By Paul Meena
I wanted to share a recent accomplishment of our Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, as it relates to continuing to be relevant during a pandemic. I believe that other performing arts centers will find this information useful for their own venues (especially the 5-minute “Making of” video).
This summer, our 6th annual Dr. Phillips Center Applause Awards honored excellence in high school musical 
theater and engaged 500 students representing 30 schools from throughout the region. The program normally culminates in a live performance showcase with presentation of top awards, including the selection of one lead actor and actress to participate in the national Jimmy Awards® competition in New York.
When COVID-19 canceled plans for the national and regional programs, we worked to keep those dreams alive and created a safe, reimagined ceremony. The performance included 120 top-scoring student nominees, scholarships for 42 college-bound seniors, extraordinary performances and Broadway actor cameos. Most of all, everyone remained healthy throughout the entire production: colleagues, crew, and students.
We give special thanks to our sponsor, AdventHealth, and additional supporters: TD Charitable Foundation, Chesley G. Magruder Foundation, Winter Park Publishing Company and SunTrust Foundation. We also had several generous donors contribute to scholarships for seniors whose last year in high school was impacted so greatly by COVID: Florida Theatrical Association, Publix Super Market Charities and Ernest Hardy, a founding donor of the arts center.
We have three videos to share with you …
Applause Awards trailer or sizzle reel (46 seconds)
Behind-the-scenes look of “The Making of the Applause Awards” (4:58)
Full Applause Awards performance (59:40)
Paul Meena is Vice President, Production, at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, Florida.
