Anthony Nelson
2017 Recipient
Anthony Nelson as 'Cogsworth' from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with Niki Rapattoni and her grandsons
ONTARIO, Calif., June 2, 2017 – Chaffey High School graduating senior Anthony Nelson was awarded a $2,000 scholarship for Outstanding Performance and Dedication in Chaffey High School Theatre from the Niki and Andy Rapattoni Drama Scholarship at the recent CHS Senior Awards ceremony.
According to Dave Masterson, department chair for visual and performing arts at Chaffey High School in Ontario, California, “Anthony joins a long list of actors selected for this recognition due to his theatrical talent, commitment and dedication to productions at Chaffey High School.”
“Anthony’s first role for us at Chaffey Theatre Company was in 2014, three years ago, as the lead in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Anthony played Charlie Bucket, his first lead. 7,600 patrons saw his performance,” Masterson commented. “That role led to the role of Pinocchio in Shrek; Benny in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights; Jean Michel in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, closing his high school career as the ever temperamental Cogsworth in our most recent Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.”
Scholarship co-founding providers since 2012, Niki Brown Rapattoni (CHS class of 1958) and her late husband Andy Rapattoni (CHS class of 1957) met in the Gardiner W. Spring Auditorium in 1956 while attending the senior play. They became high school sweethearts and were married 55 years. They have been supporters of the CHS Alumni Association (Andy was the 2010 CHS Alumni Tiger of the Year and spoke at the CHS Baccalaureate ceremony) and have been annual benefactors of the CHS Drama Department for many years.
Niki Rapattoni said, “We are thrilled to provide this scholarship to Anthony Nelson, a deserving CHS graduating student who has excelled in Drama and plans to continue his pursuit in the Performing Arts.” Niki went on to say, “The outpouring of contributions to the scholarship fund in honor of Andy has extended the scholarship longevity and we would like to sincerely thank all of the donors.” Information about the scholarship, donors, and recipients can be found on the Rapattoni Corporation website under ‘Company’ (click here to view this information).
Masterson added, “The Rapattonis walked these grounds in the ‘50s and began a lifetime of dedication and determination to support great causes, and are now ‘paying it forward.’ Anthony is a most deserving recipient of this annual scholarship and I know he will repay it forward just as his benefactors have.”
Niki Rapattoni and her grandchildren attended a recent CHS performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast based on the 1991 Oscar-winning animated feature and the original Broadway production, and had the opportunity to see the scholarship recipient, Anthony Nelson, in the role of ‘Cogsworth’ in the production.
Anthony’s proud parents are Michael Nelson and Patricia Holler of Fontana, California. Anthony intends to matriculate at the University of California, Riverside, upon graduation to major in English with a degree nod toward teaching high school theatre.
Past Recipients:
2016
Adam Granados
2015
Jonathan Guevara
2014
Jade Winter White
2013
Vincent LaVigna
