The First Academy’s production of Godspell wins four Dr. Phillips Applause Awards

The four awards the Royals' theatre department won include Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Orchestra, Outstanding Sound Designer and Outstanding Singer.

By Sam Albuquerque
| 12:00 a.m. May 7, 2024

Arts + Entertainment

The First Academy announced via its Facebook page that the theatre department's recent production of "Godspell" will be awarded four Dr. Phillips Applause Awards at the tenth edition of the awards ceremony on June 1.

For the 2024 edition of the Awards, TFA will take home awards for Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Orchestra, Outstanding Sound Designer — Tyler Gavarinski — and Outstanding Singer — Jordyn Kinard.

Beyond just receiving these awards, the Royals Orchestra and Kinard have been invited to perform at the ceremony.

Modeled after the Tony Awards, the Applause Awards is the Dr. Phillips Center's program designed to celebrate, support and advocate for high school musical theater education throughout Central and North Florida. The program and the overall arts center have given out more than $150,000 in scholarships and have seen five of its previous winners and finalists debut on Broadway or in Hollywood.

author

Sam Albuquerque

A native of João Pessoa, Brazil, Sam Albuquerque moved in 1997 to Central Florida as a kid. After earning a communications degree in 2016 from the University of Central Florida, he started his career covering sports as a producer for a local radio station, ESPN 580 Orlando. He went on to earn a master’s degree in editorial journalism from Northwestern University, before moving to South Carolina to cover local sports for the USA Today Network’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his lovely wife, Sarah, newborn son, Noah, and dog named Skulí.