As the song goes, they say the neon lights are bright on Broadway.
North Scott rising junior Natalie Sierk is about to learn that firsthand.
Sierk was the female recipient of the Triple Threat Award at the Iowa High School Musical Theatre Awards Showcase, which was held May 29 at the Des Moines Civic Center. Her win earned her a spot to compete at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmys, in New York City later this month.
Sierk was nominated for the Triple Threat Program, which honors students for excellence in singing, dancing and acting, for her role as Doralee Rhodes in Lancer Productions’ “9 to 5: The Musical.”
She’ll be joined at the Jimmys by Jackson Baker from Nevada High School, who played the role of Jack Kelly in Disney’s “Newsies.” They’ll spend a week in New York City, rehearsing and receiving coaching from industry professionals, culminating in a showcase on June 23 at the Minskoff Theater. Students from 51 state and regional competitions will compete for prizes and scholarships. The Jimmy Awards are presented by the Broadway League Foundation.
Sierk was joined in the Triple Threat program this year by her “9 to 5” costar Ryenne Lacher, who played Judy Bernly. Lacher, a recent graduate, received a scholarship to attend Des Moines Performing Arts’ Broadway Intensive Camp this summer. She was one of four scholarship recipients, along with Milliana Jimenez from Davenport North High School (Mrs. Lovett – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”); Brady Meyers from Indianola High School (Ren McCormick – “Footloose: The Musical”) and Steven Fisher Jr. from Southeast Valley High School in Gowrie (Dmitry – “Anastasia: The Musical”).
Sierk and Lacher’s fellow Lancer Productions members Gabby Andersen and Aiden Kelsey, also recent graduates, were two of five students from across the state to receive $2.000 scholarships in technical theatre. Andersen received her scholarship for makeup design, with Kelsey honored for lighting design. They were joined by Haley Coil from Earlham High School (stage management), Selma Fetic from Waukee High School (costume design), and Lola Costello from West Des Moines Valley High School (audio design and engineering). Fetic received an additional $3,000 as the statewide winner.
“Wow! Just wow,” said Lancer Productions troupe director Stacie Kintigh of her students’ success at the Iowa High School Musical Theatre Awards. “I work with the best people and the best kids.”
Sierk and Lacher became eligible for the Triple Threat Program by receiving Outstanding Achievement in a Principal Role designation following the adjudication of “9 to 5.” Prior to the program, they had to learn a dance, provide a video recording of a song performance, and provide an essay, a resume and headshots. They also learned choreography and music for a medley, which they performed with their fellow Triple Threat nominees from across the state.
During the Triple Threat Program, the students auditioned for scholarships to the Broadway Intensive Camp, as well as for the opportunity to go to the Jimmys and received one-on-one coaching from industry professionals.
“The audition was singing two songs – one from the show you were in, and one of your choice,” said Sierk. “It was just a minute-long cut of each song. And you were also assigned to a dance placement, which was basically just performing a dance for a couple of judges to see what you were capable of. From there, they would score you, along with your resume, your essay, and then your singing and dancing and acting.”
The program actually began on May 25, the day of North Scott’s graduation, so Lacher and Sierk drove down after the ceremony. Sierk spent some time going back and forth from Des Moines, balancing school with the program. Lacher said she was able to stay in Des Moines for the duration.
Lacher said when they arrived, she and Sierk met other Triple Threat participants right away. “It was really nice to meet a bunch of new people right off the bat, right when we got there.”
Lacher said that, although they’d received the music and some of the choreography for the medleys beforehand, it was an intense experience putting it all together for the showcase.
“Throughout the week, it was just a lot of intense learning. Really chipping away at the dance. We were learning it before we got there, but it was actually putting it together with 80 people versus just sitting in your room, learning it by yourself.”
“I was expecting to be a lot more overwhelmed than I was,” said Sierk. “Everyone is obviously in the same boat, which makes it kind of a community within that group and you’re able to help each other and learn from each other. I’ve learned so much just from watching these people and learning from the directors. I think I learned more than I experienced anxiety, which was very nice.”
After the medley performance at the IHSMTA Showcase, all the Triple Threat nominees gathered on stage to hear the announcement of the winners and scholarship recipients.
Sierk said she was totally surprised by her win.
“I was ready to get up and cheer for my friends. I really was not expecting it to be my name. Like, I thought I misheard at first, so I didn’t get up. And I was looking around, and people were telling me to get up. I just didn’t expect it at all.
“I’m just so grateful.”
Fresh off the announcement, the Triple Threat Winners are expected to perform a spotlight song. Sierk was rushed offstage as Jackson Baker from Nevada High School was announced as the male winner. Baker performed first, with the song, “It’s Almost Like Being in Love” from the musical “Brigadoon.”
Then it was Sierk’s time in the spotlight, and she belted out “Screw Loose,” from the musical “Cry Baby.”
“I felt a little bit of pressure to show everyone why I was selected, but other than that, it was just such a surreal experience. I’ve watched the Iowa High School Musical Theatre Awards and the encores of the people selected for this, and I’m like, ‘Wow, they’re so amazing.’ And to think I was the one they chose is just insane.”
Baker is a repeat winner of the Triple Threat Award, having received the honor last year for playing Ren McCormick in Nevada’s production of “Footloose,” so he and Sierk have been texting back and forth about the Jimmys experience. “He’s helped me a lot with understanding what’s going to happen.”
She said the Jimmys program is 10 days long, and when they’re not rehearsing, participants go to workshops and attend Broadway shows. She’ll eventually take part in one of two medley performances for the showcase on June 23. The first option is considered the top tier of individuals who will move on to another round of competition, but Sierk said she’ll be happy no matter the result.
“Either group is such an honor to be a part of, because you learn so much either way.”
Sierk has a busy summer ahead. As soon as the Jimmys wrap up, she’ll head to Bloomington, Ind., for the International Thespian Festival. Then, she’ll attend rehearsals for the All-State Jazz Choir ahead of a performance at Central College in Pella in July, an experience she’s also excited about.
“I just really love learning new music and being with different types of people. Because the musical theatre group is such a specific group of people that I love so much. But then, I’m not as exposed to the jazz community as much, so I’m able to explore that as well. I just feel so privileged to be able to bounce around and do what I love in so many different areas.”
While she decided not to audition for Lancer Productions’ fall show, “Clue,” due to her busy schedule, she’s looking forward to the rest of her high school experience and the future.
“I am just going to keep singing and acting and dancing as much as I can. This whole experience has really opened my eyes. I think I would want to do this for the rest of my life, as a profession and get a BFA degree.”
Scholarships awarded
Ryenne Lacher said she had a plan to get through the awards showcase.
“At first, before any names got called, I was like, ‘No matter what happens, I’m gonna stay in it.’ Because I know in those situations where people’s names get called, or if yours does, you just kind of turn off and it’s a blur.
“The second Natalie’s name got called, I was done,” she laughed. “I was like, there’s no way, this is so awesome. And I hadn’t even recovered from that yet, just watching Natalie get to have this super cool special moment, and I just heard my name. And I didn’t know what to do. I don’t even remember it.
“I was standing up, and I’m very glad I was, because if I was sitting down, I don’t think I’d be able to get up.”
The camp will be held July 14-19 in Des Moines, and Lacher said she’ll work on a couple of songs beforehand and then head into the week of workshops in singing, dancing and acting with Broadway professionals. “I just kind of get to learn from them and really master these two songs that I bring. And then at the end of the week, we have a big showcase, so everyone at the camp gets to kind of show off what they did all week.”
Throughout the experience, Lacher said she also learned a lot about networking and working with others. “Making connections is never a waste with people. It’s just so important to go there and make sure you’re friendly to people, and make sure you’re never undermining someone’s work – your directors, the people helping you and your classmates, like the fellow Triple Threat nominees. I think the biggest thing that got reinforced to me is that it’s never a waste to just be nice to everyone.”
This summer, Lacher will participate in Countryside Community Theatre’s production of “Hairspray,” before heading off to the University of Iowa, where she plans to major in marketing and musical theatre. “I’m just going to try a little bit of everything and see where it takes me.”
For their Technical Theatre scholarships, Andersen and Kelsey had to write essays and create portfolios showing their work.
Andersen submitted her makeup design for “9 to 5,” and was also able to show off her work from two others shows. She chose last year’s productions of “Charlotte’s Web” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
She won Outstanding Achievement in Makeup Design at the IHSMTAs last year for “Beauty and the Beast.”
“So, I knew that was a pretty good one. And I just really liked what I did for ‘Charlotte’s Web.’”
Kelsey submitted his lighting design for “9 to 5” and last fall’s “Radium Girls.”
“I started by collecting a whole bunch of my pictures and lighting designs and made sure to download a file from the lighting boards, so that I had all of the resources I needed,” he said. He also worked with his mom, Jolynn, and technical theatre director Josh Tipsword to perfect his application before sending it in.
In addition to the scholarship competition, they were both able to participate in Behind-The-Scenes workshops as part of the IHSMTAs this year and met with industry professionals. While Kelsey said he would have liked to have had a little more one-on-one time, Andersen said she not only enjoyed getting to talk with the more traditional professionals, such as designers, she was also able to talk with professionals on the business side of the industry.
Andersen will attend DePaul University in Chicago in the fall, where she plans to major in film and television. She said for now, she plans to focus on her studies, because the theatre program at DePaul is primarily for students majoring in theatre arts. But she’s not ruling anything out for the future. “I do really love doing all these things. So, I’ll probably sprinkle some of it in there. We’ll see.”
Kelsey is off to Iowa in the fall, where he plans to major in theatre arts and data science. “I’ll try to do this in college and see where it takes me.”
One last performance
Lancer Productions also had one last performance of the title song from “9 to 5” at the showcase, having received the award for Outstanding Musical Production.
“It was so nice,” said Lacher. “That was a really special part, getting to see all of them and getting to do what we love on that big stage. And just getting to show off to everyone, because I think we put on a really good show, and I think we work together super well. And so, being able to show that off to other theatre kids in the state, it means a lot, for sure.”
“It’s really cliché, but it was electric,” said Andersen.
While Lancer Productions has won Outstanding Musical Production for the last three years, the last time they performed at the IHSMTA showcase was in 2023 for “Anything Goes,” and neither Lacher nor Andersen were part of that ensemble. “I was really disappointed when we couldn’t go then, so I was really hoping I would get the chance to go,” said Andersen. “I’d been waiting for that moment for a long time, to get to perform with my cast and show off everything we’ve done to everyone around the state. It was really fun. It felt like it was 15 seconds, though.”
“It’s been a great four years,” Lacher said, reflecting on her time with Lancer Productions. “I think freshman us – if you told them about what we were doing now, I think they’d be like, ‘Whoa.’”
Kelsey said his Lancer Productions experience was inspiring and also taught him a lot. “This is a really great place to learn.”
“I just think that being involved with theatre, especially here, with Lancer Productions, is so valuable, because you get to learn so many things,” said Andersen. “You can do makeup design, you can be onstage, you can design sets. I’ve done a lot of film here, which is something I’m really passionate about. So, you get endless opportunities if you go out and look for them through Lancer Productions.”
This year's Iowa High School Musical Theatre Awards can be viewed online at iowapbs.org/shows/musicaltheater.