Solon High School Drama Club Earns Six Dazzle Awards Nominations

Apr 30 2026

The Solon High School Drama Club has received six Dazzle Awards nominations for its spring production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

Presented by Playhouse Square, the Dazzle Awards honor excellence in high school musical theater and highlight the importance of arts education across Northeast Ohio. Solon was selected among 44 participating schools in the region.

Senior Lilah Anders, who played Ariel, was nominated for Best Actress. Junior Daniel Luce, who played Jetsam, one of Ursula’s minions, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The production also earned nominations for Best Technical Execution, Best Student Orchestra, Best Scenic Design and Best Choreography Execution. In addition, seniors Steven Haines and Finley Barron were named musical apprentices for percussion and trombone, respectively. They will perform alongside professional musicians in the pit orchestra during the Dazzle Awards ceremony.

The nominations were announced April 28 on Fox 8’s “New Day Cleveland.” Members of the 90-student cast, crew and orchestra gathered for a watch party in the auditorium, where the announcements were met with cheers, hugs and high fives.

Following the announcement, director Kris Ferencie praised the students for “the work and the joy that you brought to our audiences, because ultimately that is what it’s all about.”

Coordination and Teamwork

Disney’s The Little Mermaid was a technically challenging production that involved frequent scene changes, elaborate sets and a shipwreck scene. Actors also flew on stage to simulate swimming underwater.

“The coordination and teamwork that’s required among the students is really amazing,” said Solon High School teacher Joe Ferencie, who oversees the technical crew. “It’s always wonderful to see them learning and progressing in the environment. They’re not just sitting in a classroom. They’re learning by doing. To me, that’s what education is all about.”

Anders said the Best Actress nomination came as a complete surprise. “This is the pinnacle of my high school career,” she said.

She joined Drama Club as a freshman and said the experience has helped shape her future goals. Anders plans to study education next fall at Otterbein University with the goal of teaching music and theater. As a future educator, Anders said she hopes to encourage students to pursue what they love. “If you truly love what you’re doing, it’s worth it,” she said. “Don’t give up on your dreams.”

Luce said his Best Supporting Actor nomination was especially meaningful because he was able to share the moment with his father, Solon Middle School band teacher Robert Luce.

“I’m really glad that my dad teaches here because I could hug him right after I found out,” said Luce, who first became involved in acting in second grade through the theater program at the Solon Center for the Arts.

“This is a great recognition of not only my hard work but also the hard work of the entire Drama Club,” he said. “I couldn’t have done this without the support of everyone else in the cast.”

The Dazzle Awards nominations are determined by a panel of independent adjudicators who attend one production at each participating school and provide educational feedback and scores. Awards are presented in more than 12 categories during a ceremony on May 16 at the KeyBank State Theatre. Learn more.