Patrick Garcia, theater teacher at Scripps Ranch High School, was named the Best Local Theatre Teacher at the Ben Vereen Awards held recently at the Balboa Theatre in downtown San Diego.
Sky Frank, a student at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, was named Best Actor at the ceremony. Frank and his teacher will be flown to New York for a week of intensive training before competing in the national finals, the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, on a Broadway stage for $10,000 toward a college scholarship on Monday, June 26, 2017.
The 2017 Ben Vereen Awards were sponsored by San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU) and held in collaboration with Broadway/San Diego.
"SDCCU congratulates Mr. Garcia for this prestigious achievement. The Best Local Theatre Teacher Award provides the opportunity to recognize talented and hardworking teachers throughout San Diego County," said SDCCU President and CEO Teresa Halleck. "The students competing in the Ben Vereen Awards could never reach their full potential without the invaluable instruction and direction of such teachers."
A total of 18 teachers were nominated and nearly 1,500 votes were submitted on Facebook in the "Best Local Theatre Teacher Awards" contest, which ran for several weeks, ending on May 15, 2017. Students, parents, family members and friends were asked to nominate and vote for a deserving drama/theatre teacher who made a positive difference in their life, the life of a child or in the community. As part of the award, SDCCU will send Garcia to New York City to attend the 2017 Jimmy Awards, also known as the National High School Musical Theatre Awards®.
The Best Local Theatre Teacher Award is part of the 2017 Ben Vereen Awards, sponsored by SDCCU and held in collaboration with Broadway/San Diego. Candidates for Best Musical, Best Actor and Best Actress, were selected from onsite adjudications of high school musicals at their home venues during the 2016/2017 school year.