Hillcrest High theatre students continue to earn applause for their performances on the stage. On Monday, April 3, the nominees for 2023 Utah High School Musical Theater Awards were announced — and Hillcrest walked away with a whopping 10 nominations. I am not at all surprised Hillcrest’s production of “Catch Me If You Can” is nominated for Best Musical.  In fact, I would have been surprised if it weren’t nominated. It was simply fantastic!  We loved it. The cast and crew definitely deserve this nomination for being among the best in the state. When we attended the show, we found that our seats were right next to the father of the student who had the leading role. It was so much fun to sit next to the proud parent of the show’s star, especially because we’ve been friends for years. For being a nominee in the top category, Hillcrest students have been invited to perform a number from “Catch Me If You Can” during the May 13 awards ceremony at the Eccles Theatre in Salt Lake City.  I can’t wait to see them perform!  Here’s a list of Hillcrest’s nominations:

Best Musical — “Catch Me If You Can”

Best Actor — Jaren Ruff as Frank Abagnale Jr. in “Catch Me If You Can”

Best Ensemble Cast — “Oliver!”

Best Orchestra — “Oliver!”

Best Director — “Catch Me If You Can”

Best Choreography — “Catch Me If You Can”

Best Costume Design — “Oliver!”

Best Lighting Design — “Oliver!”

Best Student Set Design — “Catch Me If You Can”

Best Student Lighting Design — “Catch Me If You Can”