Senior musical theatre major Matt DeLorenzo, who performed the role of Candy Darling in the new musical, “Pop!” at the Studio Theatre in Washington D.C. this past summer, has been nominated for a Helen Hayes Award.
Senior musical theatre major Matt DeLorenzo, who performed the role of Candy Darling in the new musical, “Pop!” at the Studio Theatre in Washington D.C. this past summer, has been nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. One of the country’s most prestigious cultural honors, The Helen Hayes Awards recognize and celebrate artistic achievement, and bring significant local, national, and international recognition to the remarkable artistry on Washington area stages.
“To be nominated for a Helen Hayes Award this year is absolutely a surreal experience for me,” said DeLorenzo. “It is the highest honor for the D.C. theatre scene and to be recognized for my work when I haven’t even graduated college, is just incredible. For example, one of my acting icons, Cate Blanchett, is nominated for one this year! Crazy!”
“Pop!” tells the story of Andy Warhol and his ‘silver factory’ gang of superstars around the late 1960s and early 1970s. The musical is a murder mystery about who shot Warhol and includes his pop culture concept of “15 minutes of fame.” DeLorenzo’s role, Candy Darling, is the show’s host, Andy’s best friend and a potential suspect. “Creating the role and taking on all the different styles of Candy that the musical presents was such a great challenge,” said DeLorenzo. “Whether is was being a glamorous socialite, Andy’s Czechoslovakian mother or Walter Cronkite, every scene and song created a new challenge but an even greater reward as a performer.”
DeLorenzo is in the Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical category along with six other nominees. He will attend the awards ceremony on Monday, April 23 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. For more information on the Helen Hayes Awards, visit http://theatrewashington.org/.
