The Gananda High School Drama Club's production of The Wizard of Oz received a record-breaking number of awards for the district at the 27th Annual Wayne County Performing Arts Awards on May 30.
Presented by WHAM-13 TV news anchor Don Alhart and Lyons National Bank President and CEO Robert Schick at a ceremony held at Newark High School, Gananda received the following awards:
- Best Musical Production, Runner-Up
- Best Lead Actress, Runner-Up: Gabrielle Brice as "Dorothy"
- Best Supporting Actress, Winner: Lyndsey Burns as "Scarecrow"
- Best Supporting Actress, Runner-Up: Reese Davis as "Lion"
- Best Featured Actress, Winner: Josephine LaDuke as "Miss Gulch/Mayor/Guard/Jitterbug"
- Best Original Poster, Winner: Caroline Donegan, Student Artist
The Wizard of Oz is the most-awarded High School Drama Club production in school history, and the second production to earn "Best Musical, Runner-Up", following last year's production of Damn Yankees. Gananda previously won "Best Musical" in 2010 with Jekyll and Hyde.
Forty high school students participated onstage and behind-the-scenes of The Wizard of Oz, which took place March 23-25, 2023.
The Wayne County Performing Arts Awards, known as the ELENBES, is produced by Wayne County Council for the Arts and sponsored by Lyons National Bank.