Eileen Parks of Bishop O’Connell High School was named Best Actress for her role in her school’s production of “Little Women” in the inaugural Brandon Victor Davis Awards, sponsored by Broadway at the National.
Parks and Joshua Lemon of Oakton High School, who was honored as Best Actor for his performance in “The Addams Family,” received $2,000 scholarships and a trip to New York City, where they will represent the Washington region at the annual Jimmy Awards (National High School Musical Theatre Awards).
O’Connell’s “Little Women” was a finalist in the Best Musical category, falling to “The Addams Family.” Also finalists were “Head Over Heels: High School Edition” (Robinson Secondary School); “A Year with Frog and Toad” (George C. Marshall High School); and “Be More Chill” (West Potomac High School).
Students performed selections from the shows on May 22 at the National Theatre.
The awards are named in honor of Brandon Victor Dixon, a Tony, Emmy and Grammy award-winner who hails from Gaithersburg.