CONTACT:
B. Grant Yarber
President and Chief Executive Officer
Phone: (919) 645-3494
Email: gyarber@capitabank-nc.com
Triangle student actors advance to national competition
Capital Bank funds students to attend 2009 National High School Musical Theater Awards
Raleigh, N.C. — May 21, 2009 — Capital Bank President and CEO, B. Grant Yarber, presented the Outstanding Leading Actor and Actress awards to two Triangle high school students earlier this week at the Capital Awards. The students now advance to the National High School Musical Theater Awards in New York this summer to train and perform with their peers from across the country. Capital Bank is funding their tuition and participation in the competition.
Seth Johnson from Cary Academy received the Outstanding Leading Actor award, while Rebecca Brinkley from Cedar Ridge High School received the Outstanding Leading Actress award. Johnson played Jean Valjean in Cary Academy´s production of Les Misérables and Brinkley shined in the leading role of Eva Perón in Evita at Cedar Ridge High.
The two will advance to the first annual presentation of The Jimmy Awards, to be held in New York on Monday, June 29 at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University. The Jimmy Award is named in honor of James M. Nederlander, legendary Broadway theater owner and producer.
Fifteen other professional theater organizations from 11 states are participating and two grand prize winners will be selected by a panel of experts following five days of musical theater rehearsals, master classes, private coaching and interviews with theater professionals. The grand prize includes a four-year, $100,000 scholarship to New York University´s Tisch School of the Arts.
“Theatre plays an important role in the lives of students and greatly contributes to their future success as members of our society, no matter what career path they may follow,” said Yarber. “It is our privilege to support the Capital Awards and now the National High School Musical Theater Awards.”
The third annual Capital Awards for High School Musical Excellence was held on May 18 to honor drama students from 11 North Carolina high schools. Capital Bank was the presenting sponsor of the Capital Awards, which recognize outstanding high school musical productions and performances from six different counties in 16 categories. Ravenscroft School received the Outstanding Musical honor for their production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
The Capital Awards will air on WRAL-TV on Saturday, June 20 at 3 p.m. and additional broadcasts will air on Time Warner Cable.