A round of applause for Matthew Graham Brown ’24! Matthew's captivating performance as The Man in the Chair in "The Drowsy Chaperone" earned him the coveted "Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical" award at the prestigious Seven Angels Theatre Halo Awards on Thursday, May 30.
This year, King School boasted an impressive 18 nominations across a wide range of categories, a testament to the dedication and hard work of its student artists and educators. The nominations span acting, singing, technical aspects, and overall production excellence for their productions of "A Pickwick Christmas" and "The Drowsy Chaperone."
The awards ceremony also featured Max Marti ’27, who represented King on stage for “The Drowsy Chaperone” on this year’s Halos Robe. The robe is a longstanding tradition that recognizes all musical ensembles from the current year.
“I am very proud of and thankful for all of the students who were involved in our program and productions this year and also all of the artists and educators who gave so much of themselves to make this season so spectacular,” said performing arts teacher Mark Silence,
The Halo Awards, now in their 21st year, celebrate excellence in high school theatre across the state of Connecticut. Recognitions include all aspects of theatre: acting, technical theatre, directing, and more.
In 1993, Artistic Director Semina DeLaurentis created the Seven Angels Theatre High School Halo Awards, a program celebrating high school theatre in the Greater Waterbury Region. The program has grown from one night of awards to two nights of awards and is now a powerhouse with three nights of awards.
King School competed with 90 participating high schools from all eight Connecticut counties.
The complete list of nominations includes:
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
- King School: Spencer Neckritz ’24 as Feldzeig in The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST COMIC FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY:
- King School: Isabella Kolenberg ’25 as Mr. Jingle in A Pickwick Christmas
BEST COMIC FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL:
- King School: Lexi Murphy ’24 as Mrs. Tottendale in The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST RUNNING CREW:
- King School: Run Crew for A Pickwick Christmas
BEST STAGE MANAGEMENT:
- King School: Ava Frascarelli ’24 (SM) for A Pickwick Christmas and The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST PROGRAM ART:
- King School: Isabella Kolenberg ’25 for A Pickwick Christmas
BEST FEATURED DANCER(S):
- King School: Zach Louizos ’25 and Steven Blanco ’26 in Cold Feets in The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST SPECIALTY ENSEMBLE:
- King School: Amy Powell ’26, Antonia Kolb ’24, and Nick Butler ’24 (Samuel Pickwick, Nathaniel Winkle, and Tracy Tupman in A Pickwick Christmas)
BEST CHORUS:
- King School: The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
- King School: Grace Eagleton ’24 as The Drowsy Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A COUPLE OR DYNAMIC DUO IN A MUSICAL:
- King School: Kate Persily ’25 and Bruno Reinhoefer Ribeiro ’26 as The Gangsters in The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN AN ENSEMBLE PRODUCTION:
- King School: A Pickwick Christmas
BEST MALE STANDOUT PERFORMANCE IN AN ENSEMBLE PRODUCTION:
- King School: Matthew Graham Brown ’24 as Dr. Slammer/Dodson/Bob Cratchitt/Ghost of Christmas Present in A Pickwick Christmas
FEARLESS AWARD:
- King School: A Pickwick Christmas
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL:
- King School: Matthew Graham Brown ’24 as Man in Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL:
- King School: Isabella Kolenberg ’25 as Janet Van de Graaf in The Drowsy Chaperone
BEST CONTEMPORARY PLAY:
- King School: A Pickwick Christmas
BEST CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL:
- King School: The Drowsy Chaperone