RVC Starlight Takes Center Stage at Annual Lou Awards

RVC Starlight Takes Center Stage at Annual Lou Awards

• Awards
• 10/09/2025

Rock Valley College Starlight Theatre delights stateline area audiences each summer with five major musical productions and Shakespeare on the lawn. Once again, their excellence in theatrical storytelling and artistry has caught the eye of the Lou Awards.

These awards celebrate community and college theatre in Chicago's north and northwest suburbs. RVC Starlight was nominated for 20 awards in 12 categories and won seven awards at the official Lou Awards Ceremony on October 5 in Palatine.

2025 Lou Awards for RVC Starlight Theatre include:

• Best Musical Production - Ragtime
• Best Lighting Design - Bryan Rivera - Ragtime
• Best Costume Design - Victoria Benson - Ragtime
• Best Performer in a Leading Male Role in a Musical - Alex Christopher McIntyre, Ragtime
• Best Performer in a Leading Female Role in a Musical - Stephanie Souza Rasmann, Ragtime
• Best Choreographer - Billy Seger, The SpongeBob Musical
• Best Performer in a Leading Male Role in a Play - Noah Robbie Hill, Julius Caesar

These award nominations certainly reflect the ingenuity and talent of our community, but moreover, they give credence to the culture that we're striving to create here at RVC. We're here for the growth of our artists, and their growth gets more and more attention from area awards, which is fantastic! We're grateful that the Lous do something this fantastic for our community, and recognize the great talents involved in our little area of the world.

2025 Lou Award Nominations for RVC Starlight Theatre include:

Best Musical Production

• The SpongeBob Musical
• Ragtime

Best Director of a Musical

• Christopher D. Brady, Ragtime

Best Music Director

• Christopher Joyner, Ragtime
• Mark Miller-Cornejo, The SpongeBob Musical

Best Performer in a Leading Male Role in a Musical

• Alex Christopher McIntyre, Ragtime
• Joshua Landahl, The SpongeBob Musical
• Matthew Clum, The SpongeBob Musical
• Ezra Korn, The Wedding Singer

Best Performer in a Leading Male Role in a Play

• Noah Robbie Hill, Julius Caesar

Best Performer in a Leading Female Role in a Musical

• Stephanie Souza Rasmann, Ragtime
• Myriah Saunders, The Wedding Singer

Best Performer in a Supporting Male Role in a Musical

• Lo Villareal-Black, The Wedding Singer

Best Performer in a Supporting Female Role in a Musical

• Lenijah Smith in Ragtime

Best Choreographer

• Billy Seger, The SpongeBob Musical

Best Scenic Design

• Brandon Mechler, Ragtime
• Carmen Turner, The SpongeBob Musical

Best Lighting Design

• Bryan Rivera, Ragtime
• Gabrielle Tift, The SpongeBob Musical

Best Costume Design

• Bethany Nelson, The SpongeBob Musical
• Victoria Benson, Ragtime

The Lou Award nominations start with a Lou recommendation. This is given to a production when, after the opening night of its run, at least one element of the show was deemed excellent by the opening night judges of the Lou Awards Nominating Committee. If a production received a nod from the nominating committee, additional members of the Lou board attend the production. Julius Caesar, The SpongeBob Musical, Grease, Ragtime, and The Wedding Singer were all Lou Recommended.

Lou Award nominations come from Lou Recommended productions. The committee then determines finalists (nominees) in each category. After the finalists are revealed, the Lou Board chooses the Lou Award winners.

Congratulations to all of the RVC Starlight Theatre production teams, staff, and countless volunteers who make each season possible.

For more information about Starlight Theatre, visit RockValleyCollege.edu/Starlight.

About Lou Czarny, the name behind the Lou Awards

The Lou Awards are named in memory of Lou Czarny (pronounced Zar-nee), who was an active member in the theatre community in Woodstock, IL. Lou participated in productions on and off-stage for over thirty years, with Townsquare Players, Woodstock Musical Theatre Company, Paradise People, Woodstock Summer Theatre, and several other local community theatre companies. He served on the Board of Directors for both Townsquare Players and Woodstock Musical Theatre Company, including serving as President of Townsquare Players.

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