Rye Neck High School theater students earned 10 Metropolitan Theater Award nominations this year for their production of “The Prom,” a rousing musical depicting a group of flamboyant Broadway performers who arrive in a conservative Indiana town to support one student’s fight to take her girlfriend to prom.
Rye Neck students performed the musical five times, including one sensory-friendly performance. The production featured a cast of 35 and a crew that brought total student involvement to 120.
But the applause did not end on closing night.
On May 18, nominations were announced for the Metro Awards, a regional program designed to encourage and reward excellence in high school theater productions. Rye Neck’s 10 nominations placed the school among the region’s standout theater programs and sent students, parents, and teachers into celebration mode.
The students are scheduled to reprise the show’s celebratory finale, “It’s Time to Dance,” at the Metro Awards ceremony on June 15 at the Purchase College Performing Arts Center.
A total of 75 high schools across Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, and Bergen counties participated in this year’s Metro Awards.
Rye High School earned two nominations for “Les Misérables.” Calvin Holler was nominated for Outstanding Comedic Performance by a Male-Identifying Performer for his portrayal of Thernadier in Les Mis while Cole Corcino and Lex Fogarty got the nod for Outstanding Student Technical Achievement in that same show.
Rye Country Day School received three for its production of the same musical; and Mamaroneck High School earned six for “Anything Goes.” Pleasantville High School led the region with 13 nominations for “Guys and Dolls.”
Among Rye Neck’s nominees were Valentina Ferrante for Outstanding Performance in a Leading Female-Identified Role for her portrayal of Dee Dee Allen, a self-absorbed Broadway star and Jian Kawai in the Leading Male-Identified category for his role as Barry Glickman, one of the Broadway performers who becomes the closest ally of Emma, the main character.
“I’m deeply grateful for the recognition,” said Kawai, who plans to pursue musical theater in college. Theater, he said sparks powerful conversation about social issues. “This musical is filled with so many fun and bright moments, but it doesn’t fail to open our eyes to the fight against hatred and ignorance that the queer community battles, still today.”
Other nominees included Cheo Villafuerte, who played the caring Principal Hawkins, for Outstanding Performance in a Featured Male-Identified Role; Mylie Bruno for Outstanding Acting Performance by a Female-Identifying Performer for her portrayal of Mrs. Greene, the unsympathetic mother of Emma’s love interest; Sydney Healey, who portrayed Angie Dickinson — a former ensemble member in “Chicago” who dreams of the spotlight —for Outstanding Dance Performance. The entire chorus and scenic designer Vincent Gunn also received nominations, while student tech director Noah Seigel was awarded the GOTTS (Greater Outside-the-box Technical Theatre Student) Scholarship.
“It’s one of the biggest award ceremonies in our area, so it’s nice to feel like our hard work has been recognized,” said Cyndi Feinman, Rye Neck’s theater educator and director of the show. Feinman herself earned a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Direction, while the entire cast and crew received a nomination for the ceremony’s top honor, Overall Production of a Musical.
“It’s everyone’s award because everyone worked so hard, and it’s nice to be recognized for that,” Feinman said.
At the same time, Feinman — whose school email signature identifies her as a “Teacher of Amazing Humans” — said she tries not to place too much emphasis on awards.
“I want students to do theater because they love it — for the journey, not for the awards,” she said.
It was just three years ago when Rye Neck High School earned a nomination for Overall Production of a Musical in 2023 for “Anastasia,” a nomination that resulted in a win.
That production featured then-senior Lulu Tagger in the title role, performing the show’s signature song, “Journey to the Past.” Now her younger sister, Nina Tagger — a Rye Neck sophomore — is involved in the program as well, serving as an understudy and dance captain in “The Prom.”
Their mother, Danielle Tagger-Epstein, a former Rye City Council member and current chairwoman of the Rye City Democrats, said the theater program has become a defining part of the school community.
“Under the direction of Cyndi Feinman, theater has been an unbelievable program for our school,” Tagger-Epstein said. “We’re talking about a stage crew that had over 100 kids in it because people want to participate…. Theater is where we have really shined over the last decade or so.”
Danielle Rudess, executive producer of the Metro Awards and a 1978 Rye High School graduate, also praised Rye Neck’s accomplishments. Rudess grew up on Milton Point, played bassoon in the Rye High orchestra, and later founded the Helen Hayes Youth Theater in Rockland County and the Metro Awards.
“We are so thrilled for Rye Neck High School and their 10 Metro Awards nominations this year,” Rudess said.
“Their production of ‘The Prom’ featured strong performances by the leading and featured performers, along with important recognition in categories like Chorus and Production Number,” she said.
“In our minds, a strong chorus is often one of the clearest signals that an entire cast has committed itself to excellence,” Rudess added. “Those categories reflect not only individual talent, but also the culture of collaboration, preparation, and dedication that elevates a production as a whole.”
She also praised Feinman’s leadership.
“Congratulations as well to director Cyndi Feinman for creating that environment for her cast and crew,” Rudess said. “It’s wonderful to see Rye Neck recognized for the hard work and artistry that went into this production.”
