The Dazzle Awards, modeled after the Tony Awards, recognize 31 schools in the Northeast Ohio district that participated in musical theater, with Lakewood High School being one of those schools. LHS was nominated for eight total awards across the fifteen categories this year for the production of Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812.

​The 2026 Dazzles took place on Saturday, May 16, at the KeyBank State Theater at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio. Nominees who win the Best Actor and Best Actress categories are then selected to represent Playhouse Square at the Jimmy Awards during June in New York City.

​LHS was nominated in nearly every major category, including:

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Supporting Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Student Orchestra

Best Student Technical Execution

Best Ensemble/Chorus

Best Choreography Execution

This is the most nominations that the Lakewood Barnstormers have received in recent years.

​“I think we were honestly very obviously excited, but I would say we were shocked,” said Domenic Farinelli-Martinez, Barnstormer director and English teacher at Lakewood High School.

His response emphasizes the passion behind the program, revealing how deeply the directors and students invest themselves in the program and production.

“I was really impressed with our students at the Dazzle Awards. You get to see snippets of the other productions. Over 40 schools participated, and there was a production of Chicago that Shaker Heights performed a bit of for us, and you would have thought that that was Lakewood High School up there,” said Farinelli-Martinez.

​Farinelli-Martinez comments that the Barnstormers emphasize collaboration and appropriation for the arts; it doesn’t matter about the awards. At the end of the day, they are there to celebrate.

“I think that we’ve promoted a culture here at Lakewood of celebration, and even though we didn’t celebrate eight wins from our production with our students, I was really impressed with how our kids celebrated other schools and what they were able to accomplish,” Farinelli-Martinez said.

Cora Barcelona is a senior at Lakewood High School and the vice president of Barnstormers. She was nominated for Best Actress for the Dazzles for her role as Natasha Rostova in Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812.

​“It was definitely one of the joys; it felt like hard work paying off more than anything,” Barcelona said. “It was unexpected, but I think I’ve always put in the hard work and put myself out there and done everything I could for this role. I loved playing Natasha, and to be honored in this way was really incredible.”

​Barcelona emphasized the emotional weight and hard work that it took to get to the Dazzles. There is an audition process that had to have taken place in order to have the chance to be recognized, with the nomination being seen as an achievement alone for this.

​“I learned a lot about how different all of our schools operate in terms of our drama experiences,” Barcelona said. “Some places have less funding than the barnstormers, which was, it was interesting to hear their takes on how they continued to push for theater to exist, even exist in their schools, as opposed to a place like Lakewood, where that kind of thing is fostered.”

​Hearing the challenges that some students face in performing offers a greater appreciation for the level of support and opportunities offered at Lakewood and the community.

​“I got really close with all of the other Best Actress and Best Actor nominees, especially since we were in these rigorous rehearsal training periods,” Barcelona said. “One kid even helped me with my Calc BC homework while I was there, and that’s just kind of the environment that the Dazzle Awards fostered as a place for performers to unite and acknowledge that they are more than just performers.”

​Barcelona highlights the supportive atmosphere that goes beyond the competitive nature of the award show. The Dazzles allows students to connect artistically and on personal levels as well.

​“What’s really nice is that the winners are already decided before we even go into Dazzles Week, so we know there’s nothing we can do to change it or anything, not that we want to exactly, but we’re just able to be kids around each other, hang out with each other, learn from each other, grow with each other, and that is such a special thing to be able to do,” Barcelona said.

​The week of the show is busy and enjoyable for all students participating in the award show. Each student nominated for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress sings in the show, along with a student representative from each participating school.

​“It means celebrating the arts and what we do there, and celebrating the fun we have with it,” Axel Scott, a junior at Lakewood and winner of Best Supporting Actor for the role of Dolokhov in Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812, said.

​In the path to winning the award, Scott represented what it means to create and celebrate the love behind musical theater.

​“I really like to do stupid stuff, because Dolokhov is kind of, he’s the big, he’s a big drinker, and he’s kind of a jerk, and I think it’s just really fun to play odd people,” Scott said.

​Scott’s perspective shows that playing a flawed character is more fun than playing someone who is ruled as “traditionally” good. It gives the actor more room to express freedom while portraying the character.

​“One lesson to describe this Barnstormers journey is, I would say, being present and appreciating the moment. I think in any aspect of life, it’s very easy to think about the next thing that’s coming, “ said Farinelli-Martinez.

​The Barnstormers have multiple focuses throughout the school year, and Farinelli-Martinez emphasized the importance of being present with the group’s focus in the moment.

“I think that this has taught us, when we’re working on the fall play, let’s focus on the fall play, let’s enjoy this process…When we’re working on the musical, let’s not think about the Dazzle Awards. Let’s think about the project that we’re working on,” Farinelli-Martinez said. “And then when we’re at the Dazzle Awards, let’s just enjoy being here. Let’s have fun. Let’s dress up and look nice together.”

​Reflecting on the Barnstormers’ journey throughout the year that led to the Dazzle Awards, the journey is clear to see. It is a part of a process that makes the Barnstormers what they are. Being present and appreciating the moment is a part of the journey and the fun of it all, with the awards being just another addition to an amazing year.

​It’s better to be doing it all together. That’s what Barnstormers is all about.