Woodinville High wins top 5th Avenue prize

Local high-school drama departments have an encouraging friend in the 5th Avenue Theatre, which bestowed a slew of prizes for musical student productions in a Benaroya Hall ceremony on Monday night.

The most-nominated school, Woodinville High School, scooped up the coveted "overall production prize" for its show "Good News," which also received honors for best non-singing actor and best stage crew.

Woodinville's haul of three awards was the best showing at an event that honored students from 18 Washington high schools or home-school programs. Richland (in the Tri-Cities), Kentridge (Kent) and Olympia high schools also won three awards apiece, including their special-honor awards. Kentlake (Kent), Lewis and Clark (Spokane) and Stanwood high schools received two awards each.

The trophies were awarded on the recommendations of 15 adult theater professionals, who each reviewed up to 30 of the 79 eligible musical-theater productions, at 73 high schools in the state.

TVW, the Washington State Public Affairs cable channel, will broadcast the full awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Wednesday and again at 1 p.m. Sunday.