By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
Palisades Charter High School student Annika Johansson received the Jerry Herman Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Regina George in the school’s rendition of the musical version of “Mean Girls” during a ceremony on May 5.
The Jerry Herman Awards is a celebration dedicated to “recognizing, encouraging and rewarding achievements and excellence in high school musical theatre,” according to the website.
“It is the local award ceremony for The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as The Jimmy’s,” the website read.
Each year, the Hollywood Pantages hosts the Jerry Herman High School Musical Theatre Awards with a goal “to constructively support local high school performing arts programs in the Los Angeles area,” according to the program.
Johansson was nominated alongside Juliette Waltz from Village Christian School, Madison Honore from AMPA @ Hamilton High School, Emilia Brown at Louisville High School, Natalie Cayetano from Culver City High School, Sophia Stern from Ambassador Christian School and Hadley Gannaway from Chaminade College Prep High School.
“Mean Girls” was adapted for Broadway from the eponymous 2004 film—written by and starring Tina Fey—which led to 12 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, after it opened in 2018.
The Pali High iteration of the show was directed by Nancy Fracchiolla and choreographed by Hazel Clarke. Its cast and crew featured more than 100 students. Performances took place at the school in October 2023.
Fracchiolla said Pali High was one of four schools—out of over 40—asked to perform on the Pantages stage during the awards ceremony.
“We did ‘Where Do You Belong?’ from ‘Mean Girls,’” Fracchiolla said to the Palisadian-Post.
The school was also nominated for the Jerry Herman Award for Best Orchestra.
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