The State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton, has announced that 2021 will be another “different kind of year” for the annual Freddy Awards, which recognizes and rewards outstanding achievement in local high school musical theater.

“The restrictions of the pandemic will prevent our evaluative process once again, so it will be another creative year,” said Shelley Brown, Executive Producer of the awards program and President and CEO of the State Theatre, in a Jan. 12 press release.

The announcement is also on the State Theatre website: https://freddyawards.org/

“Thanks to our partnership with WFMZ, we will still produce a television special that will celebrate the high school students’ work, but we will be unable to evaluate any high school shows in our traditional fashion,” Brown said.

Lehigh Valley region high schools are still deciding what, if any, productions can be presented given social-distancing and other coronavirus (COVID) pandemic restrictions, according to the press release.

“The safety of our evaluators and students is another factor in our decision,” Brown said.

“The bright spot in all of this is the fact that WFMZ is committed to another broadcast in which we can celebrate the kids. We will work together to make this as special as we can,” said Brown.

“And it is very important to us that our college scholarship opportunities continue. Our program is a top priority to the theater, but we need to adapt this year’s changing landscape,” Brown said.

A 2020 Freddy Awards televised and online event was produced despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic curtain call for most 2020 high school musicals.

The “Freddy Awards: A Television Special Celebrating the High School Musical Class of 2020” premiered May 21, 2020, on 69-WFMZ, long-time partner with the State Theatre for the telecast.

A set of DVDs of the TV show, which pays tribute to high school seniors and others involved in 2020 musical productions, has been available for purchase.

With COVID-19-mandated shutdowns, most of the region’s 2020 school musicals never made it to opening night.

“Only six of our 29 schools were able to perform their shows this year, and with self-distancing in place it has been a challenge even to envision a television show at all,” said Brown in an April 22, 2020, press release.

The telecast combined new material highlighting the talents of the Class of 2020 with a retrospective of opening numbers from the awards programs since its inception in 2003.

The Freddy Awards are named after the historic venue’s “Fred the Ghost,” said to be, as legend has it, that of J. “Fred” Osterstock, who managed the company that owned the State Theatre from 1936 until his death in 1957.

Proceeds from the sale of the DVD set purchased through the State Theatre benefit the Freddy Awards program which presents scholarships and awards to area students and local schools.

Information: www.shopstatetheatre.org/freddys-shop