The Applause Awards is an event hosted by The Dr. Philip’s Center every June at Disney World. The ceremony gives awards to students who participated in musical theatre productions, whether they performed on stage or worked behind the scenes through tech. During the ceremony, nominees for lead actor, lead actress and best musicals perform. Expert reviews of performances from August-April in Central Florida schools are used to decide who gets which awards, and winners get feedback for their work as well as the ability to attend training workshops and masterclasses taught by Broadway performers.  

Many cast members from West Side Story, which was performed here at OCSA in early November were nominated for an Applause Award. Jabari Lewis, a senior vocal major who played Tony in West Side Story and has previously acted in “Falsettos” said that being nominated for an Applause Award was “Kinda crazy because it’s something that’s super coveted by the whole musical theatre community…” When asked about how she felt about being nominated for an Applause Award, Hailey Scott, a senior tech major who stage managed West Side as well as “She Kills Monsters” and two other previous shows said, “It feels good, I love being recognized.”  

Nominees for Applause Awards: 

Lead performers: 

• Jabari Lewis 
• Samantha Sosa 
• Lexi Delgado 
• Andrew Brouillard 
• Anyah DeGuzman 
• Michelle Cardenas 
• Enrique Dowling 

Supporting performers: 

• Billy Granville 
• Holly Keefe 
• Billy Martinez 
• Ethan Baez 
• Givanni Gotay 

Vocal performers:  

• Jabari Lewis 
• Samantha Sosa 

Dance performers:  

• Alba Santiago 
• Jeremy Gil 
• Immanuel Rodriguez 

Lighting designer: 

• Wesley Mulero 

Costume designer: 

• Ashton Keaton 

Stage manager:  

• Hailey Scott