A Night to Remember: Celebrating Idaho’s Student Performers
On May 16, 2025, the Morrison Center celebrated the fourth annual Patty Duke Awards, recognizing outstanding achievement in high school musical theater across Idaho. This year, 34 high schools and 1,500 students participated. Teachers enroll their school’s musical productions in the Patty Duke Awards program every fall and spring. Professional theater experts then provide encouraging feedback at each performance. Throughout the year, students are connected with industry professionals through training and workshops that offer insight into the lives and skills of touring performers—skills that serve them on and off the stage. The program culminates in an awards ceremony for students and teachers that showcases their hard work and musical productions to the community.
A “We’re All In This Together” performance from High School Musical by the Intensive Week Ensemble opened the ceremony with a Wildcat sing-along. Meridian High School showed us it’s better down where it’s wetter with a performance of “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid, and the Intensive Week Ensemble returned to “Spread the Love Around” with their performance from Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy that closed the ceremony.
Students received awards for outstanding costume design, sound design, reporting, stage management, supporting and lead roles, ensemble performance, and musical production. Annie McKinney from Meridian High School won this year’s Velma V. Morrison Award for Outstanding Performing Arts Educator for her exceptional impact on students, theater education, and the greater arts community.
Two showstopping local students, Kevin Wilson from Century High School and Eliza Fors from Timberline High School, were also selected to represent Idaho this June at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards—known as The Jimmy Awards—in New York City. Following a rigorous audition process, Kevin and Eliza were nominated as national finalists among over 100 Idaho students who auditioned.
From the evening’s incredible performances to the audience of tireless supporters, the Patty Duke Awards remind us of the crucial role fostering artistic growth can play in mentoring students in self-discipline, time management, and collaboration, helping to build the skills that make them productive and community-focused citizens.
Witness Broadway’s next generation and save the date for the fifth annual Patty Duke Awards on May 15, 2026.