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BENTON HARBOR — Two local high schools took home hardware in the fourth annual WAVE Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theatre at the Mendel Center Mainstage on the Benton Harbor Campus, 2755 E. Napier Ave. Wednesday, May 21.

Edwardsburg took home four WAVE Awards for its “Newsies!” performance in the following categories: Outstanding Musical Production, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical (Brady Leep), Outstanding Choreography in a Musical (Catherine Wood) and Outstanding Set Design in a Musical (Emma Hurley).

Cassopolis earned a WAVE Award for “Beetlejuice, Jr.” for Outstanding Direction in a Musical (Patrick Bondy).

Edwardsburg was nominated for 10 awards and Cassopolis three.

Loosely designed after Broadway’s famed Tony Awards, the WAVE Awards is meant to recognize, encourage and promote excellence in high school musical theatre. 

This annual event also offers students and production staff a valuable educational opportunity through written feedback from highly qualified arts professionals, additional performance opportunities, scholarship opportunities, a sense of belonging and value in the local arts community, and public recognition for a job well done.