Lakeland Preparatory School has earned widespread recognition in the Mid-South arts community, securing 20 nominations in the 2026 Orpheum High School Musical Theatre Awards for its production of Anything Goes. The strong showing highlights the school’s excellence across performance, direction, and technical production.
Among the top individual honors, student Zoey Yale was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress for her portrayal of Reno Sweeney. Aaden Nichols and Alexander Garcia each received nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor, while Carrington Criswell and Naima Harper Bey were recognized in the Outstanding Supporting Actress category. Additional student achievements include a nomination for Addy Blu Maness in Outstanding Student Creative Achievement and recognition for Zarriah Clark in Outstanding Student Technical Achievement.
The production’s leadership also garnered attention. Tate Hansen was nominated for Outstanding Music Direction, and LPS Theatre director, Jeff White, received a nomination for Outstanding Direction by a Teacher, reflecting the strength of the program’s mentorship and artistic guidance.
Lakeland Prep’s nominations extended well beyond individual performances, with recognition in multiple technical and ensemble categories. The school earned nominations for Outstanding Chorus, Dance Execution, Choreography, Playbill, Poster, Hair and Makeup, Lighting, Sound Design and Execution, Set Design, and Technical Achievement.
Mr. White told Lakeland Currents he was proud of the student’s efforts saying, “for this to be our first year as a full high school and to tie for the most nominations for a school in the mid-south is very special and speaks to the hard work and amazing skills and talents of the students of LPS Theatre Company.”
Capping the achievement, Anything Goes was nominated for Outstanding Overall Production, placing Lakeland Preparatory School among the region’s top high school theatre programs. The breadth of nominations underscores a well-rounded program distinguished by both its onstage talent and its behind-the-scenes excellence.
