The best male/female performer were from the same show, so the writer did an overview that’s applicable to both and then a separate blurb on each, however you want to lay that out.
Our two best performers for 2026 hail from the same production, Springfield Theatre Centre’s Beetlejuice Jr. This show is a whimsical and musical gothic funhouse adaptation of the Tim Burton cult-classic film. It’s a big, irreverent, zany show that’s filled with heart and enormous sand worm puppets. It’s not surprising then, that audiences remembered two of its most impressive and talented young stars. The directing team labeled both teens as two of the hardest-working and kindest actors around, and not just in their age group.
Rochester High School student Jackson Thornton portrayed the iconic role of Beetlejuice with a morbid darkness and cartoon physicality most adult performers never manage to attain.
“Jackson could play that part on Broadway, he was that good,” said Beetlejuice Jr. director Nicole Sivak.
From his initial booming entrance, Thornton owned every inch of the stage – slithering through the ensemble, snapping into maniacal gestures and driving the show’s chaotic momentum with electric comedic timing. He sang flawlessly through a characterized, gravelly vocal-fry that could have easily damaged the vocal cords of a lesser actor. He also delivered a demonically joyful performance that stuck with audience members.
Thornton said the highlight of his experience was “to make jokes and scare kids, all while doing a funny voice.”
Sivak said of her time working with him, “He is an amazing performer and was so helpful backstage with his young cast members – they all looked up to him.”
This article appears in October 29-November 4, 2026.
