Important Dates

Belvidere High School's commencement ceremony will take place on Friday, June 18 at 6:30 PM.

        Belvidere High School put on the musical Fiddler on the Roof in March, but the excitement still hasn’t died down!  After the three Fiddler performances were complete, the production’s participants eagerly looked forward to May 13, the day the nominees of the Freddy Awards were to be announced.  At 12:00, Fiddler’s actors, stage crew members, and instructors came together again in Mr. Riday’s room to watch the nominations on WFMZ.  Everyone in the room excitedly awaited “Belvidere High School, Fiddler on the Roof” to appear on the screen and cheered when it did!  Justin Kiefer, who played Tevye in our production, received a nomination for “Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role”!

        On the night of the Freddy’s, a group of BHS students drove to the State Theatre to get a taste of each of the different musicals performed in the area.  The Freddys is the only high school awards show in the country that is televised, so people from all over the world watch it!  Despite a lightning strike that caused a late start, the whole show went very well.  The show’s opening number featured cast members from each of the participating schools, and actors Justin Kiefer, Jess Severns, Jenna Tshudy, Alicia Cerrada-Guenther, and Arran Gross represented BHS in the number!  The actors sang and danced to a medley of songs from Mama Mia, Merrily We Roll Along and other shows, which got a standing ovation as confetti poured down from the ceiling.

        After the opening, awards such as “Outstanding Performance by an Orchestra” and “Outstanding Achievement in Lighting” were given out to the different schools.  Five schools were nominated for “Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical”, so in between awards, the casts performed for the other schools.  Everyone was supportive of these different productions, which included Sweeney Todd: School Edition, Rent: School Edition, Aida, Curtains, and Ragtime: School Edition.  Of course, the kids from Belvidere were anxiously awaiting the performances of the leading male actors and cheered for Justin as he performed “If I Were a Rich Man”.  The crowd loved it, especially when he kicked up his heels and started to dance! 

        Although Justin didn’t win the award, the Freddys made for a great night!  From beginning to end, the schools of the area entertained each other, making every moment exciting.  I’ve watched the Freddys at home for the last couple of years, but seeing it in person was incredible.  Everyone did a great job, and in the end, it didn’t matter how many awards each school left the State Theatre with.  People inside the theater and out got a huge treat and really enjoyed themselves.