The San Jose Stage Top Honors awards ceremony honored the best in Bay Area high school theater on June 4, and the Harker Conservatory’s cast of “The Drowsy Chaperone” walked away with with the award for best chorus.

The cast and staff was nominated in 11 categories, including best actor and actress, chorus, director, musical director and best show, earning the right to perform at the awards ceremony. “We performed the big song and dance number from the show,” said director Laura Lang-Ree. “The kids were fabulous, tons of energy … the audience loved them.” Newly graduated seniors Noel Witcosky and Tristan Killeen also performed as part of a best actor/actress nominee montage.

The best chorus award, which Harker also took home last year for “Pippin,” is the award the directing staff most appreciates winning. “It reflects the hard work, talent, dedication and commitment of the entire cast,” said Lang-Ree. “It’s ‘easy’ to feature a fabulous lead, but when you can take the entire ensemble of 43 and elevate them to that same level of joy and storytelling, that’s another story. We are all so proud of the team.”

This is the fourth year that Harker’s musical theater program has won this award, which was actually originated for Harker after the judging staff wanted to acknowledge the cast’s work in “Oklahoma!” in  2002.