Riverside Unified Students Honored at 2026 Lucie Arnaz Awards Ceremony

Students from Martin Luther King High School and John W. North High School earned top honors at the 2026 Lucie Arnaz Awards, which celebrate excellence in high school musical theatre in the Inland Empire. 

Rowan Gilstrap, a senior at Martin Luther King High School, and North High School’s production of “The Addams Family” were among the night's biggest winners at the ceremony held at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.

Gilstrap received one of the ceremony’s highest honors, earning the Outstanding Leading Actor award for his portrayal of Ren McCormack in Martin Luther King High School’s “Footloose: The Musical.” As a result of this recognition, he will represent the Inland Empire at the prestigious Jimmy Awards on June 22 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City, where the nation’s top high school musical theatre performers gather for a week of coaching, development, and a final Broadway stage showcase.

John W. North High School was named Outstanding Ensemble for its production of “The Addams Family,” recognizing the strength, collaboration, and talent of the full student cast and crew.