>* Male Critic Winner(s): Greg Benson, H-B Woodlawn
* Female Critic Winner(s): Mary Austin Slate, Herndon
* Critics Team Winner(s): TC Williams
* Special Award — Service Winner(s): Danielle Snyder, Playwright, JEB Stuart
* Special Award — Creativity Winner(s): Alex Harris, Jim Mattingly, Composers, Robinson, Metamorphoses
* Sound Winner(s): Ryan Koontz, Robinson, Metamorphoses
* Lighting Winner(s): Michelle Durr, Alex Keen, Robinson, Metamorphoses
* Sets Winner(s): Emily Witucki, Mt. Vernon, South Pacific
* Costumes Winner(s): Julia Patterson, Robinson, Metamorphoses
* Make-up Winner(s): Jackie Curiel, Wakefield High, Radium Girls
* Stage Crew Winner(s): Leslie Keller, Tori Stempniewicz, H-B Woodlawn, Noises Off
* Props & Effects Winner(s): James Loizou, Holly Riggi, Lake Braddock, The Laramie Project
* Choreography Winner(s): Megan Meadows, Michelle Murgia, Tara Mitchell, Westfield, Fiddler on the Roof
* Orchestra Winner(s): Churchill Orchestra, Churchill, Big
* Ensemble in a Play Winner(s): Reporters, Wakefield High, Radium Girls
* Ensemble in a Musical Winner(s): Ball Players, Woodbridge, Damn Yankees
* Cameo Actor Winner(s): Adam Schiffer, Wakefield High, Radium Girls
* Cameo Actress Winner(s): Katy Burnard, Robinson, Metamorphoses
* Male Dancer Winner(s): A.J. Guevara, Hayfield, Hello, Dolly
* Female Dancer Winner(s): Hope MacDonald, Paul VI, Bye Bye Birdie
* Male Vocalist Winner(s): Marshall Nannes, Walt Whitman, Les Miserables
* Female Vocalist Winner(s): Tina Boosahda, Herndon, Les Miserables
* Comic Actor in a Play Winner(s): Sam Rabinovitz, Annandale, The Phantom Tollbooth
* Comic Actress in a Play Winner(s): Emily Newhook, H-B Woodlawn, Noises Off
* Comic Actor in a Musical Winner(s): Carlos A. Velazquez, Mt. Vernon, South Pacific
* Comic Actress in a Musical Winner(s): Kathryn Lumpkin, Madeira, The Wizard of Oz
* Featured Actor in a Play Winner(s): Bryan Terrill, McLean High, Inherit The Wind
* Featured Actress in a Play Winner(s): Kat Connors, St. Stephen's & St. Agnes, The Miracle Worker
* Featured Actor in a Musical Winner(s): Zack Moody, West Springfield, Crazy for You
* Featured Actress in a Musical Winner(s): Anna Hunter, Thomas Jefferson, West Side Story
* Lead Actor in a Play Winner(s): Patrick Barrett, McLean High, Inherit The Wind
* Lead Actress in a Play Winner(s): Amanda Roberts, St. Stephen's & St. Agnes, The Miracle Worker
* Lead Actor in a Musical Winner(s): Barry Armbruster, Westfield, Fiddler on the Roof
* Lead Actress in a Musical Winner(s): Julie Sowers, Woodbridge, Damn Yankees
* Song Winner(s): Gee, Officer Krupke, Thomas Jefferson, West Side Story
* Musical Winner(s): Fiddler on the Roof, Westfield
* Play Winner(s): Metamorphoses, Robinson