FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2025

Spring Hill High School’s Beauty and the Beast Earns Blue Star Awards Nomination for Outstanding Scenic Design

Spring Hill High School’s Beauty and the Beast earned a 2024–25 Blue Star Awards nomination for Outstanding Scenic Design, marking a major achievement for the program’s first competition entry in nearly eight years.

SPRING HILL, Kan. (April 25, 2025)—Spring Hill High School’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has been nominated for Outstanding Scenic Design (Tier I) in the 2024–25 Blue Star Awards, a prestigious Kansas City metro program recognizing excellence in high school musical theatre. Hosted by Starlight Theatre, the Blue Star Awards program featured a record-breaking 66 schools and nearly 5,300 students this year. 

Led by director Adrianna Wendel, Spring Hill's theater team made a strong return to the competition after nearly eight years, marking a major milestone for the program. “It’s huge that in our first time back in nearly a decade, we received a nomination,” Wendel said. “The scenic design sets the stage for storytelling, and from the very beginning, we challenged ourselves to build a castle and town that captured the magic of Beauty and the Beast. The students brought incredible leadership, creativity, and teamwork to life.”​

The set, described as expansive, functional, and visually stunning, was a labor of love for students. Sophomore Ariela Manaj reflected on the process: “It took a lot of work, but it felt easy because we were doing it together. Every tech day was something I looked forward to because of all the teamwork that went into it.”​

Starlight Theatre’s Trinity Thompson emphasized how competitive this year’s program was. “To be nominated is a huge feat. We had more schools, more students, and incredible productions. Being recognized out of 66 schools shows how truly outstanding Spring Hill’s work was,” she said.​

In addition to the scenic design nomination, the Spring Hill theatre program celebrated a record year, selling out a performance for the first time in school history. Wendel thanked the community: “Your support made this happen. This has been a record-breaking year for us, and we can’t wait to continue building on this success.”​

Students, families, and supporters will learn the final results during the Blue Star Awards ceremony on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Starlight Theatre. The celebration will include a Broadway sing-along and honors for outstanding productions, students, and backstage crews across the Kansas City area. ​

For more information about the Blue Star Awards and the full list of nominees, visit kcstarlight.com.

About Spring Hill Schools
Spring Hill Schools is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence in education. Serving more than 4,000 students across ten schools, the district prioritizes preparing learners for a bright and prosperous future.

Media Contact:

Stephanie Neiger
Director of Communications and Engagement
Spring Hill Schools, USD 230
neigerste@usd230.org
www.usd230.org