When the 2026 Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards were presented last month, the theater program of Elizabethtown Area High School (EAHS) received multiple honors. Students were recognized for their work in "Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic" and for "Disney's Frozen: The Broadway Musical."

"Frozen" took home the award for Outstanding Musical, with the school also receiving the award for Outstanding Student Orchestra for the same show. Audra Kuntz, who portrayed Oaken in the musical, won Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical.

Students Livi White and Garrett Messick were honored with the Spirit of Theatre Award, and Annika Erikson and Laura Kleis performed as part of the ensemble opening number during the ceremony, held May 17 at the Hershey Theatre.

Other students who were nominated were Anika Walsh for Outstanding Featured Performer, Ben Creason for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Evie Kopp with an Honorable Mention for Outstanding Supporting Actress, all for their work in "Puffs." Ben was also nominated for outstanding supporting actor for "Frozen."

Additional honors for "Frozen" included nominations for Outstanding Dance for "Fixer Upper," Josie Sirinides for Outstanding Lead Actress, James Mott and Avery Heckman for Outstanding Featured Performer and Makayla Weaver with an Honorable Mention for Outstanding Lead Actress. Maggie Leaman was nominated for Outstanding Playwright, and Riona Popdan received an Honorable Mention in the same category.

The Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards celebrate excellence in high school theater across central Pennsylvania, recognizing the dedication, creativity and talent of students and staff involved in theatrical productions.

"I am very proud of all of the students involved in these productions and grateful to our theater community for their talent, passion and dedication to keeping the arts thriving at EAHS," said Christine Blaisdell, theater adviser at the school.

Livi and Garrett, who were honored with the Spirit of Theatre Award, were recognized by Blaisdell for their dedication to the play and musical.

"This is an opportunity to acknowledge students whose work often goes unseen or who don't get to take a bow on stage," Blaisdell said. "They embody what it means to be a member of the EAHS theater community: someone with creativity, dedication and a passion for bettering our theater community. These two upperclassmen also show kindness, humility, leadership, independence and, of course, talent."

Livi was the department's senior stage manager and won the award for the fall play, while Garrett was honored for designing, installing, programming and operating the special-effects lighting display for "Frozen."

For the ceremony's opening number, Annika and Laura joined students from other schools to perform "We're All in This Together" from "High School Musical."

"The Apollo staff asks us for two students from each school: one dancer who can sing and one singer who can dance," Blaisdell said. "This helps make a balanced group and gives more opportunities to students."

Blaisdell said EAHS has participated in the Apollo Awards for many years, and she appreciates the opportunity to recognize the students for their talent and hard work.

"The educational value is amazing, from specific feedback to help performers grow to scholarship opportunities. It has helped build a community between schools instead of competition," she said. "It is genuinely exciting to see students from multiple schools thrive and win, earning their spotlight moment."

The program also promotes collaboration between schools during the school year, with ticket exchange programs to encourage students to attend each other's performances, sharing of props and set pieces and opportunities to discuss challenges and successes with like-minded people. Because they were nominated for Outstanding Musical, the cast of "Frozen" reunited to perform at the Apollo Awards as well.

Opportunities like that performance underscore the reason the EAHS theater program exists in the first place, Blaisdell said, and it's not about winning awards.

"We do theater for the love of theater, of creating and performing, of the music and community," she said. "The arts truly matter, and our young artists matter, which is why there is an entire community of adults in the production team that dedicates their time and talents to helping the students have a place to belong, feel safe and put together productions they are proud of." She emphasized that it takes a team of people to pull off a successful theater program, including Sarah Zahn, vocal director; Bella Myers, tech director; Corinne Kern, orchestra conductor; and Elyse Hayden, choreographer.

EAHS is gearing up for another theater season, with the play "Radium Girls" scheduled for the fall and the musical "Curtains" for the spring.