Saturday was a star-studded night for the kids at Starbright Center for the Arts.
The kids dressed in dapper suits and elegant gowns and walked in on a redcarpet entrance, with twinkling lights, reminiscent of the Oscars but with the added bonus of karaoke, popcorn and a ping-pong table.
Students from the program were recognized for their hard work, starring in or helping with at least one of the 20 productions that showcased over 2025 for the first Starbie award ceremony.
Kailey Rice Hjelmgren, owner of Starbright Center for the Arts and its artistic director, purchased the building with her husband Joe Hjelmgren in October from the Pilot Point Community Opera House.
It was an emotional ceremony for Rice Hjelmgren, as she reflected on her journey of starting Starbright four years ago.
“When I started Starbright, I had a little class of five kiddos,” she said. “And now I have like over 100 of you guys who I've had the privilege of teaching, and I just want to say thank you because you guys made my dream come true of being able to teach.”
Rice Hjelmgren thanked the families, instructors and many volunteers for their support in making that possible.
“We've seen so much growth, bravery, teamwork and talent on the stage, and honestly, we could not be more proud,” Rice Hjelmgren said.
There were three types of awards: peer-selected, director-selected and community-selected.
The awards included best comedic timing, choreography and most likely to break out in song.
Ben Harrison was the first student to win an award selected by his peers for his comedic timing.
Catching up with him afterward, the excitement and a bit of shock were palpable.
“It feels amazing,” he said. “I am super surprised that I actually won.”
Regardless of the outcome, the students showed support for their friends by clapping loudly and cheering as they accepted their awards.
They then welcomed them back to their seat with high fives and hugs.
The creation of Starbright wasn’t just lifechanging for Rice Hjelmgren but also for her employee, Kelsey Neyman, whose husband, Jeff, is an instructor.
The pair got involved after their daughter, Hera Neyman, expressed interest in taking classes.
Initially, they helped out around the theater while their daughter was in class and quickly became more involved.
The decision changed the trajectory of their life, Kelsey said.
“We actually had been wanting to move out of state before joining here,” she said. “We had been thinking about moving to Colorado, and after finding this community and finding this community for our daughter, we were like, we can't leave this, so this is where we're staying.”
Hera, whom Kelsey described as shy when she first joined Starbright nearly three years ago, confidently took the stage to perform karaoke before the award ceremony.
“She's starting to find who she is, and then she also has this really safe space of people that she can always count on,” Kelsey said.
That growth was recognized by the directors at Starbright, too, as Hera won the final director-selected award for “Rising Star.”
The award was given to the student who “demonstrated developing talent, increased stage presence and a clear passion for performing that signals a bright future on the Starbright stage.” “When I won the award, I felt, honestly, shocked and so honored to win an award. It truly means so much to me,” Hera said via text.
