When Tami LoSasso took over the Lakewood High School theater program in 2002, there were five students in the drama club. Now, says her son, Michael, “it’s an empire.”

LoSasso was given a sendoff of Shakespearean proportions Thursday night at the Denver Center’s Bobby G Awards, which celebrate achievements in high-school musical theater. Although competition takes a back seat to camaraderie at this annual gathering that showers high-school theater students with the kind of glory normally reserved for prep athletes – this was something special. 

Lakewood earned a remarkable five awards (from 10 nominations) for its production of “Something Rotten,” a clever comedy that imagines how the world’s first musical might have come to be in Shakespeare’s time. Not only did Lakewood win its first Outstanding Production award for “Something Rotten,” LoSasso won her third Bobby G Award for Outstanding Direction. And her son, Michael, won for Outstanding Supporting Actor.

​​”This is definitely historic,” said Michael LoSasso, who played Nostradamus in “Something Rotten.” “My mother has made this program into an empire. She means everything to Lakewood High School, really.”

Before the ceremony, Tami LoSasso said her greatest hope for the evening was for her nominated son, who transferred into Lakewood last fall as a senior. “He was nervous to get involved because he had to make new friends,” she said, “but he just jumped in and overcame everything.”

Of possibly winning the top award, she said, “It would mean the world to me for so many reasons. Mostly because the cast and crew and musicians had so much fun with it, and that’s what theater is about: Having fun and telling stories together.”

Not to mention, “Something Rotten” was her final production at Lakewood. LoSasso is the Chapter Director of Colorado Thespians, the state’s largest advocacy group for theater arts in education. Her job is being made into a full-time staffed position. 

The top two individual Bobby G Awards, for outstanding performances in leading roles, went to Lakewood’s Connor O’Brian, who played Shakespeare in “Something Rotten,” and Camille Nugent, who played Alice Murphy in Fossil Ridge High School’s “Bright Star” in Fort Collins. Those two will now represent Colorado at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (also known as “The Jimmy Awards”) on June 26 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City.

“I have worked with Cami at the Fort Collins Children’s Theater since she was 11,” said “Bright Star” Costume Designer Rebecca Spafford. “And I can tell you, she has been a cornerstone of Fossil Ridge High School theater since she arrived.”

The greatest joy of the Bobby G Awards is simply watching 2,000 theater students, educators and family members come together at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and root each other on. There is no comparable program that gathers high-school students from a single discipline with the prevailing goal of building bonds across schools.

“I think it’s just so exhilarating for our communities to come together like this,” LoSasso said. “The Bobby G Awards give the entire Colorado community the opportunity to recognize how hard students work in the arts – and to celebrate each other. That’s what’s most important to us.”

2022-23 BOBBY G AWARDS

Overall Production of a Musical

• Lakewood High School, “Something Rotten”

Leading Role

• Camille Nugent, Alice Murphy, “Bright Star,” Fossil Ridge High School

• Connor O’Brian, Shakespeare, “Something Rotten,” Lakewood High School

Performance in a Supporting Role

• Tass Rabillard, Hedy LaRue, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” Erie High School

• Michael LoSasso, Nostradamus, “Something Rotten,” Lakewood High School

Rising Star (for underclassmen)

• Camryn Leistico, Crutchie, “Newsies,” Central High School

Direction

• Tami LoSasso and Sophia Navarro, “Something Rotten,” Lakewood High School

Musical Direction

• Bri McCormick and Nate Wambolt, “Bright Star,” Fossil Ridge High School

Performance by an Orchestra

• Fort Collins High School, “SpongeBob The Musical”

Choreography

• Remy Fenske and Ella Brosseau, “The Addams Family,” ThunderRidge High School

Performance by a Chorus

• Central High School, “Newsies”

Hair and Make-Up Design

• Sarah Duncan and Katie Sokald, “The Addams Family,” ThunderRidge High School

Lighting Design

• Athena Pierson and Theo Tran, “Something Rotten,” Lakewood High School

Costume Design

• Cole Emarine and Anna Katherine Mier, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” Erie High School

Scenic Design

• Lyric Bishop, Kaiya Brown, Paige Ioerger and Jason Watkins, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” Niwot High School

Stage Management

• Amelia Mindlin-Leitner, “Man of La Mancha,” Cherry Creek High School

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

• Parental Support: Mark Leistico, “Newsies,” Central High School

• Student Leadership: Genesis Ruano, “Rent,” Hinkley High School

• Community Leadership: Nicholaus Sandner, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” Montezuma-Cortez High School