ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Nominations for the 2024 Jester Awards were announced last month, and the Liberal High School Drama Department’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” garnered the following nominations: Emma Davidson for Best Supporting Performer as the Wicked Witch of the West; J. Brooks Kappelmann for Best Cameo Performer as The Guard; Atticus Carrillo, Tomas Ralios Cortez, Cairo Svaty for Best Pre-High School Performer as the Lollipop Guild; Best Stage Crew; Miriam Climenhaga for Best Program Design; and Nikki Frydendall for Best Lobby Display.
The ceremony took place at the Century II Performing Arts Center in Wichita this past weekend, and Kappelmann’s performance earned him a win. Kappelmann said the initial news of the nomination was its own surprise.
“Last month, my mom had brought home the list of Jester Award nominees, so I initially heard it from her. Then, I found out later my mom had found out from Ms. Climenhaga about the nominations,” Kappelmann said. “I was really thankful and surprised to be on the nominees list because there are so many talented musical theatre students in school who are absolutely amazing at singing and dancing – they're just unbelievably talented, I honestly can't praise them enough. It was a big honor to be part of that group of nominees, because our 'Wizard of Oz' cast was just amazing.”
Then, upon hearing his name as the winner at the ceremony, the surprise was further compounded.
“My initial reaction was shock and surprise, because I thought they'd actually already said the winner's name, but then they said my name again, and it took me a bit to realize I was the winner,” Kappelmann said with a chuckle. “After that initial shock, I was really happy and really honored because again, everyone who was nominated and everyone who was there at the ceremony was just unbelievably talented and just as deserving.”
Kappelmann said his involvement with the LHS Drama Department goes back multiple years by this point.
“I'd gone to a bunch of the LHS shows with my mom growing up, and my older brother, Brady, was also involved in the LHS Drama stuff, and he always had so much fun doing the shows, and I wanted to be like him,” Kappelmann said. “And with the show being 'The Wizard of Oz,' and since we're in Liberal, just about everyone knows that story, so that added another reason to be part of the show. My favorite part was being able to work with so many great people in the cast and crew. All of our main leads, the little kids who were the Munchkins, and everyone involved just did such a great job, and it was great seeing so much talent on the LHS stage. I also learned a lot from the teachers who were in charge – Ms. Climenhaga's a great director, Nikki Frydendall knows all about dance and choreography, and Mr. Yeremin knows how to help people sing well, so we had a great directing crew as well, and they were able to teach us a lot. There were also a bunch of my friends I knew were going to be part of the Drama Department, and I wanted to hang out with them, so it seemed to make sense. I've also always just enjoyed singing and dancing and having fun, so being in the musicals was a great chance to do that. I've actually been in the musicals all four years of high school, and they've all been fun. I can't really pick a full-on favorite out of the shows I’ve done, but I will say 'Beauty & the Beast' was pretty fun, and obviously 'The Wizard of Oz' was really neat since I know the story so well.”
Fast-forward a bit, and Kappelmann said being at this year’s Jester Awards ceremony was an experience he’ll remember for a long time.
“Being at the Jester Awards was almost kind of surreal. There are so many ridiculously talented people who were there, and it was amazing to see the different high school shows that were showcased throughout the shows. It was amazing seeing so many talented high schoolers and how they put their shows together,” Kappelmann said. “And some of the schools had actually done the same show, so it was interesting to see how they staged certain things and how they interpreted their particular characters and all of that. There's just so much to learn from other people, and that was another big thing for me from the ceremony.”
As for the future? Kappelmann said that road hasn’t quite been paved yet.
“I've been asked by a few other people if I want to keep doing theatre, but I'm honestly not sure quite yet. There are some people I'm friends with at Seward County Cmmunity College who are involved in theatre who enjoy it, so it's definitely an option. I can't say with 100 percent certainty if I will, but it's definitely something I'll think about,” Kappelmann said. “The only way I was able to do any of this is because of God, He's my rock and gave me my talents and abilities, so I wouldn't be anywhere without Him. I also want to say a big thank you to all the teachers who worked on the show and taught me so much, and I can't say enough how talented our entire cast was.”
