Wantagh High School Student Wins Prestigious Acting Award

WANTAGH, NY — And the winner is... Wantagh High School's Katriana Koppe!

The talented thespian was selected as the Best Actress Roger Rees for Excellence in Student Performance.

The award is given for outstanding achievements in high school musical theater throughout the New York City area.

Koppe earned the distinction for taking on the titular role in her school's version of Rogers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella," the Wantagh School District said.

Even more exhilarating, Koppe found out about the award when it flashed across the ABC News screen in Times Square on May 27.

Wantagh Theatre Director Kimberly Davis said the award is well-deserved for this talented young actress.

"This is life-changing for Katriana," she said in a statement. "Many previous recipients of this prestigious award have garnered leading roles on the Broadway stage."

Koppe will represent the greater New York region in the Broadway League Foundation's National High School Musical Theater Awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards.

The award is named for accomplished British actor Roger Rees, who won a Tony Award and was posthumously inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. He was also familiar to television viewers for roles on "Cheers" and "The West Wing."