Freedom HS Star Actor Takes Home First Freddy

Moravian Academy won the award for Outstanding Overall Production by a Smaller School, while a young star capped off his Freedom High School theater career with his first Freddy at the State Theatre in Easton on Thursday night.

Freedom senior Daniel Youngelman won the Vic Kumma Award for Outstanding Solo Vocal Performance for his rendition of “Bring Him Home,” from Les Miserables in which he starred as Jean Valjean.

He’s been close to the trophy before.

For each of the past three years, Youngelman was the male lead of his high school musical and, for each of those performances, he received nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Solo Vocal.

Last year, his school took home a ceremony-best six awards—including Outstanding Overall Production—for Thoroughly Modern Millie.

But this was the first time Youngelman won an individual Freddy.

Freedom won three awards this year, also taking home Freddys for Outstanding Stage Crew and Outstanding Lighting for the second consecutive year.

Freedom came into the 11th Annual Freddy Awards with 15 nominations, tied for the most with Parkland High School, which took home a ceremony-best six awards—including Outstanding Overall Production—for Phantom of the Opera.

Moravian Academy won two awards. In addition to Outstanding Production by a Smaller School for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Connor McInerney—who played Mr. Cartwright/Mayor Sapsa—won a Freddy for Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actor.

Notre Dame High School also took home one Freddy. Michael Guerrierre tied for Outstanding Performance by a Featured Dancer for his performance as Marcellus Washburn in The Music Man.

Here is the complete list of winners:

• Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra: Phillipsburg High School, "Once on this Island"

• Outstanding Performance by a Featured Dancer: Tie, Michael Guerrierre as Marcellus Washburn in Notre Dame's "The Music Man; "Loretta Doyle as Ti Moune, Phillipsburg's "Once on this Island."

• Outstanding Use of Costuming: Parkland High School, "Phantom of the Opera."

• Outstanding Performance by a Featured Male Ensemble Member:Alex Bobbyn as Action in Northwestern Lehigh's "West Side Story."

• Outstanding Performance by a Featured Female Ensemble Member:Charlene Jean as Madame Giry, Parkland's "Phantom of the Opera."

• Outstanding Achievement in Lighting: Freedom High School's "Les Miserables"

• Outstanding Chorus: Parkland's "Phantom of the Opera"

• Outstanding Small Ensemble Performance: Vanessa Ruggerio, Zachary Esposito and Braxton White, "Friendship" from Nazareth Area's "Anything Goes"

• Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:Rebecca Stahl as Carlotta Giudicelli in Parkland's "Phantom of the Opera"

• Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Brian Mulligan as Moonface Martin in North Warren Regional's "Anything Goes."

• Outstanding Use of Scenery: Northern Lehigh High School's "Little Shop of Horrors"

• Outstanding Choreography: Southern Lehigh High School's "42nd Street"

• Vic Kumma Award for Outstanding Solo Vocal Performance: Daniel Youngelman, "Bring Him Home" from Freedom High School's "Les Miserables"

• Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actor: Connor McInerney as Mr. Cartwright/Mayor Sapsa in Moravian Academy's "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."

• Outstanding Featured Performance by an Actress: Alessandra Fonseca as Paulette Buonofuonte in Emmaus High School's "Legally Blonde."

• Outstanding Production Number: Southern Lehigh High School's "We're in the Money."

• Outstanding Stage Crew: Freedom High School's "Les Miserables"

• Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: William Marshall of Parkland High School as The Phantom of the Opera"

• Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Ally Borgstrom as Annie Oakley in Hackettstown's "Annie Get Your Gun."

• Outstanding Overall Production by a Smaller School: Moravian Academy's "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."

• Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical: Parkland High School's "Phantom of the Opera"