Local students get nod a TAMYS

The Theatre at the Mount is hosting the second annual High School Musical Theatre Awards on Tuesday, June 3, and Oakmont High School's theatre department has recieved five nominations.

Ben Bourque, Michael Esposito, David Fournier and Domenic Mei are all nominated for individual awards this year for their performances in "Anything Goes," and the district's lighting crew is up for a group award.

Bourque played Billy and is nominated for a Best Actor award against Tyler Griffin, who played Fred/Petruchio in Cushing Academy's staging of "Kiss Me Kate" and three actors from Acton-Boxborough Regional and Chelmsford high schools.

Esposito, who played Moonface Martin in "Anything Goes," is nominated for Best Supporting Actor. He is competing against students from Acton-Boxborough, Chelmsford, Leominster and Nashoba Regional high schools.

In the Best Male Cameo Performance category, Fournier, who took the stage as Elijah Whitney, and Mei, who took the stage as Sir Evelyn, will take on actors from Acton-Boxborough, Leominster and Narragansett Regional high schools.

Oakmont's lighting crew is also nominated for Best Lighting Design against Acton-Boxborough Regional, Billerica, Chelmsford and Narragansett Regional high schools.

Other local students that were nominated were Zaida Buzan of Cushing Academy and Kim Olmilla of Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School in the Not Your Average Chorus Member category, and in the Judges' Special "Green" Award (for excellence in "Little Shop" Production) is the Plant Construction at Montachusett Regional Vocation Technical High School. Cushing Academy was also nominated in the Best Playbill category.

"This program publicly acknowledges the outstanding effort our schools make to strive for excellence in the performing arts and celebrates the casts, crews, directors and designers who make outstanding musical theatre happen," according to Gail Steele of the Theatre at the Mount.

The TAMY Awards Gala will be held at the Four Point Sheraton - Leominster on Tuesday, June 3, at 6 p.m. The tickets for the dinner, entertainment and awards event is $35 per person.