CSHS Students Among Award Nominees

Recently, the Carroll ISD Theatre Department was honored with 15 nominations for the prestigious Schmidt and Jones Awards for their production of last fall’s Legally Blonde The Musical. In addition to nominations for Best Musical, Best Actress and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, additional students also received nominations for their performances.

Carroll Theatre Department Junior, Heather Wang, was nominated for Best Choreography. Heather has been dancing all her life and it has been a pivotal part of who she is. She is versed in several styles of dance from the elegant lyrical to hard-hitting crump, and has competed in numerous competitions for solo hip hop, tap, jazz, lyrical, and ballet. Since the age of three, she has been taking classes, and recently discovered her love for choreography! Musical Theatre has become something she couldn’t live with out, whether it be a monkey in Carroll Theatre Department’s The Drowsy Chaperone, Napkin in Beauty and the Beast, or Margot in Legally Blonde The Musical, each character lives within who she is today! She loves acting, singing and dancing so much she hopes to pursue this as a career!

Here is Heather’s response to her Schmidt and Jones Award Nomination: “If I’m being completely honest, I never truly believed I was a dancer until this year. My sister was the dancer of the family, my brother was the athlete, so this affirmation of my skill means more then many realize. To be nominated out of the many talented students in Texas is perhaps the most amazing feeling, and given me the true answer as to whether or not I can actually do this for the rest of my life.”

Junior, Kristine Lahde, is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Minor Role for her role as Enid. Kristine Lahde has been involved in theatre since she was five years old. She’s been in numerous productions and has spent three wonderful years in the Carroll Theatre Department. She feels beyond privileged to have been nominated for a Schmidt and Jones Award: “I was so excited and honored when I heard about my nomination. Enid was a great role that I loved playing.” Kristine is eager to see what the future holds.

Junior, Steven Riedel, is nominated for Best Male Ensemble Performer for his role of Carlos. Steven is a Junior at Carroll Senior High School. He is beyond excited for his first musical with Carroll Theatre Department. Steven has been involved with Stars Theater in the past, and is currently looking at The New York Film Academy to become a film actor. Steven is also a part of the Carroll Theatre Poetry Slam Team where he went to Chicago’s Louder Than A Bomb poetry competition representing Southlake and Carroll Theatre in March. Lastly, Steven would like to thank The Martinsens, Ms. Galante, Ms. Fisher, and Ms. Jones for giving him this wonderful opportunity: “I honestly have never had so much fun performing a musical and performing with such talented actors.  It’s also been a thrill to be able to have the opportunity to work with such great directors.”

Carroll Theatre Department Senior, Ashley Nordahl, is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her work as Paulette in Legally Blonde The Musical:

Ashley Nordahl is a senior this year at Carroll Senior High School and loves doing theatre. She is a National Honor Thespian and has been in theatre all through her high school career. She has been in the productions of White Christmas (Ensemble), The Drowsy Chaperone (Ensemble), Beauty and the Beast (Silly Girl #3), Les Miserables in Concert (Madame Thenardier), and Legally Blonde The Musical as Paulette. Ashley has been singing since she was eight years old.  She is so honored to be nominated for the Schmidt and Jones Awards’ Best Supporting Actress Award. She plans on attending Ole Miss this fall for Elementary Education.