The Music Theatre of Wichita’s Jester Awards regional honors and nominations were announced yesterday, and we are proud to share that our 2026 musical, Les Misérables: School Edition, received multiple recognitions!
The Jester Awards, presented by Music Theatre Wichita, have celebrated excellence in Kansas high school musical theatre for over two decades. Through a comprehensive judging process, the program honors the work of students and educators across all aspects of a production, from onstage performance to technical design, directing, and crew work behind the scenes. The awards are made possible by the legacy of Belden and Anna Mills (we are proud to share that Mr. Mills is a former Wichita Collegiate board chair), through the Lois K. Walls Jester Fund at MTWichita and the Naftzger Fund for Fine Arts.
When Galichia's Second Act became official and the improvements were imminent, Matt Webber and Ashley Winters looked at the group in front of them and knew immediately what they were capable of. They knew how our Spartans always shine on the stage, but this group was special. Five years ago they looked at the 13 and 14-year-olds in front of them and recognized their potential. They challenged them with Spamalot as middle schoolers, seeing them rise to the occasion. As they considered "going big" in the recently renovated and technologically improved Galichia Auditorium, they hardly had to ponder the questions of "Could they all care enough? Could they be worthy?" before they knew the answer was yes. And from there, the dream of bringing Les Misérables back to the Spartan stage was set to become reality.
For those who joined us in February for one of the four performances, it was clear from the opening number that this production was something special. Not only did the talents of our Spartans fit their roles beautifully, but it was also a show that reached across campus, featuring performers from three of our four divisions. For years to come, young Spartans will reflect on their roles in this incredible production with fond memories of their time on stage.
During the show's run, director Ashley Winters shared, "These student-actors are the finest collective group Mr. Webber and I have had the privilege to work with. They care so much about being honest and true to this story and its characters; they eat, breathe, and sleep its music, and they have dedicated their time to countless hours of voice lessons, rehearsals, and personal practice. They have given their all to be worthy of the responsibility to perform this epic work. Their commitment has inspired our entire directorial team to be worthy of their trust with our efforts at every turn."
Wichita Collegiate School received 18 Region 1 Honors and 13 State Nominations for our production of Les Misérables: School Edition. Every one of these recognitions reflects the extraordinary talent and heart poured into every detail of the show by our students, crew, and directors, on stage and behind the scenes. Seeing our Spartans recognized for their performance and passion at the highest level is truly thrilling.
As a state nominee for Overall Production, the entire cast will perform (in costume!) at the Jester Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 3 at 3:00 PM at Century II Convention Hall. We hope you will join us as we cheer them on and celebrate this incredible accomplishment.
Bravo, Spartans! On stage, backstage, and everywhere in between, we "heard the people sing" and we could not be more proud.
Jester Award Nominations (eligible to win):
Overall Production
Lead Performer — Ben Shackelford (Javert)
Lead Performer — Natalie Webber (Eponine)
Vocal Direction — Mr. Webber
Supporting Performer — Sophia Santo (Fantine)
Cameo Performer — Jonah Widener (Bishop)
Pre-High School Performer — Ben Dahkil & Waylon Blue (Gavroche)
Ensemble/Chorus
Production Number — “One Day More”
Stage Crew
Guest Set Design — Jordan Slusher
Guest Lighting Design — Dan Harmon
Lobby Display — Amy Cunningham
Region 1 Honors (recognized at the ceremony):
Overall Production
Lead Performer — Ben Shackelford (Javert)
Lead Performer — Natalie Webber (Eponine)
Stage Direction — Mrs. Winters
Vocal Direction — Mr. Webber
Supporting Performer — Melanie Reece (Madame Thénardier)
Supporting Performer — Sophia Santo (Fantine)
Cameo Performer — Jonah Widener (Bishop)
Pre-High School Performer — Ben Dahkil & Waylon Blue (Gavroche)
Ensemble/Chorus
Production Number — “One Day More”
Stage Crew
Guest Set Design — Jordan Slusher
Guest Choreographer — Gavin Myers
Guest Sound Design — Mark Scheltgen
Guest Lighting Design — Dan Harmon
Program Design — Amy Cunningham
Lobby Display — Amy Cunningham